But it sounds like it really varies source to source. The problem is that a lot of the time it is just an estimate. Not all self-defense uses of a gun are reported as often someone doing a criminal action is not going to self-report it. And the person with the gun may not want to report it either for fear of getting in trouble. Additionally it doesn't seem like there is really a national database that can properly catalogue and account for self-defense actions with a gun. So it seems a lot of it is based on estimates from what data they do have.
Either way that low-end estimate still seems to be quite a large number. It does make you think how many violent crimes may have been avoided because of brandishing a firearm in self-defense. It's unfortunate that it is hard to get accurate data on this.
> Either way that low-end estimate still seems to be quite a large number. It does make you think how many violent crimes may have been avoided because of brandishing a firearm in self-defense. It's unfortunate that it is hard to get accurate data on this.
What are the trade offs though?
> 5. Firearms are used far more often to intimidate than in self-defense
> Using data from a national random-digit-dial telephone survey conducted under the direction of the Harvard Injury Control Center, we examined the extent and nature of offensive gun use. We found that firearms are used far more often to frighten and intimidate than they are used in self-defense. All reported cases of criminal gun use, as well as many of the so-called self-defense gun uses, appear to be socially undesirable.
> Hemenway, David; Azrael, Deborah. The relative frequency of offensive and defensive gun use: Results of a national survey. Violence and Victims. 2000; 15:257-272.
CDC says ~ 60,000 to 2.5 million[1] which is a massive range spanning nearly 2 orders of magnitude. It's likely on the higher side because who calls the cops when they had to brandish a firearm to scare someone away... Brandishing is illegal in many states.
But it sounds like it really varies source to source. The problem is that a lot of the time it is just an estimate. Not all self-defense uses of a gun are reported as often someone doing a criminal action is not going to self-report it. And the person with the gun may not want to report it either for fear of getting in trouble. Additionally it doesn't seem like there is really a national database that can properly catalogue and account for self-defense actions with a gun. So it seems a lot of it is based on estimates from what data they do have.
Either way that low-end estimate still seems to be quite a large number. It does make you think how many violent crimes may have been avoided because of brandishing a firearm in self-defense. It's unfortunate that it is hard to get accurate data on this.