WASHINGTON (AP) - The National Rifle Association put Attorney General John Ashcroft on the cover of one of its magazines and published a letter he wrote to the group citing his belief that the Constitution guarantees people the right to own guns.

Ashcroft is pictured on the cover of the July issue of ``America's 1st Freedom.'' In an article about Ashcroft's letter, the magazine said the attorney general ``is a breath of fresh air to freedom-loving gun owners.''

Ashcroft was not interviewed by the magazine and did not meet with NRA officials, said Kelly Whitley, NRA spokeswoman.

The magazine came out after Ashcroft, responding to an NRA inquiry, wrote that he believes the Constitution gives Americans the right to own firearms. Ashcroft's letter became the basis for a new Justice Department policy position on the thorny issue of whether the Second Amendment guarantees individuals or groups the right to own guns.

The statement reversed the position held by the Clinton administration, which argued that the Constitution provided a right for groups, not individuals, to own firearms.

NRA Executive Director James Jay Baker applauded Ashcroft's letter in the magazine article. ``This dramatically reverses the 'collective rights' theory held by the Clinton administration,'' said Baker. ``It is a welcome change...''

Gun control groups have sharply criticized Ashcroft for changing Justice Department policy, saying it undermines existing gun laws and will encourage criminals accused of gun crimes to challenge their convictions.

They have accused Ashcroft appeasing the NRA, which spent millions to help Republicans get elected in last year's elections.