"Responsibility is the solution. There will always be guns in America. That's just America."

He purposely steers clear of using the word "control" in the gun issue, which he says turns off a large portion of the population who reject interference. With the AGS slogan, "rights" recognizes the powerful National Rifle Association's mantra that Americans have a right to bear arms, while "responsibilities" implies tighter laws.

With this approach, it has managed to annoy all sides in the debate. The NRA opposes more laws, while some gun control groups say privately AGS has made too many compromises, too soon, and that its approach is fragmenting the movement.

Critics argue he should push for licensing and registration of guns rather than recognizing "rights" of gun owners, which opens the door to a challenge to federal gun laws.

McKelvey, a father of four, first became interested in doing something about guns after the school shootings that shocked the nation.

"I thought, this is a worthwhile cause and we can do something about it," he said. His first step was to donate a sizable chunk of money to the legal and research arm of gun control group Handgun Control, renamed in June as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

But the more he got involved in the group, he said, the more convinced he became the words "handgun control" were harmful and that a more moderate approach was needed.

"I told them that Handgun Control was the wrong name. I thought what they were doing was great but I thought it could be done differently," McKelvey said.

"I'd always been in business on my own and so I decided rather than join another organization I could start one," he said.

While he said he respects the right of others to own a gun, McKelvey has never owned one himself. His father was a doctor and his family traditions have never included hunting.