Tranqs are indeed notorously inaccurate (ask anyone with the Park Service who tags animals, and see how fun it is to shoot what's essentially a modified BB-gun at an animal that can kill you without trying hard), and more importantly the drugs don't do anything until they reach the heart and the brain. Which means if you're shot with one you have at least a few seconds to react--that's enough to empty a clip, beat a skull in with a stick, or stab someone half a dozen times. If I didn't have a gun, a tranq-gun would probably be my very last choice in self-defense.

Moreover, there's two other issues with shooting an intruder. One is that gunshots are not nearly as deadly as they're made out to be--while certainly capable of killing someone, the vast majority of people shot do not die. The second is that if someone's breaking into my house, I don't care if they die. They took their chances, and I'd certainly rather see Dave Allen with a bullet in his skull than Polly Klauss dead.

Moreover, there is a place where everyone has a gun-Kennesaw, Georgia, where every citizen is required to own a firearm (although citizens may obtain a deferrment based on personal or religious objection). Crime is way, way down in Kennesaw.

And as for countries in Europe, cops here in the US are sending their old bullet-proof vests to England, because they desperately need them out there--even though it's illegal to own guns in England. Funny, how criminals break the law like that....