NRA and the Firearm Industry

Trying to drive a wedge between the NRA and the firearms industry seems to be the latest thing in the media.  Last week it was articles about how NSSF, which represents the industry, was taking a different position on background checks on private sales than the NRA.  The story goes like this; retailers from Walmart to "mom and pop" gun dealers have to do background checks so they don't mind seeing their private unlicensed competitiors having to do the same.  That of course assumes that there are so many private transactions going on that there is real competition for FFLs.

Bloomberg Businessweek now has this piece title "Why Gun Makers Fear the NRA." The story goes like this; gun manufacturers don't want to cross the NRA because they exact punishment on the wayward groups much like happened to Smith and Wesson in the '90s.  The problem with that is NRA never encouraged the boycott of S&W.  In fact S&W had booth space at the 2000 NRA Annual Meeting in Charlotte.  That however allowed members to express their displeasure with the company for going along with Clinton's gun ban schemes.

Paul Barrett, Businessweek Assistant Managing Editor, talked to Bloomberg TV about the article.

One point about the line of questioning.  The media likes to focus on NRA's money but it is not the money, it's the voters that NRA can turnout that makes a difference.