Consider this: in rural societies weapons are common -- for hunting and, to a lesser extent, for defense (against brigands and wild animals). When a rural society changes to an urban one, weapons are less necessary for the individual and, in some cases, become dangerous to the society as a whole (e.g., shooting a projectile in a crowded city is far more likely to hurt someone than doing so in the countryside).

US society, like others around the world, is becoming more and more urbanized and the individual has less and less need for a weapon. The protection of the individual is delegated to the police, and self-defense becomes a second line of defense against the bad guys -- whether human or animal (we call the Animal Control Officer). But we also put too many people in too small an area -- and THAT has long been demonstrated to lead to violence, among other undesirable things.

But for many it's a case of starve quickly in the country or slowly in town.

As a target shooter (with bow and firearm) I marvel that these sports can be done safely in the crowded UK. Where I live we use the side of a mountain as a backstop for bullets -- having been to the UK I wonder how it's done.