[rdl]

I could train someone with no prior knowledge of firearms, who was fairly intelligent, responsible, etc. to use a shotgun effectively for home defense in about 15 minutes on a range, and maybe an hour or so on use of force/escalation of force at a table. That's both the most morally defensible firearm ownership and the most likely positive use for a firearm, at the lowest overall cost (risk, financial cost, training time, etc.).

Concealed carry of a handgun, use outside the home, precision rifle, etc. would be a lot harder, but I'd be quite happy if most people just learned minimal home defense with a shotgun and nothing more.

[jlgreco]

Certainly shotguns are good for that. Most people I know that own guns were given shotguns (usually as wedding gifts or whatnot) for that reason. The only two firearms that I know of in my extended family are gifted shotguns in a locked gun-rack with a trigger lock and no ammunition. And my extended family is pretty much a bunch of hawks... Most firearm ownership in the States is similar to this I think. Both sensible and safe.

When we hear figures like 47% ownership, we may tend to think that all of that 47% is of the irresponsible sort that news stories eventually are made about. The reality is very boring and mundane though.