“We find that allowing citizens to carry
concealed weapons deters violent crimes and
it appears to produce no increase in accidental
deaths. If those states which did not have
right-to-carry concealed gun provisions had
adopted them in 1992, approximately 1,570
murders; 4,177 rapes; and over 60,000 aggravated
assaults would have been avoided yearly.
The estimated annual gain from aconcealed handguns is at least $6.214 billion.

- John R. Lott, Jr. and David B. Mustard
“Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry
Concealed Handguns”, v. 26, no. 1, pp.
1-68, _Journal of Legal Studies_
(January 1997)