gun store sales
(AP Photo/Dan Sewell)

A day after the mass shooting in Boulder, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) bristled at gun restrictions proposed by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “What happens in this committee after every mass shooting is Democrats propose taking away guns from law-abiding citizens, because that’s their political agenda,” he said.

That sentiment may be leading gun rights supporters to join smaller gun lobbying groups, which say they are expanding as the NRA has been contending with allegations of mismanagement.

“While the NRA may be distracted, gun owners and their advocacy organizations are not,” said Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, in an interview last month, adding that his group has seen “significant growth in membership.”

The NRA’s legal setback won’t affect the policy debate, he said, because “most members of Congress already have their minds made up on what they will support or not support” when it comes to gun legislation.

Like others lobbying on the issue, Gottlieb predicted that little, if any, legislation will move through Congress to regulate firearms this year.

The push by Democratic leaders to pass background check and other legislation creates more resistance, he said: “All they end up doing is selling more guns.”

— Tom Hamburger and Mike DeBonis in The NRA just had a major legal setback. But its hold on the gun-control debate endures.

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40 COMMENTS

  1. Long live the NRA. God bless them. Yes they’ve left me VERY upset and disappointed in the past a time or two but their development of training programs through the years have developed firearms safety and skills for our military, law enforcement profession, and civilian shooters that set the first standards and will never be surpassed.

    Such is what the NRA needs to stay with too.

    It is great that other pro 2A organizations have developed in the past several years and grown to the front like they have. Most of them specializing in a certain class of firearm and it’s use (example; USCCA), and those that focus on litigation and can’t be valued enough such as the GOA, NAGR, CCRKBA, and the Second Amendment Foundation. Such agencies should take over most of the litigation activities the NRA-ILA pioneered as they have the specialized resources and organization focus for that. Such action will finally allow the NRA to recover to resume what they were created for and have always done best; training, development, and education.

    Godspeed and God bless them all.

    • I completely agree with you.

      Question; is it still prudent for new firearms instructors to get NRA certified or go with a different organization, like USCCA?

      • Based mostly on my experiences in LEO training over the years I would try for both but the first I would get is the NRA certifications as they are the most recognized still and longest established. Many of the military and LEO training programs were initially core NRA.

        I’ve had a bad experience with the USCCA a few years back during the open carry push in Texas. On social media some of those in the USCCA were trying to campaign against open carry bring an option at all. Such narrow-mindedness of any extent in firearms has never set well with me and I’ve basically ignored them since. That being said if the NRA training programs suddenly cease to exist but the USCCA continues to exist I’d have to admit it’s better than nothing at all. A few attitude adjustments internally and they’ll be just fine afterwards.

    • I fully agree and couldn’t have said it any better. NRA needs to focus only on its roots of training and firearm education, and let others handle litigation on behalf of gun owners. That won’t help Wayne get more suits or yachts but, hopefully he will be gone soon anyways. As for Ragnars question, yes new firearm instructors should still seek NRA certification. NRA certs are kinda like the foundation for your instructor resume. Most if not all Law Enforcement firearm instructors have to be NRA certified as it is a national standard. Now as a firearms instructor don’t just stop at one certification. You should always seek more knowledge on your craft and you never know who (military, LEO, civilian) or what ( concealed carry, self defense, competition) you might have to teach.

    • What is needed is to strip away the NRA’s executive level and bring in new leadership who are not thieving belly crawling scumbags.

      Problem is, that is not what happens when prosecutors get their teeth into thieving belly crawling scumbags. What happens is the enterprise tends to get killed. Call it collateral damage.

      That’s bad.

      My hope is that there are people out there with the financial and organizational know how and dedication to the NRA’s mission (the one Wayne LaPayMe! abandoned for a life of crime, greed and graft) who have their own quiet plans afoot to build the NRA anew.

      The NRA belongs in Arizona. I get it will likely land in Texas. That’s a mistake, but whatever, so long as it is not New York it will still work.

      Without the thieving belly crawling scumbags I mean.

    • I am a firearms enthusiast and a former Marine infantry officer, now retired, who has long completely ignored the NRA, and, for good reason.

      There are times the NRA seems overly enamored with their organization more so than with the average shooter like me.

  2. Theyve always been the best gun salesmen, they’re just too stupid to understand it!!

  3. Gunms we got, Id like more bullets , please.
    Not “online” bullets, face to mask bullets.

    • I’ve noticed ammo *slowly* returning to shelves…

        • Most common calibers besides 9mm will at least last a few days on the shelves now. I imagine oddball calibers will be a bit for any type of restocking ………..except 45gap that is still everywhere up here.

  4. They won’t need to pass any new laws. Now that the BATFE is regulating the 80% market out of existence, the next step will be to declare all AR15 style rifles as “machine guns” or destructive devices or AOW. Feinstein’s wet dream will come true as millions of our “fellow” gun owners rush to surrender them since the tax stamp will not be available in time to make them legal. The tree of Liberty…..

    • The ATF isn’t regulating anything out of existence yet. They haven’t posted anything about it publicly yet for comment but have only threatened to do so. Unless I am wrong the only thing they’ve done so far is perpetrate terror tactics.

      • That was my entire point. The regulations WILL be published, and in the worst possible form. Count on it. The Tree of Liberty…..

  5. Something that politicians will understand: You want to keep your job? Then don’t pass any more laws restricting arms or infringing on the Right to Keep and Bear them. You fools better pay attention – we’re done foolin’ around.

    The NRA my get the most press, but they are not the only player in this game.

    • Now that SCOTUS has cemented the communist (democrat) vote manufacturing process, they need have no fear of us voting against them. They will simple create the necessary votes to “elect” their candidates. The Republic is LOST!!!

      • Patience, friend. Let’s first see what the outcome of the Arizona election audit uncovers. There’s a reason, after all, why Dems across the nation have been trying to stop it. The audit was originally hoped to be completed by the end of this week, but it’s a larger task than expected and will go into June.

        https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/05/12/arizona-senate-audit-maricopa-county-presidential-election-take-week-off/4979967001/

        • May it be so but as I posted below, “I hope that AZ starts the reversal but I doubt it. I read reports that the Maricopa county officials and the vote machine company have already wiped the servers and machines clean.” That might have been a false story. We shall see.

        • I like jokes, Hail. Especially big ones.

          You should learn how to effectively set up your own jokes for the desired effect. For example, your comment would make more sense if you said “that’s a LOW bar”. But then, I’m sure there’s a steep learning curve involved when attempting to blend into American culture from your Russian basement. Keep trying, though…

        • Notice how Haz deflects. She doesn’t address the fact that the ‘audit’ in AZ is a complete joke. The people who are involved with, or even support, this charade are traitors to America and should be dealt with accordingly.

        • Oh, Hail, you were so close. I set you up to give you a chance to “get me good” with a certain witty comeback I was certain you would use, but you didn’t. Instead, you tried the tired ‘ol gender swap joke, which never works on anyone.

          (yawn)

        • How do you infer that I have “conceded”? Far from it, but I am, if anything at my age, a realist. I hope that AZ starts the reversal but I doubt it. I read reports that the Maricopa county officials and the vote machine company have already wiped the servers and machines clean.

        • The good the NRA has done in the past does not necessarily make up for the bad committed in the present. It is apparent that many have deep concerns for the sins of the NRA’ hierarchy including the board. One can’t help but wonder just how deep into the organization the sins have penetrated. The membership’s trust in the board’s ability to govern has eroded to an all time low along with confidence in the leadership.
          Present members see the present far more clearly than they view the past. With no changes being made to management it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine a membership that has any confidence in the organization as a whole. The NRA will not recover overnight even if major management changes were made today. Members may forgive easy enough but forgetting is not so easy.

      • The Republic isn’t lost yet, so long as we have Patriots and our firearms.
        Be prepared. Keep your ammo well stocked and dry.
        We Will Not Comply. Molon Labe.

  7. Truth Hurts May 18, 2021 At 10:37
    ….will die if it’s upkeep is left up to Chairborne Rangers such as yourself.

    Ummm….OK, did you actually put on a uniform and serve even one term? I did, 10 years enlisted and 10 years commissioned. As they say, been there, done that.

      • The above is an unsettling exchange…said as a veteran myself.

        If for no other reason, the many years of sacrifices we veterans make/made to serve are worthy of honor…not sarcasm.

        People like Possum are merely freeloaders on the backs of better men than he is.

        • I’m not concerned. This individual cannot even spell the word gun, There’s another troll on here who routinely misspells my name and tries to provoke a response. I ignore themNot worth my time. Thanks for your comment my brother.

        • Well, Possum is a possum. Freeloading and sarcasm are part of the fun.

          And speaking of sacrifices…you *chose* to stay in the military, didn’t you? Unless you donated all your wages to charity, it’s a career, not a sacrifice. As with any career, it only has as much honor as you bring to it.

          So I’ll assume you did your job honorably and thank you for it…and if the tree of liberty must be refreshed, I’d be glad to be on the same side…but this holier-than-thou “my job makes me special” routine gets pretty old.

          Also, stupid people like that “chairborne ranger” guy are just part of the landscape. If they unsettle you, you’re in for a very queasy ride out here in internet land.

  8. Amazing how much more the trolls come out to play for Arizona. Just wait for Michigan.

      • Well honestly I am a troll as well but more for the humor generally. The thin skinned wall of text with an agenda types take the fun out of trolling. But I guess that happens when a good chunk of it is paid by the word/line/reply

  9. One of the best things the NRTA-ILA did over the long term was push for concealed carry in all states, it took years but they did a good job.
    Just Sayin’

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