It advised gun activists in Russia, entanglements that in recent years made the NRA vulnerable to allegations it allowed alleged Russian operatives to use the organization to influence American politics. While American gun rights are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — something that doesn't translate to most countries around the world — the group's track record of aggressively shaping the debate has nevertheless turned it into the go-to group for other gun-rights activists outside the U.S. There are several reasons why the NRA doesn't confine itself to the U.S.For one, it's helpful to American gun makers if other countries make it easier for citizens to buy and possess firearms, opening up new markets. Working with gun-rights activists in that country, the NRA helped shape the debate. When Canada first sought to restrict gun access in the 1990s, the NRA threatened a boycott by American hunters spending tourism dollars in the country.

Source: ABC News April 14, 2019 16:29 UTC