“His issue has been: ‘We’ve got to be engaged in conversations. Typically we’re not. This time we are,’” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who is undecided on the guns deal and may oppose it. “In this conversation, it seems to be more circling around that: ‘What do we both agree on? OK, let’s move on that.’ That doesn’t offend me. In fact, I think that’s helpful long-term.”

McConnell voted with less than half of his conference members on other bipartisan bills, like China competitiveness legislation and last year’s Biden White House-backed infrastructure package. His Republican allies say he’s got an eye on long-term goals — trying to help preserve the legislative filibuster, giving his own party some cross-aisle accomplishments and ensuring its message stays focused on the upcoming midterm elections.

But of all the topics where McConnell has given ground, guns is by far the most divisive. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) views McConnell’s backing of the framework as an endorsement “with a reservation.”

“He says [if] it stays within the framework. Well, that’s interesting,” Shelby said. “But that doesn’t bind anybody else. Everybody’s got to vote, and I’d be very skeptical of the whole thing. Because this could be the first big step, one of the big steps, on taking away gun rights.”