Since 14 to about 65 I carried a revolver. Never had to shoot, but lived in dangerous ways and did have to, ah, make a dramatic gesture once or twice. Toward 60 I got a permit. Prior to that the cops would ask and I would answer, and they always gave the piece back, after sniffing it to see if it'd been fired lately. I have known men who got shot at a stoplight for no apparent reason. The media foments fear and anxiety, men use all sorts of mood changers - these are on TV incessantly...no wonder some schmucks wave 'em around. These days a gun is more liability than treasure, but we live in a nice village...I got rid of the revolver years ago. In LA I'd a kept it.