Lott cites former opponents of nondiscretionary conceal-carry laws who now admit that their concerns about the carnage they thought might follow in the wake of such laws were unjustified. In contrast, the United States, with fewer restrictions, has a 'hot burglary' rate of only 13 percent. Murder rates decline when either more women or more men carry concealed handguns, but the effect is especially pronounced for women. One additional woman carrying a concealed handgun reduces the murder rate for women by about 3-4 times more than one additional man carrying a concealed handgun reduces the murder rate for men. Yet criminals respond to more than just actions taken by the police and the courts.
Citizens can take private actions that also deter crime.
Allowing citizens to carry concealed handguns reduces violent crimes, and the reductions coincide very closely with the number of concealed-handgun permits issued. Weighty Benefits Lott includes a number of revealing case histories involving the use of guns for self-defense. In other words, the best advice is to resist with a gun, but if no gun is available, it is better to offer no resistance than to fight. Because the guns may be concealed, criminals are unable to tell whether potential victims are carrying guns until they attack, thus making it less attractive for criminals to commit crimes that involve direct contact with victims. Citizens who have no intention of ever carrying concealed handguns in a sense get a 'free ride' from the crime fighting efforts of their fellow citizens.