As Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly kicked off their gun control tour on July 1, Giffords went to a firing range in Las Vegas and shot a gun for the first time since being shot by Jared Loughner in Tucson in January 2011.

She’ fired the gun once then sat down as her husband shot to kick off their “Rights and Responsibilities Tour.”

ABC News reports that Giffords and Kelly are stressing their love of guns while simultaneously pushing for more gun control. 

From Las Vegas the two go to Anchorage, Alaska, where Senator Mark Begich (D-AL) voted against gun control in April. They will also make stops in the states of Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Bob Portman (R-OH), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), all of which voted against gun control as well. 

Giffords and her husband hope to “apply pressure” to these Senators, perhaps getting them to change their votes.

Kelly said he and Giffords will consider supporting primary challenges to sitting Democrat Senators if that is what it takes to get the votes necessary to pass gun control.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins