LADSON, S.C. -- Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson appeared at a gun show in South Carolina on Saturday, referring to the time spent surrounded by rifles, shotguns, and pistols as "a day in paradise."

The former Tennessee senator and star of Law & Order has made Second Amendment rights a cornerstone of his campaign.

After the show, Thompson criticized the records of his opponents, specifically former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Of Giuliani, Thompson said that he "never met a gun-control bill he didn't like until he started to run for president." Thompson also labeled Romney "the most adamant pro-choice advocate that I've ever seen," adding that Romney changed his views when he decided to run for president.

Saturday was Thompson's second trip to a gun show since announcing his candidacy for the presidency in September. He also visited a gun shop in New Hampshire on Friday.