Reply #90: That 2.5 million is in error

[krispos42]

By one federal estimate guns are used defensively (DGU or defensive gun use) 108,000 times per year. That is not a self-defence shooting necessarily, but where the presence of a gun was used to fend off a threat. A university survey found 2.5 million times per year. Later statistical analysis brought that number down to 1.5 million times per year.

Of couse, the feds that analysed the university study are quick to point out some problems with the methodology, and basically end the report by saying "we have no friggin clue".

Not every DGU was in murder, nor was a gun even fired. IMHO is was a lot of showing, probably by intended victims who were illegally carrying a gun. In most major cities it is difficult or impossible to get a CCW permit, and there are a fair number of otherwise honest people to carry illegally. If they show the gun to deter an attacker, neither party calls the cops, and the federal crime estimate will be artifically low.

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/165476.pdf