Many years ago, I had a dear friend -- sadly, now gone -- who was a licensed pilot and, with three other guys, owned a light aircraft. He often called me to take short trips with him, sometimes even just spending several hours sightseeing here and there.
Conversation, even with headsets, got tiring after a while, so long, companionable silences were common. One georgeous autumn afternoon at 6,ooo feet over the Blue Ridge, I noticed, as I often had, that his look was one of deep thought. "Jim," I said, "what deep, serious thoughts are you thinking?" Without batting an eye, he replied, "Same thing as always: where the Hell am I gonna set this thing down if the engine quits right now?!"
Now, THERE's the key to self defense! No matter what gun you're carrying -- even if you're not carrying one at all -- the Number One, all-important, absolutely critical element is situational awareness, and tactical planning. You need to spend time -- not much, but often -- thinking to yourself, "What if that guy in the hoodie pulls a gun right now and tries to rob the place?", or, "What if someone jumps out from behind that truck right now and tries to rob me at gunpoint before I get back to my vehicle?"
With mental preparation, plus my Model 37 -- or, my KelTec P32, or my pocketknife, or nothing but my feet and fists -- I feel pretty secure in any situation I'll likely get into, and the vast majority of situations I don't anticipate at all.