Las Vegas

NRA Silent After Vegas Shooting, Other Gun Groups Keep Tabs on GOP

Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights, rejected the NRA's playbook of laying low in the immediate aftermath of mass shootings and sometimes giving lawmakers a pass to vote for limited regulations

(Update: The NRA on Thursday said it backed a review to see if "bump stocks" complied with federal law. Below is the earlier story.)  

The National Rifle Association has gone dark following the shooting massacre in Las Vegas, but other pro-gun groups are warning Republicans against moving on new gun violence legislation.

"Given the spinelessness of so many of the Republican caucus, the best thing would be to get the leadership not to let it come up," Larry Pratt, co-founder and executive director emeritus of the Gun Owners of America, told NBC News. "If it comes to a vote, they are going to be held accountable."

The gun-rights advocates view regulations like a bill that would ban "bump stocks" as a slippery slope to more firearm restrictions.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, of Connecticut, predicted that after the NRA stays out the debate for a few days the organization would rain "fire and brimstone" on any wavering allies.

The NRA did not respond to a request for comment.

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