I think there are far more reasonable (Occams razor) explanations than just "redneck crazies". I'd go so far as to say that most truly rural people I knew didn

I think there are far more reasonable (Occams razor) explanations than just "redneck crazies". I'd go so far as to say that most truly rural people I knew didn't give a single damn about the NRA one way or the other. Perhaps these are outliers; but I'm much more inclined to see a financial explanation: If gun safety studies come out, guns look BAD. Regulation goes up and sales go down. If special safety mechanisms are allowed, and show positive impact, they may be more forcefully imposed, raise costs and decrease margins. It may just be a sign of how jaded the last few years of news have made me, but I'm far more likely to expect malfeasance from those who hold the reins and have significant amounts of money on the line than those who just want to 'blow stuff up.'