The National Rifle Association had historically dominated US political debates around firearm regulation, with their defence of the right to bear arms particularly influential among Republicans. After several mass shootings in the 2010s, new gun safety groups and mobilisation strategies emerged, enabling Democrat Senator Chris Murphy to enter bipartisan negotiations on gun safety in 2022. But the deal was in jeopardy when Republican senators threatened to walk over a policy championed by gun safety advocates. Should Murphy compromise?