Back in the days when every man carried a gun as a part of his habit in dressing and felt undressed without it, every man of any stripe knew it, and there was less trouble than we have now. Now, only the criminals who don’t care about the law carry guns, and the innocent are hurt or killed. Of course, occasionally, the perpetrator gets unlucky.
You know I’ve never done research, etc... but a few years back I was working with someone who was trying to change the laws in Denver re: open carry (which should be legal throughout the state technically per Colorado’s Constitution).
Anyway, one of the city councilwomen made a comment like “This isn’t the Wild West. You can’t go around carrying guns out in the open!”. However, I would wager a hefty bet that taking population size into account there is far more crime everyday in Denver NOW than there was when men (and some women, too!) wore spurs and dual-holsters...