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John McCain says he's a maverick, but the National Rifle Association would prefer a ranger. A Texas Ranger, to be precise.

The NRA began airing a 45-second TV spot (subscription) Tuesday featuring martial arts icon Chuck Norris, a familiar face in Republican politics this election cycle.

"If some thug breaks into my home, I can use my roundhouse kick, but I’d prefer he look down the barrel of my gun," Norris says in the ad, which is heavy on rattlesnake shakes and has a soundtrack befitting a high-noon duel.

Norris goes on to encourage voters to "check the candidates’ records, and see who stood up for your families and who protected the criminals," before throwing a punch at the camera.

Without missing a beat, an announcer adds: "Just let ‘em try and outlaw those guns."

The spot is part of a seven-figure ad buy in 10 battleground states where the group hopes to influence not only the presidential election but hundreds of downballot races, explained Chris Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist.

"Chuck Norris is an icon," Cox said. "We’re honored to have Chuck Norris willing to stand up and speak out on behalf of the Second Amendment."

This is hardly Norris' first foray into politics this election season: The 68-year-old actor was a staunch supporter of Mike Huckabee's bid for the GOP presidential nomination, and he even cut an ad for the former Arkansas governor.

Norris' leap into politics coincides with a newfound status as a cult favorite in recent years, thanks in large part to an ever-growing collection of hyperbolic "Chuck Norris facts" that has spread around the Internet.

"Chuck Norris does not vote for president of the United States," begins Cox's favorite. "He gives the voting machine a swift roundhouse kick and Mike Huckabee wins."