In my view, a lot of gun ownership is essentially borne out of a machistic empowerment fantasy, the idea that guns convey the power to control a source of fear and powerlessness. In this usage, they are essentially talismans or fetishes of the modern age, invested with ideas of power, purchased to convey a sense of protection and control over one's fate.
My views on gun ownership are a lot less invested in such fantasies. I've known personal firearms in a military context, and received training both in terms of target practice and simulated combat situations, yet I still wouldn't trust myself to use a gun properly under duress, let alone a life threatening situation; I'd be probably just as likely to injure myself or an innocent bystander as I would to murder the threat.
That is your personal assessment of your capabilities, it does not necessarily reflect the capabilities of everyone; therein lies the problem.
In the case of firearm policies many that think they are right and anyone who does not ascribe to those views are portrayed as you did in the above assessment.
Now I am not saying that everyone who wants a firearm should have one and again therein lies another problem. Assessment of determining what laws should govern firearms should not be based on the few but on the majority.
To your personal observation of your capabilites might surprise you in a actual situation. You say you have had simulated combat situations yet you think you could not react correctly in a real threating situation. You might be surprised what you are capable of. It is possible that your training, no matter how far in the past it was, could control your actions. Then on the other hand it might not, you never know what your capable of until you are placed in a situation. But of course constant training always improves ones skills, but once a skill is learned that skill is always embeded in your subconscious no matter how "rusty" it is. Then again the ability to use it may be overwritten by other mental "programs".
The chance of a priviate citizen being placed in a situation where the use of a fiream is called for is very very remote; however even though the chance of that occuing has a very low probibility of happening it is not impossible. I don't how I would react in a life or death situation now; however I would prefer to have the option of having the means to react. However, I would really prefer to never have to find out.
I agree that there are those that carry firearms, especially those that open carry in public, ascribe to your views as expressed above, however do not judge all of us in the same manner.