I can’t speak for others, but I can speak for myself:
1) Yes, personal defense and target shooting are 2 of the reasons that I own firearms. The former need can arise at any time, and the latter allows for having some fun while practicing for both the former and Reason #2.
2) However, the primary reason that I own firearms can be summed up in 3 words: my family history. My mother’s side of the family had about 100 people murdered by the Nazis (German Leftists) in the Holocaust, and my father’s side of the family was heavily and continuously victimized by the Communists (Russian Leftists) for about 75 years, including my great grandfather having been beaten to death in 1937 at age 74. When I first found out about the Holocaust (in general terms - not pertaining to my family), the first question that I ask my father after “Why would the Germans do that?” was “Why didn’t they (the Jews, and other victims) fight back?” Among the reasons is that they were very strongly constrained from being armed by the laws of the places where they lived. I resolved at that moment to NEVER go like a sheep to the slaughter.
As I have gotten older and studied history more, I have become even more hard-core in my beliefs about firearms ownership. At one time, I believed that this nation was “forever” and that nothing would ever change its nature...and, we see how that’s worked out. I fear and despise American Leftists just as much as the German and Russian ones that victimized my family. I KNOW that they will do just as much evil, just as soon as they are able to do so (which won’t happen until we are largely disarmed). I think that it is instructive to consider how badly the government treats us NOW - when there are some 400 million guns in private hands. Now consider what those in power (or those who aren’t, but who thirst for it) would treat us if those guns were substantially eliminated.
I own guns because I place the ultimate value in our liberties, and because I know that without guns the American people would soon lose those liberties. I will not allow that to happen - at least not for free.
Mrs rktman’s family spent a long time in a relocation camp because the nazis didn’t like that they had moved to Yugoslavia and were being forced back to the mother land. Oppa spent his time as a conscripted cook. So, yeah her mom and aunt (both now deceased) had plenty of horror stories even though they weren’t Jewish. She gets a little irate hearing the assclown snowflakes tossing that around.