Poll: NRA members strongly oppose new gun-control measures

Members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) overwhelmingly oppose the gun-control measures proposed last week by President Obama, according to a survey released Thursday by the group.

More than eight in 10 of the group's members oppose a new federal law banning the sale of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, while 88.5 percent oppose a potential ban on the sale or transfer of certain semi-automatic firearms commonly referred to as assault weapons. Some 93 percent of NRA members oppose a national gun database that would require the registration of firearms.

At the White House last Wednesday, Obama urged congressional leaders to pass bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips along with universal background checks intended to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. He also signed a series of so-called "executive actions" that strengthened government data collection and research on gun violence.

Members of the group do favor two proposals that have been widely advocated by the group in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. More than nine in 10 supper reforming mental health laws to prevent those with mental illness from obtaining firearms, while 82 percent say they support a proposal to place armed security professionals in every school.

NRA members are also extremely skeptical of the president's motives in proposing new gun controls, with 73 percent agreeing that Obama's "ultimate goal is the confiscation of many firearms that are currently legal." Nearly eight in 10 describe the president's approach as unbalanced, focused on "sweeping gun control regulation that will take away our Second Amendment rights" over a holistic approach. The president has repeatedly insisted he does not plan to target weapons that have already been legally purchased. 

Unsurprisingly, members of the NRA are far more resistant to gun reforms than the general public. A survey by by The Washington Post and ABC News released Thursday shows that 53 percent of those surveyed support Obama's plan, while 41 percent oppose it. 

---