Lynn K. of Franklin, Tennessee, had a pretty scary experience recently. "I was driving home at night from Lawrenceburg when there was a fake policeman attempting to pull cars over to rob and assault the drivers," she says. Inspired by this dangerous situation, she decided to take a concealed permit class to learn more about safely using a handgun, and now keeps one locked in her car's glove box at all times. "My two personal guns are a Ruger LC9 and a Smith & Wesson Shield. Both are compact 9-mm [pistols], so easier to carry."
According to data from a study published in the June 2017 issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Lynn is hardly alone in her decision to arm herself. Researchers from Boston University wanted to know why, and are among the first to look at scientific research behind gun and ammunition manufacturers, dealers and firearm trends.
The study analyzes weapon type, caliber, and market share by firearm and company from data gathered between 1990 to 2015 via FBI National Instant Background Checks and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. What they found was production of pistols and rifles, typically associated with self-defense, went through the roof. "Our research suggests that guns are increasingly being viewed as having a primary role in self-defense, rather than in use for hunting or sport," the study's lead investigator Michael Siegel, MD, of Boston University School of Public Health, says in a statement.
Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/gun-purchases-for-self-defense-skyrocket-between-2005-and-2015.htm
Share
