In 1991, about 38,000 people in the U.S. were killed with guns and another 130,000 suffered nonfatal gunshot wounds. The prospects of reducing violence by restricting gun ownership and usage depends on how many guns there are, how people get them, why they own them, and how strongly they would resist gun control measures to keep them. Some of the issues addressed here include the prevalence of various types of guns in the U.S., the defensive use of guns by crime victims, the risks of prohibitionist measures, the effects of guns on different stages of assaultive violence, the impact of gun ownership levels on violent crime rates, and the effects of guns on suicide. The article also discusses types of gun controls, public opinion and support for gun laws, and the impact of gun control laws on violence rates. The author points to the empirical support for a few moderate gun controls and recommends a national instant records check to screen for high-risk gun buyers, tighter licensing of gun dealers, and increased enforcemetn of carry laws. 6 tables, 1 figure, and 166 references