Firearms Friday: The Brushfire Mind Live

It's time once again for our weekly discussion and celebration of our god given right to keep and bear arms and resist tyrannical government overreach.

Defensive gun use refers to the use of a firearm to protect oneself, others, or property against crime or victimization. While estimates of defensive gun use vary depending on the study design, population studied, and timeframe, studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other reputable sources suggest that Americans use their firearms defensively between 500,000 and 3 million times each year [[1][2]]. However, the effectiveness of defensive gun use in providing safety and reducing crime remains a controversial issue in gun politics and criminology, particularly in the United States [[3]].

Some studies suggest that self-defense gun use is rare and not more effective at preventing injury than other protective actions [[8]]. Victims use guns in less than 1% of contact crimes, and women never use guns to protect themselves against sexual assault in over 300 cases [[8]]. Moreover, analysis of raw data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the late 1990s found that defensive gun use was rare and most often involved individuals using guns in response to property crimes, rather than violent crimes [[7]].

On the other hand, a recent study found that about 9.1% of defensive gun uses occurred in public, and about 4.8% occurred at work, suggesting that some individuals carry firearms for self-defense in various circumstances [[6]]. Additionally, a database by The Heritage Foundation allows users to locate instances of defensive gun use in their own states and cities [[5]]. However, it is important to note that such databases may not capture all instances of defensive gun use and may not provide a representative sample of the population.

In summary, while defensive gun use is a complex and controversial issue, reliable studies suggest that Americans use their firearms defensively between 500,000 and 3 million times each year. However, the effectiveness of defensive gun use in providing safety and reducing crime remains a topic of debate in the fields of gun politics and criminology.