Does owning a gun make you safer?

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29. You're very welcome

Here's some more basic rules you may find useful:

USMC Rules For Gun Fighting
-Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns. Bring their friends who have guns.
-If you can, make friends with those on the crew served weapons. Bring them as well. Borrow money from them, it gives them an added incentive to protect you.
-Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
-Only hits count. Close doesn't count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
-If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
-Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
-If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
-In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived and who didn't.
-If you are not shooting, you should be communicating (calling for arty or air support), reloading, and running.
-Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting is more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
-Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. "All skill is in vain when an Angel pisses in the flintlock of your musket."
-Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
-In combat, there are no rules, always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
-Have a plan.
-Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
-Have a back-up, back-up plan in case CentCom or SecDef finds the first two plans "unacceptable".
-Use cover or concealment as much as possible. The only visible target should be in your gun sights.
-Flank your adversary when possible. Protect your flank.
-Don't drop your guard.
-Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
-Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).
-Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
-The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
-Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
-Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
-Your number one Option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
-Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4."

And finally, while not about guns, it's quite true: Once you pull the pin, Mr Grenade is no longer your friend.