[frossca]

How often do Americans use guns each year for defensive purposes, some of whom -- but for their guns -- might have been killed? Criminologist Gary Kleck estimates that 2.5 million Americans use guns for defensive purposes each year, and approximately 400,000 of them believe someone would have been dead had they not resorted to their defensive use of firearms. A government study put the figure at 1.5 million.

Does anybody have a link to definite source points for the data quoted above. Not that I dis-believe it, but I would like to be able to use these statistics when "debating" some of my anti-Constitution acquaintences. But I cannot use un-sourced data.

[The UnVeiled Lady]

I think that Lott's "more guns, less crime" has all the sources and stats that you need to prove you arguments.

If I recall it correctly, he was a gun grabber who started researching to prove his case and changed sides because the research "proved" our case.

Also if you ask them, based on the stories that actually get into the press how many times people stop a crime with a gun, they will probably say about 50 times a year. It is really about 1.5 million to 2.5 million. They will be stunned!

[Timm]

See Kleck, _Targeting Guns: Firearms and their Control_. Aldine de Gruyter; ISBN: 0202305694; (December 1997)