This is not a fact, Ikari. There has been a study done on the phrase, "the right to bear arms" and it's usage in the 17th and 18th Centuries. There were found to be over 300 different usages of the term, ranging across the spectrum from carrying, owning, performing military service, and many others. The most commonly accepted usage during the time was as a synomym for carrying arms. Regardless, the term, even THEN is ambiguous at best. So, no, your definition is by no means definitive, and mine is and was more widely accepted.
I am still going through the study on this concept, a completely fascinating paper. I will try to give an overview of the results in the next day or so, along with the link, but what I am reading supports the definition that I have put forth as the most common usage.
It is not ambiguous at best, only so if you're trying to construct a silly reach around argument. The fact of the matter is that the purpose to keep and bear arms is to fight, there's little purpose in making it legal to "hold" a gun if the necessity is to fight foreign or domestic threats to our liberty. To continually say "well I looked into it, but it doesn't say you can use the gun" is abject stupidity and nothing more. Sorry, but that's the reality of the situation. We had not long ago (in terms of the construction of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights) beaten the English and tried a form of government which had failed, so the founders needed a government with a slightly stronger central government, but that was also a danger. The 2nd is there to ensure the People have the proper tools to defend themselves should their lives and liberty be threatened by another source. They're not going to sit there and say "Oh...well you can hold a gun, but not fire it".
No, as the purpose was duty to the militia, the People had need to operate their guns as well. As such, the definition of "to bear" includes the functional use of the tool in question. As the dictionary meaning of the word includes.
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4. In many phrases. a. to arms! (formerly [OFr.] as armes! at arms!): take to your arms, be ready for fight! b. in arms: armed, furnished with weapons, sword in hand, prepared to fight; as to rise in arms (of a number); up in arms, in active readiness to fight, actively engaged in struggle or rebellion; also fig. c. to take up arms: to arm oneself, rise in hostility defensive or offensive, to draw the sword; also fig. to bear arms: to serve as a soldier, do military service, fight. to turn one's arms against: to make war upon, attack. to lay down arms: to surrender, cease hostilities, give up the struggle.
a. 1330 R. BRUNNE Chron. 162 Richard, ‘has armes!’ did crie. c1380 Sir Ferumb. 2933 ‘Asarmes!’ {th}anne cride Rolond, ‘asarmes, euerechon!’ c1450 Merlin xxii. 406 And ronne to armes moo than xxvii squyers. c1450 LONELICH Grail xiii. 231 Anon, ‘As Armez,’ they gonnen to crie. 1470-85 MALORY Arthur I. xi. (1634) 22 ‘Lords, at arms! for here be your enemies at your hand.’ 1711 POPE Rape Lock v. 37 To arms! to arms! the fierce Virago cries. 1842 MACAULAY Horatius xx, To arms! To arms! Sir Consul.
b. 1503 HAWES Examp. Virtue vii. 97 Whan in armes..He all his ennemyes dyd abiecte. 1588 SHAKES. L.L.L. V. ii. 636 Heere comes Hector in Armes. 1593 {emem} 2 Hen. VI, IV. i. 93 Hating thee, and rising vp in armes. 1611 BIBLE 1 Macc. xii. 27 Ionathan commaunded his men..to be in armes. 1704 SWIFT T. Tub Apol., All the men of wit..were immediately up in Arms. 1810 SCOTT Lady of L. III. xiv, In arms the huts and hamlets rise. 1868 Digby's Voy. Medit. Pref. 32 As soon as the facts came to the knowledge of the Admiralty..Buckingham's Secretary was up in arms.
c. 1297 R. GLOUC. 63 Alle {th}at armes bere A{ygh}en {th}e king. c1590 MARLOWE Massac. Paris III. i, The Guise hath taken arms against the King. 1602 SHAKES. Ham. III. i. 59 To take Armes against a Sea of troubles. 1769 ROBERTSON Charles V, V. III. 329 Obliged to take arms in self-defence. Ibid. V. IV. 410 He turned his arms against Naples. 1795 SEWELL Hist. Quakers I. Pref. 7 For bearing arms and resisting the wicked by fighting. 1831 BREWSTER Newton (1855) II. xiv. 2 Newton took up arms in his own cause. 1848 ST. JOHN Fr. Rev. 245 Lay down your arms. 1872 YEATS Growth Comm. 180
This is consistent with every use of the word "arms", be it to lay down arms, take up arms, etc. that was used at the time. So you can stop with the little side show because it's so nonsensical it causes brain cells to commit suicide. Leave the little buggers alone, they're just trying to think.