I would like to weigh in on the idea of carrying any weapon, and using it. If not in defense, then that's a crime, and in some places, just defending yourself is the crime. Having that said, I think it's the Pentagon's multidecade long war recruiting efforts by way of Hollywood that have created the, 'I'm a badass generation'(usually with little thought to what that entails).

The fallacy in this, even if justified to defend yourself; there will be a civil lawsuit anymore.....guaranteed. My point is, unless you're carrying a million dollar balloon insurance policy, whatever action in self defense, will be followed by your monetary ruination(it takes at least this amount of extra home/renters insurance to get the insurance company to provide any lawyers for your defense; which is covered by that sort of policy).