Gun ownership is also a fundamental American right. Approximately one gun for every man, woman, and child in the US is among the 300 million privately owned firearms, meaning that almost one-third of the country’s population possesses a handgun.
It seems evident that many of these weapons were purchased with home defense in mind: under the correct conditions, a gun can serve as your first and most reliable line of defense against trespassers and criminals. Is it, however, the best option for you?
Gun ownership pros: A sense of security
For many gun owners, it comes down to a fundamental math problem: if a home invasion or thief succeeds in getting inside, having a pistol offers them at least a fighting chance.
Even though exact statistics regarding the number of defensive gun uses in the US vary widely (from a low of 55,000 to a high of over two million annually).
None of that will matter if you’re one of the thousands of gun owners in the US who use your weapon in self-defense against an intruder or criminal every year.
Since 74% of criminals deliberately attempt to avoid breaking into homes when the owners are home, it is clear that they share our dislike of being on the receiving end of a rifle barrel.
Put another way, the threat of being shot alone frequently deters offenders from committing crimes against particular residences.
Gun ownership cons: Having a gun in the house makes a living there statistically more dangerous
Sadly, firearms are unable to distinguish between lawbreakers and innocent bystanders. According to studies, the frequency of accidental shootings is four times higher than the frequency of gun use for lawful home defense.
In actuality, statistically speaking, you would be more likely to shoot someone than to shoot a house invader accidentally.
The likelihood of you becoming a victim of a firearm-related homicide or suicide at home rises when you keep a gun in your home.
According to research, this is true regardless of the kind of gun you own, how you keep it, or how many guns you own.
Lastly, you should consider how your children’s safety may be impacted if there is a firearm in the house. The majority of parents who possess guns take security measures to prevent their kids from accessing and using the family’s weapons.
Nevertheless, despite these initiatives, kids frequently handle firearms in the house without their parent’s knowledge; in one research, kids themselves refuted 22% of parents who thought their kids had never dealt with a gun in the house.
Moreover, 72% of the time, when a firearm kills a child or adolescent, the weapon originated in their own house.
So what’s the answer?
There isn’t a “correct” answer. It’s entirely up to you whether or not a gun is the best option for your needs when it comes to home defense.
You are in the best position to determine what is best for your family and to carefully weigh the benefits and hazards of gun ownership, including exploring options like guns for sale online.