The research question centers on how the NRA utilized cultural narratives of government betrayal to legitimize gun ownership as a defense mechanism against the government. The study's context is the post-Vietnam era, a period characterized by cultural upheaval and disillusionment with the government. The importance of this study lies in its contribution to understanding how the NRA influenced the cultural meaning of gun ownership and the evolving relationship between citizens and their government. The paper aims to demonstrate how the NRA strategically employed New Warrior narratives, drawing from existing cultural tropes and adapting them to its own agenda, to shape the perceptions and actions of its readership. This transformation in narrative fundamentally reshaped systems of social relations and systems of meaning surrounding gun ownership, citizen-government interaction, and the role of violence in American society. The paper builds upon existing research on the NRA's role in shaping gun culture, but focuses specifically on the evolution of warrior narratives and their function in shaping the NRA's message and influence.

Existing scholarship on the NRA has examined its impact on gun culture through advertising, narratives, and perceptions of gun empowerment. However, less research has explored how the NRA facilitated changes in the relationship between gun owners and the government. This paper builds on Swidler's concept of "unsettled times" and Hays' definition of culture as encompassing both systems of social relations and systems of meaning. Previous work highlights the NRA's role in shaping an American identity where gun ownership is central, and how the organization leverages various metanarratives to achieve this goal. The study also draws from scholarship on the Vietnam War's impact on American culture, the emergence of New Warrior culture, and the role of narratives in shaping social relations and meanings.

The study employs a grounded theory approach combined with network analysis methods. The researchers analyzed nearly every issue of *The American Rifleman* from 1975 to 2023, using a combination of automated and manual methods to identify explicit references to "warriors." A total of 637 instances were found, including both editorial content and advertisements. The data were coded according to categories of warriors (e.g., Native American, military veteran, etc.), along with the contexts in which they appeared. The analysis focused on the explicit use of the term "warrior" to avoid conflating it with other terms such as "patriot" or "soldier." Advertisements were included in the analysis due to their significance in shaping gun culture and the overall New Warrior narrative. The codes were then used to classify warriors as either reflecting classic warrior narratives (service to the nation) or New Warrior narratives (betrayal by the government). The methodology involved careful manual transcription in cases where automatic optical character recognition (OCR) software was unclear. The analysis of 637 instances found that the explicit references to the term “warrior” in *The American Rifleman* evolved from classic depictions of soldiers defending the nation to New Warrior depictions of those who felt betrayed by their government. A key aspect of the analysis was differentiating between classic warrior narratives (where the warrior serves the nation) and New Warrior narratives (where the warrior fights against the government). The research focused on textual analysis and did not aim to establish a direct link between the narratives and actual violence. Images contained within the advertisements were included in the analysis due to their key role in shaping and reinforcing the New Warrior narrative.

The analysis revealed a significant shift in the portrayal of warriors in *The American Rifleman* over time. Initially, references to military warriors emphasized classic warrior descriptions: soldiers who fought on behalf of the nation. However, following the events at Ruby Ridge and Waco, and the rise of the militia movement, the NRA increasingly employed New Warrior narratives. These narratives portrayed warriors as victims of government betrayal, justifying the use of weapons for self-defense against a corrupt state. The use of Native American warrior imagery played a crucial role in this narrative shift. The study highlights the NRA's strategic use of visual elements and advertising to reinforce its message. While the NRA initially employed classic warrior narratives associating patriotism and military service with the defense of the nation, these were gradually replaced by New Warrior narratives portraying soldiers as betrayed by their own government. The use of Native American warrior imagery provided a powerful symbolic tool for the NRA, linking historical injustices to contemporary grievances. The term "warrior" was also frequently used in advertisements for weapons, reinforcing the association between New Warrior identity and gun ownership. The analysis reveals that the depiction of wounded warriors transitioning back to civilian life often involved the continued use of weapons, reinforcing their warrior identity and providing a sense of purpose. Importantly, this study's quantitative analysis of the textual data from the American Rifleman indicates that the invocation of New Warrior narratives occurred mainly after the early 1990s, coinciding with the rise of the militia movement. This reinforces that cultural change around the perception of ‘warrior’ as a figure is not uniform or constant across time but rather reflects a reactive shift to major political and cultural events.

The findings demonstrate how the NRA successfully adapted and reinterpreted existing cultural narratives to shape public opinion and advance its political agenda. The adoption of New Warrior narratives allowed the NRA to address legitimate grievances about government betrayal while simultaneously promoting a pro-gun stance. The use of Native American imagery provided a powerful symbolic tool that resonated with a broader audience, linking historical injustices to the contemporary political context. This study's insights highlight the power of narrative in shaping public perceptions and influencing political discourse. The NRA's strategic use of narrative and imagery had significant impact on the relationship between citizens and government, ultimately fostering a climate where gun ownership is seen as a necessary measure of self-defense against a potentially hostile state. The results support Swidler's argument that in "unsettled times," culture provides mechanisms for constructing strategies of action. By leveraging New Warrior narratives, the NRA offered a framework for understanding the relationship between citizens and the government, shaping the perceptions and behaviors of its readership.

This paper demonstrates how the NRA strategically employed New Warrior narratives to transform the cultural meaning of gun ownership and the relationship between citizens and their government. The study's analysis of *The American Rifleman* reveals a shift from classic warrior narratives to narratives emphasizing government betrayal. Future research should explore the link between these narratives and actual violence, as well as investigate the broader impact of New Warrior culture on American society and politics. Additional research could also focus on qualitative analysis of gun owner’s own articulations of their identity as gun owners.

The study's analysis is limited to the text of *The American Rifleman* and does not directly address the relationship between the narratives and actual violence. The focus on explicit references to "warrior" may exclude instances where related concepts are used. The dataset includes some gaps, and OCR errors could have impacted accuracy. Future research could employ broader qualitative methods to further explore the impact of these narratives.