‘Nearly One-Third of Gun Owners Have Used Gun in Self-Defense,’ Says Report

[Carl N. Brown]

They only talked to people who wanted to talk about their firearms.
This is the problem with all ‘surveys’

Gallup famously gets anywhere from low 30% to over 50% of households reporting owning a gun in their polls.
Gallup has explained the wavy results as varying with the temperature of gun politics. When politicians and op-eds are on a gun control crusade, people are less likely to report owning a gun.

 

[jmorris]

In most cases (81.9%) the gun is not fired.

To me that’s a big hole in “used”.

If just sight of it made it useful, one could argue a fake one that looked real would have been just effective.

I guess I also remember a fellow that got shot by police because he had a smoking pipe in his had that they mistook for a firearm, the officer was not charged.

 

[jmohme]

‘Nearly One-Third of Gun Owners Have Used Gun in Self-Defense,’ Says Report

Nearly two thirds of all data published by the media is bovine fecal matter says I!

 

[JTHunter]

After getting divorced in the late 80s, I was living in a mobile home subdivision with about 100 other trailers. The neighbor across the street came over to use my phone to call the locals as her BF was getting a little rough again (he had been drinking). While talking to the dispatcher, he rattled my storm door so hard, the latch came apart and he came in past the inner door (ergo, he was at least 3' inside). I yelled into the phone, saying "He's here in my house and I'm pointing my gun at him ! Now get out here !!" At that time, the BF was ~4-5" taller and about 60 lbs heavier and, if he had taken one step closer, I would have shot him as I was "cornered" by the phone and couch.
Fortunately, he was not so drunk that he didn't see my gun pointed at him and he left.
The next day, he came back to apologize and help repair my storm door latch. He wasn't a "bad guy" but, living with his GF and her 3 kids was "stressful" and he drank too much.

 

[Insignificant bill]

That's just silly.[/QUO

That's just silly.

It shows how important guns are for defensive purposes and not silly at all.

 

[twarr1]

@.308 Norma - Youre right. ‘A’ problem. Not the only one. Thanks for the correction!

 

[AlexanderA]

If someone contacted me asking about my gun ownership and use, I’d decline. That’s me. How many others would also decline telling a stranger about their firearm use and ownership?
I would think the ‘results’ aren’t truly representative.

Exactly. This is why the results of any survey regarding firearms ownership / use are suspect. There is no incentive to be honest, and every incentive not to be.

 

[lsudave]

Most people who have had to use or display a gun for self defense don't talk about it much. I wasn't asked and probably wouldn't have participated in any survey

Valid point, I strongly think this particular example would be way under-reported. Nobody wants to talk to a survey taker about having to brandish a firearm, or shoot someone.

The report includes "carried outside the home for self-defense purposes" into their meaning for "used" and so the real meaning of the title does not indicate that a third of gun owners have actually shot their guns in a self-defense situation

This skews it bigtime, from my point of view. If we're talking about putting a gun into a car or similar, we have to be over 50% honestly.

 

[JeffG]

deleted

 

[Ranger Rog]

Guess I'm always skeptical when less than 30% of law enforcement go their entire careers with out pulling a trigger or drawing their weapon....seems like the general population would be considerably less? Just me i guess.....

 

[AlexanderA]

The real question is whether this statistic -- whether or not it's valid -- helps or hurts the public perception of gun owners.

 

[theotherwaldo]

The problem with polls is in their methodology.
Poll workers only count complete responses.
They do not include responses that stray in any way from what is allowed in the script.
They may attempt thirty or more calls per hour and get three or less complete responses per shift.
This usually makes any of their results meaningless.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Guess I'm always skeptical when less than 30% of law enforcement go their entire careers with out pulling a trigger or drawing their weapon....seems like the general population would be considerably less? Just me i guess.....

2021 National Firearms Survey interviewed 18 y.o. or older adults only out of the general population.
Gun owners are 30% of the 18 y.o. or older subset.
30% of that subset reported using a gun in self defense.

Work that out, it's almost one out of ten of the general population.

 

[Legionnaire]

I read the report. The methodology seems sound. Certainly better than most "public opinion polls."

 

[toivo]

If they include "carried outside the home" in "used for self defense," then it seems low. If they mean "displayed or fired," then it seems high.

 

[gonoles_1980]

What is defending yourself? "“Have you ever defended yourself or your property with a firearm, even if it was not fired or displayed? Please do not include military service, police work, or work as a security guard.”" So does that mean you say "I have a gun". You're defending yourself with a gun even if you don't display it.

 

[Old_Grouch]

This is an example showing that polls are easily manipulated. Here, the sampling, self reporting and definitions detract from its conclusions. Of course other polls may exhibit these problems or worse. I would not rely on it heavily, but it is food for thought and discussion.

"There are three kinds of lies: Lies, damned lies, and statistics." ~Mark Twain (quoting Benjamin Disraeli)

 

[CherokeeGunslinger]

I've been in two DGUs. The first was a guy high on meth in the process of breaking in while threatening me, so I pointed a shotgun in his face through the window of the door. The second was a guy trying to kidnap me so I indexed my handgun and warned him that I'd shoot. Thankfully, neither involved shots fired or physical injury.

The idea that there are a million DGUs a year sounds far-fetched, but it's roughly the same conclusion that the CDC, the Los Angeles Times, John Lott and Kleck & Gertz came to. Remember, we live in a world where half of the country supports the most insane political platforms, so a million DGUs a year is in the realm of possibility.

 

[Insignificant bill]

Guess I'm always skeptical when less than 30% of law enforcement go their entire careers with out pulling a trigger or drawing their weapon....seems like the general population would be considerably less? Just me i guess.....

There are more citizens with guns because the police aren't everywhere.

 

[Insignificant bill]

The real question is whether this statistic -- whether or not it's valid -- helps or hurts the public perception of gun owners.

It helps us because it proves the need for our self defense.

 

[Goofball84]

About 90% of everyone I know has some sort of firearm in their house. About 50% of everyone I know, has carry permits. About 10% actually carry daily. I know 1 person that has a nasty scar on his belly from an angry husband with a shotgun at close range. I know of 0 people that have used a firearm in self defense. My social circle of friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, is probably around 500-600 people.

So 1/3 seems extremely high based on my personal experience in my own little corner of this world. Granted I do live in rural setting. But around here, self defense ends up being fist fights.

 

[John_R]

Does shooting a rattlesnake or coyote count? Lots of people think critters are out to get them.

One million DGUs a year is 1/320 of the US population. Less than half of a percent. 3 million is just under 1%.

 

[Ivy Mike]

This smacks of the kinds of inaccuracy in previous studies on the subject matter where the interviewers attempted to count defensive gun usage and included things like not actually firing a shot or threatening an potential home intruder outside that you have a gun.
Things that are incredibly difficult to actually quantify and they wound up with some really outlandish numbers.

My grandfather served 25 years with the LAPD and never once fired a shot in anger and he was there during the height of organized crime and the Watts Riots. I find this study seriously hard to believe.

 

[Insignificant bill]

That is only your experience. Read about the use of a firearm for self defense everyday. That is actually proof of the importance of firearms.

 

[Tirod]

The problem with polls is in their methodology.
Poll workers only count complete responses.
They do not include responses that stray in any way from what is allowed in the script.
They may attempt thirty or more calls per hour and get three or less complete responses per shift.
This usually makes any of their results meaningless.

There was a survey on guns conducted by college students in major Great Lakes metro, and once statisticians dived into it, the questions, methodology and how it was consolidated in to a report showed major flaws and how they got their egregiously slanted answers.

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.