2011 report from the Violence Policy Center determined that 74 percent -- or as much as $38.9 million -- of the up to $52 million corporations had contributed to the NRA over six years had come from the firearms industry. During the 2012 election cycle alone, the NRA spent more that $17 million on presidential and congressional races.

And Keene suggested that all that money translated into the ability to block any efforts to ban assault weapons or high-capacity magazines.

"I think right now we do [have the votes in Congress]," the NRA president said. "I would say that the likelihood is that they are not going to be able to get an assault weapons ban through this Congress."