Living in Romania, the thing I miss mostly when hiking in the mountains is a long rifle. This is for self defence against huge populations of bears and boars, not for anything else. Guns in the country side are also tools, not just weapons.

Homicide rate is low in Romania because we don't have violent criminal gangs, almost at all. It is a small country with different policing system. But there are plenty of guns in the hands of criminals, having a very restrictive gun policy does not help the ordinary citizens, just the criminals. Opening up would be leveling the conditions.