Well the gun and ammunition manufacturers count on that. From Freedom Group’s (company that owns Bushmaster and a bunch of other gun and ammunition companies) ’11 annual report:
” This shift away from the hunting market to the self-image market is what led Freedom Group to produce an ad campaign which casts buying the Bushmaster .223 as restoring one’s “man card.”
-and-
“We believe the continued economic uncertainty and the 2012 presidential election is likely to continue to spur handgun and certain rifle sales.” You have to wonder if they spent any money to increase this effect.