2.2 Million Defensive Gun Uses Per Year in America: Latest National Firearm Survey

88 million American adults—32.7% of the adult population—own 461 million firearms: 208 million handguns, 154 million rifles, 99 million shotguns, according to the 2026 National Firearms Survey by William English, PhD, assistant professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

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The research shows that

• 60 million AR-15 and similarly styled semi-auto rifles are owned by American adults; 30% of gun owners
• 37.6% of gun owners have used a firearm defensively—about 2.2 million per year
• 44.5 million adults own magazines holding more than 10 rounds—50.5% of gun owners—539 million such magazines in total (roughly 265 million handgun magazines and 273 million rifle magazines)—88% cite defensive purposes for owning such magazines.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Senior US District Judge Declares Gun Magazine Capacity Limits Unconstitutional ]

The research sample size was 51,398 US residents aged 18 and over, including 16,688 self-identified gun owners, and the survey was conducted in July and August 2026 across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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A majority of gun owners (70%) indicate there are some circumstances in which they carry a handgun for self-defense. The survey finds 37.6% of gun owners have used a firearm to defend themselves, their property, a family member, or a member of their household, and it estimates guns are used defensively by firearm owners in approximately 2.2 million incidents per year.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, US Supreme Court Affirms Right to Carry Arms in Public for Self-Defense ]

In most defensive incidents, no shot was fired (76.3%); about half (50.8%) involved more than one assailant, and in 70.6% of incidents, respondents said the defensive use was successful, such that no crime remained to be reported to the police. 8.4% of defensive incidents were directed against animal threats rather than criminal threats. Separate from these self-defense incidents, 34.7% of gun owners reported that the mere presence of a gun has deterred criminal conduct.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, National Sheriffs’ Association and Western States Sheriffs’ Association Support the 2nd Amendment ]

• Approximately 33.1 million adult Americans have defended themselves or those close to them with a firearm.
• 41% of male gun owners and 33.4% of female gun owners reported a defensive use.
• The majority of defensive gun uses (DGUs) take place outside of the home (74.6%).
• About half of DGUs involve more than one assailant (50.8%).
• Handguns are the firearm most commonly used in defensive incidents (74%), followed by rifles (16.4%) and shotguns (9.6%).
• In 70.6% of defensive incidents, the defense was successful, such that no crime remained to be reported to the police; 8.4% of defensive incidents were against animal threats.
• The median age at which reported defensive incidents occurred was 29, and 45.8% of reported incidents occurred within approximately the past five years.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Over 86% of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Support National Concealed Carry Reciprocity ]

The average gun owner owns about 5.2 firearms, and handguns are the most common type of firearm owned (91.6% of owners). 50.5% of gun owners—approximately 44.5 million adults—report they currently own magazines that hold more than 10 rounds (approximately 539 million such magazines in total), and 88% of these owners cite a defensive purpose for owning them. 25% of gun owners currently own an AR-15 type rifle, 12.9% currently own other similarly styled semi-automatic rifles, and 30%—approximately 26.4 million adults—currently own at least one firearm in one of these two categories, with approximately 40 million AR-15 type rifles and 20 million other similarly styled rifles owned in total. Overall, Americans own approximately 461 million firearms: about 208 million handguns, 154 million rifles, and 99 million shotguns.

Also read the Gun Talk article about the survey.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Bible Verses Applicable to Self-Defense and Church Security ]

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