Prior to the revolution, the people of the colonies were divided. Most followed the English way of thinking and felt that those who opposed their view were traitors and when the English landed in New York, they were cheered by the majority of the citizens. The colonist that were not in favor of the Crown were being oppressed by the majority.
Because the majority often oppresses opposing views it was felt that the oppressed needed a way to defend themselves from neighbors and government, just as our founding fathers had to fight their neighbors and government, they foresaw a day would come when the citizens would need to be armed to protect their rights. The persons that the founding fathers anticipated would steal the rights of the people were the same people that they had fought--their/our fellow citizen. Therefore, when the Bill of Rights was written it included that no person had the right to take the arms of a citizen.
When that clause was written, it was anticipated that the citizen would be armed with weapons sufficient to repel the attacks of neighbors, government, or any invading force. This is not simply my opinion, this is the opinion of the founding fathers as recorded in the debates of the first congress.