Ahem.
In the "Old" West, fellers pretty promptly figured out that if you wanted to be "safe" (armed for self defense) AND go to town and gamble and drink and carry on...you needed a badge.
Everyone toted concealed, hence derringers and other very cocealable types of firearms.
The law knew it and had no problems with it.
Don't pull a bessailles here.
So...suddenly, here in America, all those folks who sneered at gun registration are having their day...as the only ones actually armed for exclusively SELF defense, not any sort of anti-social crime or offense.
Who would YOU rather be...a dead body in the street...waiting for the van...or rats, or alligators..or Jeraldo...or....
...have a nice day.
I am not even condoining "illegal" firearms....just the posession of credible mechanical means of self defense, including martial arts training. If shotguns and rifles are available...even black powder arms...which worked well enough to get YOUR ass born here, BTW....then, that too. Invasion can come from within, you know. Death is death, and even the wrongfully murdered get stuck in the dirt along with the men on the white horses....and the wretch who raped and murdered too. Same dirt, perhaps same day.
Maybe same pit too.
It happens.