It also pays to remember that at the time, militia and even the military required recruits to own and maintain their own weapons.

Self defense isn't an argument unless the person knows how to use the weapon properly. A .22 stuffed in a purse is as useless as the purse in defending yourself. In this sense there is no upside, it tends to give only a false sense of security while risking theft or misuse of the weapon. So I am in favor of mandatory gun and self-defense training in public high school. Guns are here to stay, it only makes sense that people know how to use them.