Recent Studies.
Studies show the majority of gun owners never actually use them against intruders. If you own a gun you are forty-three times more likely to kill a family member, than an intruder. A poll shows that forty-six out of one hundred people have a gun in the home, of those individuals only forty-three percent have them loaded. I also have friends that I know who keep a gun in their household and when I asked them if they kept it loaded the responses were no. So when an emergency presents itself the probability of a victim's ability to find and load the gun in time is unlikely. .
Studies show that most gun accidents occur in the home, many of them involving guns kept for defense. However, very few accidents occur in connection with actual defensive uses of guns. Unusually people with records of heavy drinking and or drug use generally commit gun accidents. Gun accidents, rarely involve children, and most commonly involve adolescents and young adults. A fatal gun accident, particularly when a child is involved, often makes state or national news which gives the impression that fatal gun accidents are more prevalent than other fatal accidents.
Criminals and Gun Use.
Contrary to the misconception that most murders are not committed by previously law-abiding citizens either going berserk, or because a gun was handy during a moment of uncontrollable rage: suddenly "blow-away" their spouse, friend, neighbor, acquaintance, or all four. Studies conducted at both the local and national level indicate people with previous criminal records commit the overwhelming majority of murders. Even a significant percentage of homicide victims themselves have criminal records. Criminals who use guns in violent crimes obtain their guns the same way innocent people do. .
In 2001, firearms were used in 63% of homicides, and 49% of homicides were committed with a handgun (78% of firearm homicides were committed with a handgun).