One big difference.
The number of armed citizenry in the U.S. is so proportionally large that violence in the streets would cause the other side disproportionate losses.
See what is happening in Israel when they bring a knife to a gun fight.
The only problem I see with armed Americans is that proportionately they are few in cities and suburbs. Those that are armed have multiple weapons. Pure numbers can give us a sense of security that is just not there unless the armed are prepared to share their weapons with the untrained when the time comes.
For instance, “Despite the high number of guns estimated to be in the U.S., indications are that gun ownership is actually on the decline. The long-running General Social Survey, maintained at the University of Chicago, has been asking about gun ownership since its inception in the 1970s. It has found that the number of people who say they have a gun in their home is at an all time low – hovering around 30 percent, from a high of 50 percent in the 1970s.”
Where are the 30%?