handguns are not the prime choice for self defense of the home. If someone wanders into my house in the middle of the night, they wont see me pointing any handgun at them. A nice shotgun where i dont even have to aim will be the choice.
I own handguns because they are fun to shoot, not for self defence.
they do become the prime weapon for committing crimes because of the ease of concealment. Removing them from public ownership would only stop normal people from having them. A criminal would still get them and nothing would change from a criminals perspective.