NRA lowers grade for Charles Sargent

Facing a challenger backed by gun rights activists in Tennessee, state Rep. Charles Sargent has received some bad news. The National Rifle Association has given him a B+ for the 2014 primary election.

The NRA says a politician who receives a B is still a "generally pro-gun candidate," but the grade could be seen as a blow to Sargent, who has boasted about having received A+ ratings from the influential group in the past. The NRA also appears to have left Sargent off its list of endorsed candidates.

The NRA did not explain how it arrived at the grade. Gun rights activists in Tennessee have blamed the Franklin lawmaker for the failure of a bill that would have let handgun owners carry openly without a permit.

Sargent's opponent in the Aug. 7 primary, Steve Gawrys, received an "AQ" grade, the equivalent of A grade based on his answers to a questionnaire.