Bush Lack of Support Among Gun Owners

Some gun owners have grown so disenchanted with President Bush that they may cast a protest vote for a third-party candidate, stay away from the polls, or even back the likely Democratic nominee, gun-control advocate John F. Kerry.

"It's not just gun rights for us, it's the Bill of Rights," said Angel Shamaya, executive director of KeepAndBearArms.com, which claims tens of thousands of supporters. "A lot of gun-rights advocates are from mildly upset to livid over President Bush and his administration."

Although they traditionally back Republicans, several state and regional gun-rights groups — driven especially by opposition to the Patriot Act and other post-Sept. 11 measures — have grown so disillusioned by the Bush administration that they are openly discussing the potential benefits of voting for Kerry.

A Democrat in the White House to face down a Republican-controlled Congress might, the argument goes, be the best way to halt what they view as a raid on civil liberties.