Why is it relevant? Because being pro-gun rights is considered an essential stance in Nevada. In fact, every six years Harry Reid returns to his state to downplay his anti-gun record and claim — laughably — to be a defender of the Second Amendment. So the NRA’s refusal to endorse the Senate Majority Leader speaks volumes for his record.

There’s a full statement, courtesy of Jim Geraghty, explaining the reasons for the refusal — namely his votes to confirm anti-gun justices to the Supreme Court. But here’s the gist:

After careful consideration, the NRA-PVF announced today that it will not be endorsing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for re-election in the 2010 U.S. Senate race in Nevada.

Expect Sharron Angle, Reid’s conservative opponent, to use the announcement to her advantage. Not only is Reid a tax-and-spend liberal who rubber-stamps the Pelosi-Obama agenda, but he can’t even be trusted to protect constitutional rights like the Second Amendment. That may become a powerful argument going into November.