You can't squeeze blood from a rock. How are they going to change the laws and mindset of a city where even one of the most conservative politicians, Peter King, is NRA-rated D? NYC controls Albany and thus nothing will come from the State level. Really, the only offense for the NRA is through the courts - not an ideal process in that state.
Current gun laws are nothing to brag about, as much of the country is living with serious restrictions on guns.
Some perspective:
I'd say progress has been made, and that IS something to brag about. I won't rest until every state is green, but you can't say that we haven't made progress.
As for every Democrat voting against freedom if it came to it, you and I both live in PA, probably the most gun-friendly state in the east (including Vermont, minus the Constitutional Carry they have there). You know as well as I do that most of the state-level reps, Republican or Democrat, treasure their NRA endorsement unless they represent Pittsburgh or Philly (with a couple one-off exceptions). They vote wrong on everything except when it comes time to vote on guns.
Just watch Monday when HB40, the Castle Doctrine, comes to the House floor for a full vote. Plenty of anti-gun Dems from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will propose anti-gun amendments to the bill, and watch how many Democrats vote against them. It's not as cut and dry as the anti-NRA folks here make it out to be.