Part of the problem is that the NRA has a political agenda that is inconsistent with the Constitution. They don't press the issue of state law pre-empting federal law under the Tenth Amendment, nor do they press issues of personal freedom, such as (in this case) the right to equal protection under the law. The adult (person having reached the age of majority in the state in which he lives) is being discriminated against on the basis of an arbitrary age limit in federal legislation, when other adults in his community, similarly situation, are not subject to the same limitations. The NRA is not helping by botching cases. They are, however, setting up a climate in which gun owners will be afraid of the anti-gun crowd and feel forced to join and pay money to the NRA. The NRA is not unconditionally in favor of the law of personal defense. Last year they sponsored and nearly got enacted, a bill in Virginia which would have severely limited a person's right to defend his home from intruders; they called their bill the "castle doctrine" even though it would have basically gutted the castle doctrine law that already exists in Virginia. I don't like the way they take over litigation in order to promote their political agenda. If they believed in the law of personal defense, they'd contribute money to independent counsel who are working for their clients' interests.