You don't have to be a "gun-rights nut" to see the danger in Rudy getting power.
The 2nd Amendment is the teeth in the Bill of Rights. It's not just about mounting a successful challenge to a foreign invasion, ya know.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.That also means our OWN government, when it becomes destructive of the security of our free Nation. Gun-grabbers are out to disarm Americans so that there is no threat to their power. The Founders were wise and foresaw that possibility too. That's not a "nutty" position -- it's built right into the Constitution.
That's what I mean by gun-rights nut.
However, like you said, the purpose of the second amendment is to protect us from our own government. So, law-abiding and sane citizens should have no restrictions on bearing small arms.