Media Contact: Georgia Seltzer, (202) 822-8200 x104, gseltzer@vpc.org
Campaign Research Notes – May 22, 2026
Our last update focused on the machinations of NRA 2.0’s Annual Meeting of Members. Yet, as always, it’s the industry show of new guns — primarily military-bred firearms and accessories — that’s the true star of the annual pro-gun gathering.
With “Over 14 acres of guns, gear, and the latest firearms technology,” gunmakers offered a hands-on experience for any man, woman, or child willing to pay the price of an NRA membership,
including —
The latest bullpup assault shotguns from American Tactical…
Pistols and assault rifles equipped with silencers and large-capacity ammunition magazines (including a drum magazine) from Daniel Defense…
Assault shotguns from Mossberg with pistol grips and detachable ammunition magazines…
On the last day of the convention, April 19th, as gunmakers were preparing to pack up their “tactical weapons” and “modern sporting rifles,” the real-world impact of their lethal marketing efforts once again shook the nation: a horrific mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, that claimed the lives of eight children and wounded two adults, including the shooter’s wife.
A gun used in the attack — a Mossberg 715P assault weapon — exemplifies two dangerous, and growing, trends in the firearms industry.
First, the Mossberg 715P is an assault pistol. Introduced in 2014, it is no longer manufactured by the company. But its legacy of death and injury continues.
While most people mistakenly presume that all assault weapons are rifles, the gun industry also designs and markets assault pistols: which combine the concealability of a handgun with the firepower of an assault weapon. Assault pistols were originally popular in the 1980s, dominated by companies like UZI, MAC, Intratec, and others. They then receded as a class of assault weapon, but are now back as the industry’s latest marketing ploy. And while many of the early assault pistol manufacturers were industry bottom feeders, today they are sold by most major manufacturers, including Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and Beretta.
Second, the assault pistol used in the Shreveport shooting was 22 caliber. Despite its proven ability to kill and maim, the ammunition is wrongly viewed by many as somehow not really being all that lethal because it’s a smaller caliber and commonly used for “plinking” (firing at cans or other targets). This false narrative is actively promoted by pro-gunners, and sometimes acquiesced to by gun violence prevention advocates (for example, flawed assault weapons bans that exempt guns that use .22 ammo with the rationale that that the caliber itself somehow transmogrifies any assault weapon into a “sporting” gun). And because it’s cheaper than most other ammunition, gunmakers today are churning out new assault weapon models chambered in 22 caliber. This includes the Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 model line, which consists of .22 versions of its AR-style M&P assault rifle. In 2022, a standard version of the rifle was used to kill seven and wound 46 at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
So while the NRA promises its members that it’s changing for the better, one immutable fact remains the same: Americans continue to die as the direct result of the lethal industry that the organization serves and promotes.
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The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.