Defense against totalitarianism has always been pretext. Wielding a gun is the "common man's" way of touching the sense of what it is like to have total dominating power. This is why it translates best as a fetish. And a gathering of men around a shared fetish yields a twisted culture.
Because men are actually afraid of the big wide world outside their bubble. They’re raised to think they have to be big strong protectors, but it’s scary. Sis was on a women’s bike tour across Texas and a kindly man asked her if she was carrying (no) and strongly advised her she should.