You got a couple of things wrong. Swiss are allowed to own guns, in addition to their government issued ones. The ammo stopped being given out, and was returned, but nothing prevents Swiss from buying ammo. Or guns. They have background checks, they have private sales, they have similar rules about semi autos. Single shot and bolt action guns are unrestricted. They see shooting as a sport, and a fun one. The guns they are issued are very nice automatic rifles. Assault rifles even.
By culture I mean a rural vs an urban culture. If you live out in the sticks, having a gun becomes a utilitarian thing. Hunting and sporting are two other decent reasons to have a gun.
Switzerland has a citizen militia, vs a standing military. If we actually were serious about the second amendment, we’d have something very similar. I’d personally love to see that in the US. Join the militia, get trained, etc. Fight in defense of your country… in your goddamn country only.
So anyway… if the Swiss were so inclined, they could shoot each other up. No prohibitive gun laws, regulations, or restrictions keep that from happening. The reason they don’t shoot each other up is not because access to guns and ammo are restricted.
As for our constitutional right to bear arms… its more like people have the right to bear arms and the government can’t take it away. That is the present interpretation of the second amendment. Doesn’t mean anything though… people interpret things to support their goals.
But… the government can’t restrict your ownership of arms. So yeah… constitutionally, you are probably right. Tanks, planes, private armies… go fucking nuts according to the constitution. Luckily no one takes the constitution seriously.
The concealed handgun people… lots of them are radicals and have their own scary subculture. They also tend to think everyone is out to get them (thus the need to carry a sidearm). I’ve never met something like a victim of a violent crime that got a sidearm to feel safe. Its always wanna be paramilitary types that seem to have them.
Personally… I’m for semiauto and bolt action rifles and shotguns only, available only by background check. No handguns except for people who can’t use two handed arms to hunt or sport shoot, then restrict them. Thats my preferred gun law.
That coupled with an actually effective means to incapacitate assailants without killing them, and we would be golden…
But the closest thing… a taser, can only be carried by law enforcement. I can get a permit to conceal a .454 Casull handcannon, but tasers are illegal for citizens to carry, as far as I know.