[3] The NSSF has advocated in favor of gun rights, including arguing against limits on high capacity magazines and the broad use of the term "assault weapon".

[2] It has also supported legislation allowing concealed carry and has offered proposals to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating chemicals in ammunition as well as other sports such as fishing where lead is routinely used for its density.

It was alleged that they were boycotting Smith & Wesson due to that company's agreement with the Clinton administration to require background checks on purchasers and provide gun locks.

[7] In response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that occurred in Newtown on December 14, 2012, 3 miles (4.8 km) from the organization's headquarters, the NSSF expressed its sympathies on its website and declined to immediately comment.

[11] In July 2024, the NSSF signed a letter to members of both the House Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Armed Services opposing Section 828 of S. 4628, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, entitled "Requirement for Contractors to Provide Reasonable Access to Repair Materials," which would require contractors doing business with the US military to agree "to provide the Department of Defense fair and reasonable access to all the repair materials, including parts, tools, and information, used by the manufacturer or provider or their authorized partners to diagnose, maintain, or repair the good or service.