The Onion

That’s pretty much the setup that early colonists had, and it makes a lot of sense.

Ammo and muskets were kept in an armory, cuz it was dangerous to have powder laying around your candlelit home and muskets required frequent maintenance by skilled craftsmen.

Firearms were also somewhat collectively-owned, because they were primarily a means of collective defense.

Think about it: You’ve got the British in the ocean to the East, rival colonies to the North and South, indigenous tribes to the West, and the ever-present possibility of a mob of outlaws literally taking over your town.

It’s a very different world, and a very different relationship to weaponry.