Steve Inskeep: And next we’ll hear a supporter of gun rights whose views are evolving. Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner owns guns, shoots on his farm, has an A rating from the National Rifle Association for his support of gun rights, and has not supported new gun laws in the past.

Senator Warner: And then last Friday, something that not as a Senator, but as a dad kicked me in the stomach more than anything. You felt “oh my god, how do we keep our kids safe.” That day happened to be the day when my college-aged daughters all came home from school and kinda said, “Dad you work up there, what are you gonna do about this?” And the answer of kinda, well, let’s enforce the existing gun control laws didn’t seem satisfactory to me.

SI: So what more needs to be done?

Senator Warner: Look, I can give you chapter and verse of every aspect of the budget negotiations. I am not an expert on all the particulars of the various proposals on gun legislation. It appears to me that as technology has moved forward and firearms have become more effective, mostly for our troops in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly with these high capacity magazines, that as these weapons that were built for the battlefield are slightly modified and then sold to the public, that we need to take a look at that. I don’t think changing gun laws alone is going to completely solve the problem. Clearly, we have to take a fresh look at issues around mental illness. But the idea that we can simply say, okay, status quo, just doesn’t feel right in my gut. You know, enough is enough.

SI: Senator, I mentioned on Twitter that I was going to talk to you and asked people as I often do if they have any questions and people were really specific, yes or no questions. They want to know, for example, should the 1990s ban on assault weapons be renewed?

Senator Warner: Question is, I’ve gone through an immediate tutorial on what defines an assault weapon. I’m not sure the definitions that were used in ’94 are the same definitions to be used in 2012 or 2013.

SI: Oh, because the weapons have evolved.

Senator Warner: Are there ways that we should look at these high capacity magazines so that, particularly people that are not militarily trained, can’t get off so many rounds so quickly, yeah that seems to me to be a place that responsible people can look for part of a solution. You know, I guess Steve, what I’m saying is, as I dig more into this, there isn’t a very appropriate time for anyone to drill down. I don’t have a bill to offer today. If I can find a way here where we can find some common ground on this, and I hope other legislators who have been strong supporters of the Second Amendment as well, are going to say, “hey, we gotta be able to answer our kids and our constituents a lot better that were actually part of the solution.” You know, the one thing I do know is the status quo is not acceptable.

SI: Senator, I wanted to ask about one other thing. Our sports commentator Frank Deford was on the air this week and he said that gun control advocates will take an opportunity like this to push their positions and gun rights advocates will push back on their positions and it’s a predictable dance and nothing will really change, he said. Unless sportsmen, hunters, decide that they are willing to push for what they might see as reasonable gun restrictions. Do you think that’s right?

Senator Warner: I think we need to hear their voices in this conversation and I think they will. And I again hope that those listeners who are hunters and gun owners will step up as well.

SI: Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, always a pleasure to speak with you, thanks very much.

Senator Warner: Thanks so much Steve.