BTW - M-16s aren't "big scary". I grew up in rural Alaska where guns were very much a part of everyday life, and I'm not sure I entirely agree. Handguns are f

BTW - M-16s aren't "big scary". I grew up in rural Alaska where guns were very much a part of everyday life, and I'm not sure I entirely agree. Handguns are for situations where you don't expect to shoot something. Long guns are for situations where you do. In Alaska, most people carried handguns in the woods in case of bears, but a rifle indicated intent to kill things. Police often have a rifle, shotgun or both in the car, but don't get it out when they're not expecting trouble. Something similar can be seen in the military, where soldiers whose primary job involves shooting people carry rifles or machine guns, and soldiers whose job is something else often have only a handgun. A police officer carrying a long gun is, and should be a little alarming; it implies an unusually high expectation of a shootout.