1) Mostly libertarian.
To elaborate:
As a first principle of government/lawmaking, I would go with the NIV principle / "Everyone should be free to do what they like as long as they are not harming others or restricting
their freedoms" / some similar definition.
But I believe there is a need for government (and hence taxes to pay for it),
a) to protect/enforce the above principles.
Also, I believe there are such things as "family", "community", "nation", and "humanity", and tradition, and that they are worth something and worth preserving (not that that is incompatible with being a libertarian, but some libertarians/anarchists seem too willing to throw them all away).
Also, I believe that when people come together in large numbers in small spaces, there is a need for some rules and regulations to prevent chaos and keep society functioning. So I think it is also reasonable to have laws and regulations that help society to function properly, even if they don't strictly fit the previously defined principles. (Traffic regulations are a good example. If everyone drives on whichever side of the road they feel like, it may not be a violation of the NIV principle, but it sure as heck will make things difficult for people).
And I also think it is reasonable to the government to fund or help fund things like education and health care (just not mandate the use of government-controlled facilities), provided taxes aren't too high, and
it actually works.
So, I guess that makes me a left-wing statist, at least by the standards of those round here
2) Origins of my opinions on firearms:
Various pieces of history, recent world events, and a general altering of political opinions as a result of entering the real world, etc, suddenly came together in the realization unarmed civilians are vulnerable to persecution at the hands of mobs/governments/invaders, and as there will be no time opportunity to arm when the SHTF, people need to be armed (and have the right to be armed) beforehand.
I'd also note that when I was very much younger, I did actually have a very "libertarian" outlook, as regards the role of government, just laws, taxes, and even RKBA for self defence, before it got "educated" out of me. (Although in this case, the RKBA I was most interested in was open-carry of swords
, driven in part by a rather romanticised image of medieval life).