America's biggest gun lobby the National Rifle Association (NRA) is formally backing the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, in the United States presidential race.
Mr Romney says he will do everything in his power as president to defend and protect the right of all law-abiding Americans to bear arms, the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) news agency reports.
He says the Second Amendment to the US Constitution protects a basic and fundamental individual right to bear arms and it is the NRA that protects the Second Amendment.
Mr Romney's running mate Senator Paul Ryan says the Second Amendment is essential to the functioning of a free society.
He says as a lifelong hunter, he is a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights.
