In response to minor but detailed criticism of the 2021 National Firearm Survey, William English did another survey in 2026. The results are quite interesting, but mostly in line with the 2021 survey. I will stress that this is from a working paper available here, so things may change when a final report is issued.
I believe the 2021 and 2026 reports provide the best information we have on Defensive Gun Uses (DGUs). Let’s look at the results of 2026.
Where do DGUs occur?
Approximately a quarter (25.4%) of
defensive incidents took place within the gun owner’s home, and approximately half (53.3%) occurred outside their home but on their property. About one out of nine (11.7%) defensive gun uses occurred in public, and about one out of forty-five (2.2%) occurred at work.
How Often is the Firearm Discharged?
… [T]he majority of defensive gun uses (76.3%), the gun was not fired. Rather, displaying a firearm (50.9% of incidents) or threatening to use
a firearm (25.3%) was sufficient. [23.7% of the time the firearm is discharged.]
When the Firearm is Discharged, How Many Rounds Are Fired?
Among the incidents in which the gun was fired, the average number
of shots was 3.9, and multiple rounds were fired in 70.4% of cases. [Note: This includes DGUs where the assailant is an animal or group of animals. In many cases, higher-capacity weapons are used just for this purpose. Hence, this may be lower for offenders who are human.]
How Many Assailants Are There?
Survey responses confirm that encountering multiple assailants is not an infrequent occur
rence in defensive incidents. 32.9% of defensive incidents involved two assailants, and 17.9%
involved three or more, while slightly less than half (49.2%) involved a single assailant.
Overall, this is highly informative and easy to understand. I encourage everyone to read it.