Here's a defensive use for ya.

Which brings me another story. A couple of years ago my wife returned home and was herding the kids into the house when she noticed the back door was ajar. She hadn't left it that way and I was at work. She assumed foul play, and secured the kids in the van. She THEN went into the house and collected "her" .22 and loudly yelled that she had a gun and her husband had taught how to use it. She told me later that she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see a male running out the back door. She fired once, blew the glass out of the screen door, and missed. He kept running.

She shot at him as he fled and missed. She went into the house when she could have easily drove away, taking both herself and kids out of harm's way, and called the police. I'm of mixed feelings as to whether I should be proud, sorry that she missed, glad that she missed or simply bang my head against the wall. the older I get the more I lean toward head banging.

My wife should carry. She won't carry on her person without a permit and won't get one because of the hassle.

I do know this. If we have occasion to call for a deputy's assistance we get a call from their dispatcher shortly before his/her arrival asking my wife to put her gun away.