Guns are the ultimate symbolic threshold. Many people are ingrained to believe that if they cave on guns, that's the ballgame folks. Government steps in and controls their lives. Sure people want guns for all the reasons you've mentioned but it's more than that. Americans are fiercely proud of how they became a country. They look past the atrocities against Indians, Africans (at the time), French, Spanish (granted they had their own atrocities) etc. You may think 200 years is a long time, it isn't when it's continually ingrained that they cannot allow anyone to walk all over them like King George did again. The NRA is complicit in this but so are families. The second amendment was created for the right to hunt and feed your family as well as the need to protect the fledgling country that really had no army, no infrastructure, no identity.
Americans are very slow to change (metric system anyone?). They are even slower to accept criticism from outsiders. People here, for the most part, don't give a shit how it's done in Canada, Europe or elsewhere. When I keep saying it's ingrained, I mean it. It is so deeply rooted as a symbol of freedom for millions that you are not going to take it away so easily. In their minds they have the guns to revolt should the day ever come. I kid you not. I've been trying to get you guys to understand for years, it's clearly apparent that you never will. Also, don't mistake reasoning for defending. I disagree with many issues in the gun culture. I made sure and continue to make sure I'm licensed and responsible. I wish everyone was. This is the world in which I chose to live in, how much longer though I don't know.
You're getting hyperbolic again and please stop saying AK47. There is an immense difference between an AR15 and an AK47. If you knew anything about guns you'd know that and how silly it sounds when you continually say it.