Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
For decades, “pro-gun Democrat” wasn’t an oxymoron.
In fact, according to a recent commentary from Gun Owners of America (see below), there was a time when even lawmakers who generally supported gun control occasionally backed major Second Amendment initiatives when common sense demanded it.
Today? That’s a different story.
In a recent Minuteman Moment video, GOA’s Ben Sanderson argued that the modern Democratic Party has become so committed to gun control that many elected Democrats are increasingly out of step with their own voters.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Table of contents
Gun Owners Don’t Fit the Old Stereotypes Anymore
One of Sanderson’s biggest points is that America’s gun-owning population has changed dramatically.
During the COVID-era buying surge, nearly 30 million Americans purchased firearms, according to figures cited by GOA. Roughly 11 million of those buyers were first-time gun owners.
Many weren’t the traditional demographics gun control advocates often imagine.
Women, minorities, younger Americans, and urban residents all entered the firearms community in significant numbers.
Black women, in particular, have been frequently cited as one of the fastest-growing segments of new gun owners.
In other words, the guy in camouflage at deer camp isn’t the only person buying guns anymore.
Tulsi, RFK, and the Political Shift
Sanderson pointed to several high-profile political figures as evidence that attitudes toward firearms are changing.
Former Democratic congresswoman and former Trump administration official Tulsi Gabbard openly discussed how her views on the Second Amendment evolved after spending time with gun owners around the country. During a podcast appearance cited by GOA, Gabbard said she came to better understand concerns that many so-called “common sense” gun laws were ultimately aimed at restricting gun ownership itself.
GOA also highlighted changes by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noting his decision to remove federal funding streams previously used for gun control-related public health research initiatives.
Even in Blue States?
Perhaps the most surprising examples came from current Democratic candidates.
GOA pointed to a New York gubernatorial candidate who has publicly called for rolling back the state’s SAFE Act and restoring New York gun laws to their pre-2013 status. The organization also highlighted Virginia Democrat Mark Moran, who has criticized his own party’s approach to gun rights.
Now, let’s be clear. We’re not exactly witnessing a stampede of Democrats rushing toward constitutional carry. But GOA’s argument is that something has shifted.
As firearm ownership continues spreading across demographic and political lines, the traditional “guns vs. Democrats” equation may be getting harder to maintain.
The Real Question
GOA’s message ultimately boils down to one challenge:
If millions of Democratic voters own firearms, hunt, carry, compete, and support the Second Amendment, how long can Democratic politicians keep treating gun ownership as a fringe issue?
That’s the debate GOA says is coming. Whether Democratic leadership listens is another story.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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I wonder how long it ill take before shooters find that their barrels start suffering from erosion. the steel case may hold up to the high pressure, but will the rifling, especially in the throat area? The 264 Win mag , a 6.5 bullet pushing the practical pressures and velocities for the caliber quickly gained a reputation as a “barrel-burner, as also did the220 swift, I do not and probably will not own a 6.5 creedmoor, but I do have a 6.5×55 Mauser,and a 6.5×54 Mannlicher Shoenaur I had a 260 remington but never could match the accuracy of the 6.5×55 so I traded it off..If your rifle does the job you use it for I would recommend you shoot .standard velocity loads If you want to shoot a moose or a buffalo get a 30-06 or one of the plethora of magnums out there.
Nothing has “changed.” A significant.mumber of democrats have always been 2a supporters. They may not be purists who think it is a 2a infringement to check backgrounds and see it as a reasonable effort to keep the guns out of criminal hands and has been very effective. The issue is that the right loves to portray democrats as gun grabbing commies. This sets up a conflict which doesnt need to happen and harms the 2a and it’s supporters. Both republican and democrat 2a supporters could be formidable and protect the 2a, but creating that coalition is hamstrung by those on the right who are ignorant in their belief that democrats hate guns or are all anti 2a.
If you look at what’s happening in Virginia right now, it’s because elected Democrats largely ARE gun-grabbers.
This isn’t some right wing stereotype that came out of nowhere. This is because for decades, the overwhelming majority of elected Democrats have used their position to attack the Second Amendment. You only have to look at New York, Massachusetts, California, etc – deep blue states are, with few if any exceptions, ban states. Red and purple states are not.
And now in purple Virginia, after a Democratic wave election, the Democrats are trying to impose California-style gun control which is deeply unpopular here.
I’m fed up with the GOP right now, they’re basically slaves to Trump, and it’s shameful. But I’m not gonna vote for a party that attacks my Second Amendment rights every single time they come into power.
It’s not conspiracy, it’s pattern recognition.
You distort the truth smothered in wild paranoia. This law has zero to do with taking guns away from law abiding citizens.
In reality the law would require all gun sales to go through a licensed dealer so that lunatics and criminals could not buy second hand guns from private individuals with no questions asked. Anyone against this law is suffering from advanced paranoia and does not care that 45,000 people a year die from gun violence in the U.S. This law is long overdue and overdue not only in Virginia but at the Federal Level to have any effect on the thousands of privately owned guns that get sold to criminals and lunatics with no questions asked.
Every civilized nation on earth has this law and its insanity not to have it.
Dems are windsocks, spinning with the breeze of pop culture. At least some Republicans (not all) stand on principle.
Bullshit. What do you base this ridiculous opinion on?
In the political climate of today… Both sides of the aisle seem adamant about their party representatives sticking to the main opinion on issues. And if you vary from that you get politically ostracized which makes it difficult to do your job of representing the people you were voted in to represent. That problem is on both sides of the political spectrum… You either agree with what we do 100% or you are out!
What we need are a better set of representatives who can always see both sides of any one issue. Voters should try to do the same!
Well said
What the article failed to address is that when gun control surveys were taken even the majority of Republicans admitted that the U,S. needs much mor restrictive gun control to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them like lunatics and criminals and the Far Right who commit most of the mass murders.
And remember two of the biggest gun ban laws in U.S. History came from President Reagan and President Busch, both far Right Republicans. Strange the article never mentioned these historical facts.
I don’t know where you get your information, but the mass shooters have been far less right than lunatic left. Also, there are people on the right who make poor low informed decisions on this subject. When asked further details on their opinions it is clear they are using talking points of the gun control left not actual reason.
Simply not true. Show me the data.
How does that diarrhea taste spewing outta you?
What gun band laws are you coming up with during the Reagan era? The Brady Bill? One of the reasons I will never support the NRA is because of them fighting the Brady Bill and I am one gun owner who appreciates people having to have a background check. Background checks are common sense.
So what other laws or bills did Reagan/Bush back or push?
Reagan banned the “new sale” of machine guns. Quote from Reagan himself “There is no reason that they need to have machine guns.” Really Ronald, really???? We would have needed lots of machine guns if Herr Drumpf’s Nazi’s had taken over the Capital in the January 2020 Nazi style Beer Hall Putsch which tried to overthrow the Government and establish a Trump dictatorship.
Bush has said he would sign a law requiring trigger locks with handgun sales but wouldn’t push such legislation. Bush has endorsed outlawing the import of certain high-capacity ammunition clips. Bush also would raise the legal age for handgun purchases from 18 to 21.
Source: Judy Holland, Hearst Newspapers , Apr 14, 2000
Ban automatic weapons & high-capacity ammunition clips
Supports stronger enforcement of existing gun laws, would provide more funding for aggressive gun law enforcement programs such as Project Exile in Richmond, Virginia
Supports requiring instant background checks at gun shows by allowing gun show promoters to access the instant check system on behalf of vendors
Supports the current ban on automatic weapons
Supports banning the importation of foreign made, “high-capacity” ammunition clips
Supports voluntary safety locks
Busch also tore up his NRA membership card.
Can you imagine retards like “Paul, I’ll call you what I want” with a machine gun? That’s old news… If is the biggest two littered word in the dictionary. The fact is we didn’t need them and if we did need them, me personally, I would have killed a Nazi and borrowed his. You had a few dozen retards break into the capital building and that’s what you’re gonna hang your hat on? What about all those leftists such as BLM and antifa and all the destruction they caused while the governors of those states and mayors of those cities allowed it to happen so they wouldn’t have their feelings hurt?
And their lies one of the biggest problems… There are so many gun laws in the books that are not enforced. And you can’t even blame the Republicans for this because they’re not enforced when the Democrats are running the show either.
Project exile? Proposed in 1997 and here we are almost 30 years later and nothing? That’s like pushing water uphill.
I totally agree with background checks at every possible step of a weapon changing hands… Even if it’s from a father to a son or nephew or whatever. In my opinion not everyone should be allowed to own guns because there are so many retards out there that we need to control where the guns go. The problem is the guns that are winding up in criminal hands are coming from break-ins and straw purchases, not from father passing it down to an ill tempered son. How do we fix that?
Please stop calling them clips… Just for argument sake. They are magazines and to ban a high capacity magazine I can guarantee you I could change out a 10 or 20 round magazine faster than the majority of people can change out of 30. It’s not the guns, it’s not the magazines it’s these children who can’t handle rejection or whatever their excuse and have not been properly taught by mommy and daddy how to deal with their problems. Blaming a gun for killing someone is like blaming a spoon for being fat!
I have never liked the NRA in the 63 years I have been on this planet. They go so far right and liberals go so far left that there is no middle ground anymore. You can’t blame one side or the other because it’s both sides and anyone who thinks otherwise is just ignorant. People can say whatever they want about the Reagan era but back in the 80s that is when politicians worked together. They may have argued all day long but I can guarantee you they were sitting beside one another drinking a beer after work.
There is no such organization (Antifa) in the U.S. as verified by the FBI. And I might add the riots in Portland were actually started by the Far Right Proud Boys who posed as Antifa. They were arrested by the FBI for busting up businesses and this was well documented.
The protests over police murder and brutality against minorities were largely peaceful protests until the Far Right showed up and started attacking them. The Far Right started stalking the protests around the country and the Police had to be present to prevent the Far Right from killing the protestors.
You mentioned you have not liked the NRA for 63 years. Back in the day the NRA did indeed stop thousands of anti-gun bills from being passed. The reason most people like you did not join is that they were too cheap and stingy to spend a few dollars to join. It was only decades later when Wayne Lapierre and his fellow criminals raped the NRA of most of its funds that thousands of NRA members dropped their memberships and no one could hardly blame them for doing so.
The NRA raising their membership to $45 was bad enough but when they cut back the issues to the American Rifleman to just 4 a year that was such an insult to the members including myself that many of us said enough is enough. You made this financial bankruptcy for failing to police your own organization and now you want to stick it to your members once again. Well it backfired big time on you this time.
FBI studies show that the majority of mass murders are carried out by the Far Right against minorities like Blacks and Jews and that is very well documented on the News.
If you insist on contributing bullshit to this forum, please learn how to spell, and write it coherently.
My posts are historical fact, your posts are Far Right propaganda and pure bullshit.
And if you cannot understand basic English please take a remedial reading course because you obviously and sorely need it.
Oh… I’m “Far Right” because I know how to spell, and use grammar? You’re just spewing more bullshit… like a Far Left Dumbass.
Since you admitted you failed to comprehend my posts your reading comprehension is obviously at the 4th grade level.. Next you will be calling Paul a literary genius. LMAO. Of course you could not be biased. LMAO.
The GUN CONTROLACT OF 1968 was the start of background checks and ATF regulations, If my memory is correct Lyndon Johnson was president at the time and both the house and senate were under Dem control Then Clinton weaponized the ATF TO attack Waco and Ruby Ridge