There are surprisingly many people who cc in public, legally or not. Pressed to choose, I would prefer to deal with cc, because open carry is easier for a rando to take it, plus oc in my particular area are larpers and nervous Nelly/ showoff types which are, in my experience more dangerous than the average gang member at the corner store buying a beer and lotto. That said, I’m rural so I’m not sure how that changes in met areas.

I think some of them are wannabe heroes. They think they are going to heroically stop a crime, when they are more likely to kill an innocent bystander or themself.

Generally you're right, but the reason those rights exist is to protect you when you actually need them. Carrying a gun because there's a Lynch mob who think you're the wrong color? Well now the cops in that Lynch mob have what they need to arrest you if not justification for gunning you down right there. This whole business of banning carry started in these very scenarios.

Now that cultural divide is more on economic lines, all these bans have carve outs you can pay your way around. California with the strongest gun bans in the country banned"unsafe handguns", but they created a market by letting you buy ANY handgun you want for typically 2x retail price from a police officer who is exempt and specifically allowed to transfer his exempt guns to you. Cali even lets you own a machine gun if you're willing to spend $5,000-10,000 on the right lawyer to do the paperwork and make the arrangements with your police chief (requires their signature in addition to checking some procedural boxes beforehand).

Before living in California I lived in New York City, the other most restrictive place in the country. Before the supreme Court ruled on bruen, you could carry a gun anywhere with a carry permit it was quite permissive - the only way to get one was to pay a lawyer who made the arrangements. I never got one myself but knew several people who did and it cost them a few thousand in legal fees plus incidentals.