GAK you seem to be missing one important thought in your discussion. Criminals don't care whether guns are legal to own or not. In fact, if the law abiding population doesn't have a right to own weapons and then don't, it only improves the criminals success rate when they're armed.

I much prefer having a weapon I don't need than I would the reverse and have the need for one I don't have and hence fall easy prey to a criminal who does

Until we get to the point where we stop killing one another all together (which ain't really a very likely scenario all things considered), the fact I can more effectively protect myself and my property with a pistola will assure I'll continue to lobby against gun control, and ..... even if we were ordered to turn in our firearms, they ain't gettin mine