There is an undercurrent within American culture of distrust or even outright rejection of authority of any sort, and the ability to own weapons is tied up with that.
That attitude makes a fertile field for conservatives to push that distrust of government authority for their own ends. Conservatives want people to be constantly fearful, especially afraid of the government, because this will allow conservatives to have a better chance of achieving their goals, which include the decimation of the federal government and its power to control the wealthy and the corporations they own.
It's a bit ironic —conservatives stoke the fear that the federal government is going to take away your freedom for the purpose of allowing the wealthy and powerful to take away your freedom.
