Gary Kleck did a study that compared the chances of emerging from a criminal encounter uninjured based on the methods used for self-defense/to resist the criminal.
Resisting with a gun was the most effective and offered the best chance of remaining uninjured.
Resisting with a knife was one of the least effective methods of resisting if the goal was to remain uninjured. The only two strategies that were worse in terms of getting the defender injured were to resist with force but without having any weapon at all, or to try to frighten the criminal away without having a weapon.
Resisting with a knife was nearly twice as likely to get the defender injured as when the defender didn't try to protect himself at all.
http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/kleck.study.html
Resisting with a gun was the most effective and offered the best chance of remaining uninjured.
Resisting with a knife was one of the least effective methods of resisting if the goal was to remain uninjured. The only two strategies that were worse in terms of getting the defender injured were to resist with force but without having any weapon at all, or to try to frighten the criminal away without having a weapon.
Resisting with a knife was nearly twice as likely to get the defender injured as when the defender didn't try to protect himself at all.
http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/kleck.study.html