# Defensive Gun Use: 2.5 Million or 2.5 per year?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defensive-gun-use-2-5-million-or-2-5-per-year/646373>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 7, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defensive-gun-use-2-5-million-or-2-5-per-year/646373 "2013-01-07T18:08:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defensive-gun-use-2-5-million-or-2-5-per-year/646373/101 "2013-01-21T18:25:07Z")

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> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#):
>
> The answer for your alcohol question is in the link that you posted a couple days ago. Go read it again.

A quote that answers the question please? I understand if you can’t do it, but I really think you will learn something if you answer my question yourself.

> [@](#):
>
> As I said, the rifle and shotgun risks you’re on about are in the uncontrolled table only. I gave my best guess as to why they’re lumped in with all guns, but I don’t really know. You seem to be saying that you read the study which might say why, but seeing how you can’t find a paragraph in a short article, I’m not holding onto hope.

The uncontrolled table does show that having both rifles and shotguns in the home is inversely correlated with homicide. That’s all you have to go on right? So you should probably agree with me that what minimal risk there was, was entirely do the presence of handguns and not at all associated with long guns.

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**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defensive-gun-use-2-5-million-or-2-5-per-year/646373/102 "2013-01-21T18:27:43Z")

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> [@Kable](#):
>
> A quote that answers the question please? I understand if you can’t do it, but I really think you will learn something if you answer my question yourself.  
> .

Or maybe you could just admit you can’t answer my questions like you did in that private message you sent me on 01-14-2013, 11:13 AM.

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