Tim, You're mixing cause and effect. The NRA only became political as groups like the Brady Campaign to Ban Handguns, Handgun Control, Inc, etc ( they have since changed their names to hide their true goals as they lost in the court of public opinion) began to try to restrict gun rights in this country. And "gun manufacturers" are a bogeyman of the anti-rights gun control crowd. Most are small businesses who support the rights of their customers. Of course they join the nearly 5 million paying members of the NRA in defending our rights against attack.