You know, I was going to say their mission was successful. As I understand it, they went out in a coordinated fashion, supported by strength in a few numbers and decent firepower, and exercised their legal 2A gun rights within both State and Fed law, in a manner exactly like some previous comrades who were illegally arrested for it. They were essentially daring LE to come after them illegally in the same manner that they did with the earlier group who got charged. They made it clear they weren't going to budge, and if push came to shove, they'd fight to the end. I'd say that's putting your life on the line for what you believe in, and on the surface I'd have said they proved their point and won. No one dared showed up to challenge them.
Both then you get to that pesky paragraph you wrote above. There's no denying it's true, that's what would happen if the powers that be want retribution. The only consolation is that they didn't break any laws, but as you have mentioned, that can likely be said for most J6 prisoners.