The right to bear arms thing goes right back to the War of Independence but is maintained on the basis that when under threat I can either negotiate or warn off with my big weapon and I choose the weapon because if negotiations break down or the other party deceives me I've still got the big weapon so I'm less likely to get shafted. The principle is based on mistrust i.e. negotiation with a position of strength as a contingency.
The same logical justification was applied to the nuclear arms race for years and still is.
The original need for the right to bear arms (preparedness against a return to British Imperialism) has long since gone, but it's now firmly embedded in American culture and there's no way they'll ever give it up now.
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