No “longtime, traditional conservative” favors keeping so-called’ assault rifles’ out of private hands. Country club RINO elitists with their precious Perazzi shotguns might think that way, but no real conservative would ever think so.
The Mitt-lovers and the Lindsay Graham loafer-khaki-Jaguar-Buffy-marrying types may vote GOP, but are not Conservatives. My grandparents belonged to the Country Club but also owned 2 farms and were avid hunters and fishermen...there is a balance, but the soft, miserable, Faconnable-wearing morons who like Daddy’s trust fund check but cannot use an ax to cut wood are useless.