Some have firearms as EDC, part of BOB , or whatever. My question is not about GUNS specially as a controversial items. The question is about seeing how beneifitial it is to carry a certain prepper TOOL (a gun in this case).

So, you have spent money to buy it and traind on it, and put up with the weight and bulk on daily basis .... Have you already been rewarded by its presence in any way, shape or form ???

The word "used" in the title does not mean (shoot) necessarily, it means (usage) in anyway.

AND , I am not from the U.S. So, I am as neutral as it can get regarding your gun related discussions .

Yes - once on a lonely Texas highway at night many years ago, the brief inadvertent display of my trusty S&W 357 Magnum ended a potentially nasty encounter.

On another occasion, I attempted to dispatch a rattlesnake with a round loaded with small shot using the same weapon. Fired at close range, it did not do the job. So I took care of Mr. Snake in the usual way, with a shovel - a far superior tool.

That 357 Magnum, purchased in 1964, is among my most cherished possessions. I have very little else that approaches its level of craftsmanship. I keep it clean and ready, but it is not central to my preparation plans. Many other items will be more generally useful in most emergencies.

a little background... I'm a competition practical shooter, and have no claim to being anything more than having a better than average skill level at shooting holes in cardboard targets or knocking over pieces of steel...I'm also one of the original 5000 licensees in the state of Florida...since my retirement, I carry daily to those places allowed under Florida statutes...

several incidents led to my decision to do so...

the Luby's Cafeteria shooting in Killeen, Texas
the San Ysidro, California McDonalds shooting
the execution style murder of a Florida Highway Patrol officer on a section I75 that I frequently passed

as a retired school teacher, I have a very low perception of personal threat...so my carry style is rather slow to acquire...I upgrade to a larger pistol when I drive... an AR carbine is part of my hurricane evacuation plan

Not yet.

Nor have I used the fire extinguisher I carry in my car.

Or the Personal Locator Beacon I carry in my pack.

But it's better to have one and not need it than.....

Once I drew my pistol on a large dog that was charging my then four-year-old daughter. Fortunately, I did not have to shoot.

There have been a couple of other occasions where I was glad that I had my pistol but did not have to draw or display it. It appeared to me one of those times that the aggressor saw something in my eyes which dissuaded him from continuing to pursue us.

Yes, I have. I recently retired after seven years as an executive protective services field member. I can't discuss my employment before that. I am very well trained with firearms and carry one daily when not at the ranch. A firearm is a final resort, agressive body language and a deep voice can defuse many situations. Martial arts and hand weapons such as ASP batons, pepper spray, stun guns and light impact weapons such as the kelly come along are next. Using a firearm even in the line of duty on surviellence video and with a ton of witnesses results in many complications with the law. Real life is vastly different than the movies. You don't shoot people and just get released five minutes after the police finally arrive and hand your gun back with a smile. And as a personal note, I have always regretted having to use my gun. You always remember it and wonder if there was another option. Another possible ending where everyone lived to see another day. End of lecture. I'll be watching for the agry letter in my private messages.

Well said bert. I call it the condom principle.

the only time i ever used my gun was back in 1985.
the ran naked out of my tent hitting it on a frying pan to chase a bear away from my food pack at about 5:30 AM...no joke..i have told that story before.as big and as powerful as the pistol was in the face of a very large black bear it felt like a plastic cap gun.
the bear just got some dry egg and when he wandered off to eat it i got the pack and tossed everything in the canoe and paddled away.

It does give one pause, doesn't it?

My Glock 22 shrank incredibly small in its holster as I observed a black bear from downwind across a small clearing as he ripped open rotten logs looking for grubs.

You can always tell who the folks are who haven't had this experience when they ask the question "What handgun should I carry to deal with bears?"