Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 01:14, 25 February 2018

National Rifle Association of America

Founded	November 16, 1871; 153 years ago (1871-11-16)
Founder	William Conant Church, George Wood Wingate
Type	501(c)(4)
Tax ID no.	53-0116130
Focus	Firearm ownership rights, political advocacy, publishing
Location	Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
Area served	United States
Services	Membership organization, magazine publisher, education/certification, museum curation
Method	Lobbying, publications, outreach programs
Members	5 million (self-reported, as of 2017)
Key people	Pete Brownell, President Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President
Subsidiaries	NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund NRA Foundation NRA Special Contribution Fund NRA Freedom Action Foundation NRA Institute for Legislative Action NRA Political Victory Fund
Revenue	$433.9 million (2016)
Expenses	$475.9 million (2016)
Website	NRA.org

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for gun rights.

Founded in 1871, the group has informed its members about firearm-related bills since 1934, and it has directly lobbied for and against legislation since 1975. It has been called the oldest continuously operating civil rights organization and the "largest and best-funded lobbying organization in the United States".

Founded to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA continues to teach firearm competency and safety. The organization also publishes several magazines and sponsors competitive marksmanship events. Membership surpassed 5 million in May 2013.

Observers and lawmakers see the NRA as one of the top three most influential lobbying groups in Washington, D.C. The NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) is its lobbying arm, which manages its political action committee, the Political Victory Fund (PVF). Over its history the organization has influenced legislation, participated in or initiated lawsuits, and endorsed or opposed various candidates.

The NRA has been criticized by gun control and gun rights advocacy groups, political commentators, and politicians. The NRA's oldest organized critics include the gun control advocacy groups the Brady Campaign, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV), and the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Twenty-first century groups include Everytown for Gun Safety (formerly Mayors Against Illegal Guns), Moms Demand Action, and Americans for Responsible Solutions. The organization has been the focus of intense criticism in the aftermath of high-profile shootings, such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

History

Early history

The National Rifle Association was first chartered in the State of New York on November 16, 1871 by Army and Navy Journal editor William Conant Church and Captain George Wood Wingate. On November 25, 1871, the group voted to elect its first corporate officers. Union Army Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, who had worked as a Rhode Island gunsmith, was elected president. Colonel W.C. Church was elected vice president; Captain Wingate was elected secretary; Fred M. Peck was elected recording secretary; and Major-General John B. Woodward was elected treasurer. When Burnside resigned on August 1, 1872, Church succeeded him as president.

Union Army records for the Civil War indicate that its troops fired about 1,000 rifle shots for each Confederate hit, causing General Burnside to lament his recruits: "Out of ten soldiers who are perfect in drill and the manual of arms, only one knows the purpose of the sights on his gun or can hit the broad side of a barn." The generals attributed this to the use of volley tactics, devised for earlier, less accurate smoothbore muskets.

Recognizing a need for better training, Wingate sent emissaries to Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany to observe militia and armies' marksmanship training programs. With plans provided by Wingate, the New York Legislature funded the construction of a modern range at Creedmoor, Long Island, for long-range shooting competitions. The range officially opened on June 21, 1873. The Central Railroad of Long Island established a railway station nearby, with trains running from Hunter's Point, with connecting boat service to 34th Street and the East River, allowing access from New York City. Wingate then wrote a marksmanship manual.

After beating England and Scotland to win the Elcho Shield in 1873 at Wimbledon, then a village outside London, the Irish Rifle Team issued a challenge through the New York Herald to riflemen of the United States to raise a team for a long-range match to determine an Anglo-American championship. The NRA organized a team through a subsidiary amateur rifle club. Remington Arms and Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company produced breech-loading weapons for the team. Although muzzle-loading rifles had long been considered more accurate, eight American riflemen won the match firing breech-loading rifles. Publicity of the event generated by the New York Herald helped to establish breech-loading firearms as suitable for military marksmanship training, and promoted the NRA to national prominence.

Rifle clubs

The NRA organized rifle clubs in other states, and many state National Guard organizations sought NRA advice to improve members' marksmanship. Wingate's markmanship manual evolved into the United States Army marksmanship instruction program. Former President Ulysses S. Grant served as the NRA's eighth president and General Philip H. Sheridan as its ninth. The U.S. Congress created the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice in 1901 to include representatives from the NRA, National Guard, and United States military services. A program of annual rifle and pistol competitions was authorized, and included a national match open to military and civilian shooters. In 1903, Congress authorized the Civilian Marksmanship Program, which was designed to train civilians who might later be called to serve in the U.S. military. In 1907, NRA headquarters moved to Washington, D.C. to facilitate the organization's advocacy efforts. Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal began the manufacture of M1903 Springfield rifles for civilian members of the NRA in 1910. The Director of Civilian Marksmanship began manufacture of M1911 pistols for NRA members in August 1912. Until 1927, the United States Department of War provided free ammunition and targets to civilian rifle clubs with a minimum membership of ten United States citizens at least 16 years of age.

1934–present

The NRA formed its Legislative Affairs Division to update members with facts and analysis of upcoming bills, after the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) became the first federal gun-control law passed in the U.S. Karl Frederick, NRA President in 1934, during congressional NFA hearings testified "I have never believed in the general practice of carrying weapons. I seldom carry one. ... I do not believe in the general promiscuous toting of guns. I think it should be sharply restricted and only under licenses." The NRA supported the NFA along with the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), which together created a system to federally license gun dealers and established restrictions on particular categories and classes of firearms.

Until the middle 1970s, the NRA mainly focused on sportsmen, hunters and target shooters, and downplayed gun control issues. However, passage of the GCA galvanized a growing number of NRA gun rights activists, including Harlon Carter. In 1975, it began to focus more on politics and established its lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), with Carter as director. The next year, its political action committee (PAC), the Political Victory Fund, was created in time for the 1976 elections. The 1977 annual convention was a defining moment for the organization and came to be known as "The Cincinnati Revolution". Leadership planned to relocate NRA headquarters to Colorado and to build a $30 million recreational facility in New Mexico, but activists within the organization whose central concern was Second Amendment rights defeated the incumbents and elected Carter as executive director and Neal Knox as head of the NRA-ILA.

Political expansion

After 1977, the organization expanded its membership by focusing heavily on political issues and forming coalitions with conservative politicians, most of them are Republicans. With a goal to weaken the GCA, Knox's ILA successfully lobbied Congress to pass the Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA) of 1986 and worked to reduce the powers of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In 1982, Knox was ousted as director of the ILA, but began mobilizing outside the NRA framework and continued to promote opposition to gun control laws.

At the 1991 national convention, Knox's supporters were elected to the board and named staff lobbyist Wayne LaPierre as the executive vice president. The NRA focused its attention on the gun control policies of the Clinton Administration. Knox again lost power in 1997, as he lost reelection to a coalition of moderate leaders who supported movie star Charlton Heston, despite Heston's past support of gun control legislation. In 1994, the NRA unsuccessfully opposed the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB), but successfully lobbied for the ban's 2004 expiration. Heston was elected president in 1998 and became a highly visible spokesman for the organization. In an effort to improve the NRA's image, Heston presented himself as the voice of reason in contrast to Knox.

Political activity

When the National Rifle Association was officially incorporated on November 16, 1871, its primary goal was to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis". The NRA's website says the organization is "America's longest-standing civil rights organization".

On February 7, 1872, the NRA created a committee to lobby for legislation in the interest of the organization. Its first lobbying effort was to petition the New York State legislature for $25,000 to purchase land to set up a range. Within three months, the legislation had passed and had been signed into law by Governor John T. Hoffman.

In 1934, the National Rifle Association created a Legislative Affairs Division to work officially on Second Amendment issues.

The Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), the lobbying branch of the NRA, was established in 1975. According to political scientists John M. Bruce and Clyde Wilcox, the NRA shifted its focus in the late 1970s to incorporate political advocacy, and started seeing its members as political resources rather than just as recipients of goods and services. Despite the impact on the volatility of membership, the politicization of the NRA has been consistent and its political action committee (PAC), the Political Victory Fund established in 1976, ranked as "one of the biggest spenders in congressional elections" as of 1998.

A 1999 Fortune magazine survey said that lawmakers and their staffers considered the NRA the most powerful lobbying organization three years in a row. Chris W. Cox is the NRA's chief lobbyist and principal political strategist, a position he has held since 2002. In 2012, 88% of Republicans and 11% of Democrats in Congress had received an NRA PAC contribution at some point in their career. Of the members of the Congress that convened in 2013, 51% received funding from the NRA PAC within their political careers, and 47% received NRA money in their most recent race. According to Lee Drutman, political scientist and senior fellow at the Sunlight Foundation, "It is important to note that these contributions are probably a better measure of allegiance than of influence."

The modern NRA opposes most new gun-control legislation, calling instead for stricter enforcement of existing laws and increased sentencing for gun-related crimes.

Internationally, the NRA opposes the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). As of January 2014, it supported efforts by Republican Sen. Jerry Moran to prevent funding the treaty unless ratified by the Senate, which opposes the treaty. It has opposed Canadian gun registry, supported Brazilian gun rights, and criticized Australian gun laws.

Elections

The NRA Political Victory Fund (PVF) PAC was established in 1976 to challenge gun-control candidates and to support gun-rights candidates. The NRA is a single-issue organization with regard to advising its members and gun owners on Second Amendment issues. The PVF also grades Congressional and state legislature candidates based on their positions on gun rights, not on party affiliations. An NRA "A+" candidate is one who has "not only an excellent voting record on all critical NRA issues, but who has also made a vigorous effort to promote and defend the Second Amendment", whereas an NRA "F" candidate is a "true enemy of gun owners' rights". It also helps its members locate an NRA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) for their area and to register to vote.

The NRA endorsed a presidential candidate for the first time in 1980 backing Ronald Reagan over Jimmy Carter. The NRA's policy is to endorse pro-gun incumbents because of their established record. For example, in the 2006 Senate Elections the NRA endorsed Rick Santorum over Bob Casey, Jr., even though they both had an "A" rating.

The NRA spent $40 million on U.S. elections in 2008, including $10 million in opposition to the election of Senator Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign.

The NRA spent over $360,000 in the Colorado recall election of 2013, which resulted in the ouster of state senators John Morse and Angela Giron. The Huffington Post called the recall "a stunning victory for the National Rifle Association and gun rights activists." Morse and Giron helped to pass expanded background checks and ammunition magazine capacity limits after the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, and Sandy Hook, Connecticut, shootings.

On May 20, 2016, the NRA endorsed Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The timing of the endorsement, before Trump became the official Republican nominee, was unusual, as the NRA typically endorses Republican nominees towards the end of the general election. The NRA said its early endorsement was due to the strong gun control stance of Hillary Clinton In the 2016 United States presidential election the NRA reported spending more than $30 million in support of Donald Trump, more than any other independent group in that election, and three times what it spent in the 2012 presidential election. In January 2018 the FBI was reported to be investigating if some of the money sent to Trump via the NRA was from Russian sources. The NRA spent $35 million in the 2016 election cycle, making it one of the largest sources of "dark money" in American politics.

The ATF and Senate confirmations

The NRA has for decades sought to limit the ability of the ATF to regulate firearms by blocking nominees and lobbying against reforms that would ease the ability of the ATF to track gun crimes. The NRA, for instance, opposed ATF reforms to trace guns to owners electronically; the ATF currently has to do so through paper records. In 2006, the NRA lobbied U.S. Representative F. James Sensenbrenner to add a provision to the Patriot Act reauthorization that requires Senate confirmation of ATF director nominees. For seven years after that, the NRA lobbied against and "effectively blocked" every presidential nominee. First was President George W. Bush's choice, Michael J. Sullivan, whose confirmation was held up in 2008 by three Republican Senators who said the ATF was hostile to gun dealers. One of the Senators was Larry Craig, who was an NRA board member during his years in the Senate. Confirmation of President Obama's first nominee, Andrew Traver, stalled in 2011 after the NRA expressed strong opposition. Some Senators resisted confirming another Obama nominee, B. Todd Jones, because of the NRA's opposition, until 2013, when the NRA said it was neutral on Jones' nomination and that it would not include the confirmation vote in its grading system. Dan Freedman, national editor for Hearst Newspapers' Washington D.C. bureau, stated that it, "clears the way for senators from pro-gun states – Democrats as well as at least some Republicans – to vote for Jones without fear of political repercussions".

In 2014, Obama weighed the idea of delaying a vote on his nominee for Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, when Republicans and some conservative Democrats criticized Murthy, after the NRA opposed him. In February, the NRA wrote to Senate leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell to say that it "strongly opposes" Murthy's confirmation, and told The Washington Times' Emily Miller that it would score the vote in its PAC grading system. "The NRA decision", wrote Miller, "will undoubtedly make vulnerable Democrats up for reelection in the midterms reconsider voting party line on this nominee." The Wall Street Journal stated on March 15, "Crossing the NRA to support Dr. Murthy could be a liability for some of the Democrats running for re-election this year in conservative-leaning states".

The NRA also opposed the appointments of Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan as Supreme Court justices.

Legislation

National Rifle Association Position on Federal U.S. Legislation

Bill/Law	Year	Supported	Opposed
National Firearms Act	1934	N
Federal Firearms Act	1938	N
Gun Control Act	1968	N	N
Federal Assault Weapons Ban	1994		N
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act	2005	N
Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act	2006	N
Assault Weapons Ban	2013		N

The NRA supported the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA), which regulated what were considered at the time "gangster weapons" such as machine guns, sawed-off shotguns, and sound suppressors. However, the organization's position on suppressors has since changed.

The NRA supported the 1938 Federal Firearms Act (FFA) which established the Federal Firearms License (FFL) program. The FFA required all manufacturers and dealers of firearms who ship or receive firearms or ammunition in interstate or foreign commerce to have a license, and forbade them from transferring any firearm or most ammunition to any person interstate unless certain conditions were met.

The NRA supported and opposed parts of the Gun Control Act of 1968, which broadly regulated the firearms industry and firearms owners, primarily focusing on regulating interstate commerce in firearms by prohibiting interstate firearms transfers except among licensed manufacturers, dealers and importers. The law was supported by America's oldest manufacturers (Colt, S&W, etc.) in an effort to forestall even greater restrictions which were feared in response to recent domestic violence. The NRA supported elements of the law, such as those forbidding the sale of firearms to convicted criminals and the mentally ill.

The NRA influenced the writing of the Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA) and worked for its passage.

In 2000, when evidence surfaced that the Pittman-Robertson Act sportsman's conservation trust funds were being mismanaged, NRA board member and a U.S. Representative, Don Young (R-Alaska) introduced the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act. The NRA-backed bill passed the House 423–2 and became law on November 1, 2000, and defines in what manner the monies can be spent.

In 2004, the NRA opposed renewal of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. The ban expired on September 13, 2004.

In 2005 President Bush signed into law the NRA-backed Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act which prevent firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable for negligence when crimes have been committed with their products.

The NRA-backed Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006 prohibited the confiscation of legal firearms from citizens during states of emergency.

In December 2012, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, NRA broke its social media silence and media blacktout to announce a press conference. At the event, LaPierre announced an NRA-backed effort to assess the feasibility of placing armed security officers in the nation's 135,000 public and private schools under a "National School Shield Program". He called on Congress "to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary". The announcement came in the same week after President Obama had stated his support for a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Litigation

In November 2005, the NRA and other gun advocates filed a lawsuit challenging San Francisco Proposition H, which banned the ownership and sales of firearms. The NRA argued that the proposition overstepped local government authority and intruded into an area regulated by the state. The San Francisco County Superior Court agreed with the NRA position. The city appealed the court's ruling, but lost a 2008 appeal. In October 2008, San Francisco was forced to pay a $380,000 settlement to the National Rifle Association and other plaintiffs to cover the costs of litigating Proposition H.

In April 2006, New Orleans, Louisiana, police began returning to citizens guns that had been confiscated after Hurricane Katrina. The NRA, Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and other groups agreed to drop a lawsuit against the city in exchange for the return.

In 2009 the NRA again filed suit (Guy Montag Doe v. San Francisco Housing Authority) in the city of San Francisco challenging the city's ban of guns in public housing. On January 14, 2009, the San Francisco Housing Authority reached a settlement with the NRA, which allows residents to possess legal firearms within a SFHA apartment building.

In 2010, the NRA sued the city of Chicago, Illinois (McDonald v. Chicago) and the Supreme Court ruled that like other substantive rights, the right to bear arms is incorporated via the Fourteenth Amendment to the Bill of Rights, and therefore applies to the states.

In 2013, the NRA joined the ACLU in a lawsuit against the federal government over the National Security Agency's surveillance of Americans, citing concerns that the NSA's data collection violates gun owners' privacy and could potentially be used to create a national gun registry.

In March 2013, the NRA joined a federal lawsuit with other gun rights groups challenging New York's gun control law (the NY SAFE Act), arguing that Governor Andrew Cuomo "usurped the legislative and democratic process" in passing the law, which included restrictions on magazine capacity and expanding the state's assault weapons ban.

In November 2013, the city of Sunnyvale, California, passed an ordinance banning certain ammunition magazines along with three other firearm-related restrictions. The new ordinance requires city residents to "dispose, donate, or sell" any magazine capable of holding more than ten rounds within a proscribed period of time once the measure takes effect. Measure C also requires:

1. city residents to report firearm theft to the police within 48 hours,
2. residents to lock up their guns at home, and
3. gun dealers to keep logs of ammunition sales.

The city of San Francisco then passed similar ordinances a short time later. The NRA has joined with local citizens to file suit and challenge these ordinances on Second Amendment grounds. Additionally, the San Francisco Veteran Police Officers Association (SFVPOA), represented by NRA attorneys, filed a lawsuit challenging San Francisco's ban on the possession of standard-capacity magazines.

In 2014 the NRA lobbied for a bill in Pennsylvania which grants it and other advocacy groups legal standing to sue municipalities to overturn local firearm regulations passed in violation of a state law preempting such regulations, and which also allows the court to force cities to pay their legal fees. As soon as it became law, the NRA sued three cities: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Lancaster. In Philadelphia, seven regulations the NRA sued to overturn included a ban on gun possession by those found to be a risk for harming themselves or others, and a requirement to report stolen guns to the police within twenty-four hours after discovery of the loss or theft. In Lancaster, a city of fewer than 60,000, mayor Rick Gray, who has chaired the pro-gun control group Mayors Against Illegal Guns, was also named in the suit. In that city, the NRA challenged an ordinance requiring gun owners to tell police when a firearm is lost or stolen within 72 hours or face jail time. The basis for the lawsuits is "a 1974 state law that bars municipalities against passing restrictions that are pre-empted by state gun laws". At least 20 Pennsylvania municipalities have rescinded regulations in response to threatened litigation.

Programs

Museum and publications

The National Rifle Association owns and operates the National Firearms Museum. It was located in Washington, D.C., from 1935 until 1998, when it moved to Fairfax, Virginia. The museum is focused on the evolution of firearms and the history of firearms in America. In August 2013, the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum opened at an expansive Bass Pro Shops retail store in Springfield, Missouri, after 10 years of planning. It displays almost 1,000 firearms, including historically significant firearms from the NRA and other collections.

The NRA publishes a number of periodicals including American Rifleman, American Hunter, America's 1st Freedom, Shooting Illustrated, Shooting Sports USA, and NRA Family InSights.

Firearms safety and instructors

The NRA sponsors a range of programs designed to encourage the safe use of firearms. NRA hunting safety courses are offered in the United States for both children and adults, along with a program for school-age children, the NRA's "Eddie Eagle".

The National Rifle Association issues credentials and trains firearm instructors. NRA Certified Instructors teach marksmanship, safety, firearm maintenance, and legalities. The NRA developed a nationally recognized certification for range safety officers.

Shooting sports

Instigated on by the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, the NRA mandated the establishment of National Teams and National Development Teams, a national coaching staff, year-round training programs, and the main training site for Olympic shooting sports. In 1994, following disagreements between the NRA and athletes over control of the program, the U.S. Olympic Committee recommended USA Shooting replace the NRA as the National governing body for Olympic shooting. The NRA dropped out just before the decision was announced, citing a lack of appreciation for their efforts.

The NRA hosts the National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry, events which are considered to be the "world series of competitive shooting"

A number of trophies are awarded during the annual competition, including:

• Leech Cup, established in 1874 for long-distance rifle shooting
• Wimbledon Cup, established in 1875 for 1000-yard rifle shooting

The NRA also sponsors its National Muzzle Loading Championship at the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association's Friendship, Indiana facility and the Bianchi Cup in Columbia, Missouri. The NRA also represents the United States on the International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations (ICFRA) which administers the World Long-Range Rifle Team Championships, contested every four years for the PALMA trophy.

Relationship with other organizations

The National Rifle Association maintains ties with other organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America and 4-H. Involvement includes monetary donations, equipment to supply firearms ranges, and instructors to assist in their programs. The National Rifle Association has worked with Pink Pistols through Pink Pistols submitting amicus briefs in different Supreme Court cases relating to guns such as DC v. Heller. The NRA has also worked with the American Civil Liberties Union in opposing gun registration. The National Rifle Association has also filed an amicus brief in support of the American Civil Liberties Union in ACLU v. Clapper though the ACLU and the NRA have a different interpretation of the Second Amendment.

Organizational structure and finances

Leadership

Executive staff and spokespersons

Since 1991, Wayne LaPierre has been the organization's executive vice president, and functions as the chief executive officer. Previous notable holders of that office include: Milton Reckord, Floyd Lavinius Parks, Franklin Orth, Maxwell Rich, Harlon Carter, J. Warren Cassidy, and Gary Anderson.

Chris W. Cox is the executive director of the NRA's lobbying branch, the Institute for Legislative Action. Kyle Weaver is executive director of general operations. Kayne B. Robinson is executive director of the General Operations Division and chairman of the Whittington Center.

Actor Chuck Norris serves as a celebrity spokesperson for the association. Colion Noir hosts a video program on the NRA's online video channel.

Board of directors

The NRA is governed by a board of 76 elected directors. Of these, 75 serve three-year terms and one is elected to serve as a cross-over director who "holds office from the adjournment of the Annual Meeting of Members at which was elected until the adjournment of the next Annual Meeting of Members, or until a successor is elected and qualified." The directors choose a president, one or more vice presidents, an executive vice president (the leading spokesperson for the organization), a secretary, and treasurer from among their fellows. Two other officers are also elected by the board: the executive director of the NRA General Operations and the executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). In 2015, 71 members were white and 65 were male. More came from Texas than any other state. Only 7% of eligible members vote.

Most nominations are vetted by a nine-member Nominating Committee. The committee is appointed, though the appointment process is not public. One member is George Kollitides of the Freedom Group. The nomination committee has been called "kingmakers" by MSNBC and Jeff Knox says "the process is front-loaded to give incumbents and Nominating Committee candidates a significant advantage".

Membership

According to Wayne La Pierre, as of May 2013, NRA membership exceeded 5 million, one-tenth of whom had joined in the prior six months. Mother Jones has questioned the membership numbers published by the NRA. They say that in 2008, for example, the organization claimed both 3 million and 4.3 million members. Journalist Osha Gray Davidson suggested in 2000 that many deceased "life members" are kept on the books in order to inflate the membership rolls. A 2017 Pew Research Center Study found that more than 14 million Americans consider themselves NRA members, above the real membership number of 5 million. This may be attributed to the fact that the NRA has millions more of Americans who support them and will tell pollsters they are members, even when they are not. In other cases, it could be that their membership has lapsed and for others, they might consider a family member’s membership part of their own.

Notable members

Nine U.S. Presidents have been NRA members. In addition to Grant, they are: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush (who resigned in 1995), and Donald Trump. Three U.S. Vice Presidents, two Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, and several U.S. Congressmen, as well as legislators and officials of state governments are members.

Current or past members also include journalist Hunter S. Thompson, Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, documentarian Michael Moore (but for subversive purposes), actor Rick Schroder, and singer James Hetfield.

Interconnected organizations

The National Rifle Association is composed of several financially interconnected organizations under common leadership.

NRA Institute for Legislative Action

The NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) manages the NRA's Political Action Committee (PAC). Some of its activities include retaining lobbyists to support gun-rights legislation and election operations such as the purchase of campaign advertising.

NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund

The NRA Civil Defense Fund is a 501(c)(3) that does pro bono legal work for people with cases involving Second Amendment rights. As of December 2012, it was litigating in 35 states cases concerning the possession, use, and carrying of firearms.

According to its website, the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund was established in 1978 by the NRA Board of Directors "to become involved in court cases establishing legal precedents in favor of gun owners." Harlon Carter and Neal Knox were responsible for its founding.

In 1994, the Fund spent over $500,000 on legal fees to support legal cases involving guns and gun control measures. It donated $20,000 in 1996 for the defense of New York City resident Bernhard Goetz when he was sued by a man he shot and left paralyzed. It paid the legal bills in the case of Brian Aitken, a New Jersey resident sentenced to seven years in state prison for transporting guns without a carry permit. On December 20, 2010, Governor Chris Christie granted Aitken clemency and ordered Aitken's immediate release from prison.

NRA Foundation

The NRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises and donates money to outdoors groups and others such as ROTC programs, 4-H and Boy Scouts. In 2010, the NRA Foundation distributed $21.2 million in grants for gun-related training and education programs: $12.6 million to the NRA itself, and the rest to community programs for hunters, competitive shooters, gun collectors, and law enforcement, and to women and youth groups. The foundation has no staff and pays no salaries.

According to its website, the NRA Foundation was established in 1990 and considers itself "the country's leading charitable organization in support of the shooting sports, having awarded thousands of grants in support of educational programs."

Friends of NRA is a grassroots program, conceptualized by National Rifle Association of America's Wayne Sheets and MidwayUSA's Founder and CEO, Larry Potterfield, that raises money for The NRA Foundation, the organization's 501(c)(3). As part of Friends of NRA activities, volunteers in the United States organize committees and plan events in their communities.

Established in 1990, The NRA Foundation raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearm related public interest activities. These activities are designed to promote firearms and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship skills of those participating in the shooting sports, and to educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological and artistic context. Funds granted by The NRA Foundation benefit a variety of constituencies throughout the United States including children, youth, women, individuals with disabilities, gun collectors, law enforcement officers, hunters, and competitive shooters.

NRA Freedom Action Foundation

According to its website, the NRA Freedom Action Foundation was created to focus on voter registration and citizen Second Amendment education.

Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF)

By 1976, as the NRA became more organized in defense of Second Amendment issues, the Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF), a non-partisan political action committee (PAC), was established as a subsidiary to the NRA, to assist politicians who supported gun-rights and to challenge those who opposed gun-rights. Chris W. Cox, who is the NRA's chief lobbyist and principal political strategist, is also the NRA-PVF chairman, and "has directed NRA’s electoral efforts at every level."

Through the Political Victory Fund, the NRA began to rate political candidates "irrespective of party affiliation - based on voting records, and public statements" on their positions on gun rights on a point scale of A+ to F. An NRA "A+" candidate is one who has "not only an excellent voting record on all critical NRA issues, but who has also made a vigorous effort to promote and defend the Second Amendment", whereas an NRA "F" candidate is deemed a "true enemy of gun owners' rights".

In the 2008 elections, the PVF spent millions "on direct campaign donations, independent campaign expenditures and on mobilizing the most aggressive grassroots operation in NRA history." In 2012, NRA-PVF income was $14.4 million and expenses were $16.1 million. By 2014, the NRA-PVF income rose to 21.9 million with expenses of 20.7 million.

NRA Special Contribution Fund (Whittington Center)

The NRA Special Contribution Fund supports the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. The center was founded in 1973 and is a 33,300 acre outdoor recreation facility that hosts competitive, educational, and recreational shooting activities. The site also says that although the center is associated with the National Rifle Association, it is not underwritten or managed by the NRA.

Finances

In 2010, the NRA reported revenue of $227.8 million and expenses of $243.5 million, with revenue including roughly $115 million generated from fundraising, sales, advertising and royalties, and most of the rest from membership dues. Less than half of the NRA's income is from membership dues and program fees; the majority is from contributions, grants, royalties, and advertising. The NRA has said that less than 5% of its funding comes from the firearms industry, with the majority coming from small donors.

Corporate donors include a variety of companies such as outdoors supply, sporting goods companies, and firearm manufacturers. From 2005 through 2011, the NRA received at least $14.8 million from more than 50 firearms-related firms. An April 2011 Violence Policy Center presentation said that the NRA had received between $14.7 million and $38.9 million from the firearms industry since 2005. In 2008, Beretta exceeded $2 million in donations to the NRA, and in 2012, Smith & Wesson gave more than $1 million. Sturm, Ruger & Company raised $1.25 million through a program in which it donated $1 to the NRA-ILA for each gun it sold from May 2011 to May 2012. In a similar program, gun buyers and participating stores are invited to "round up" the purchase price to the nearest dollar as a voluntary contribution. According to the NRA's 2010 tax forms, the "round-up" funds have been allocated to both public interest programs and lobbying.

Public opinion and image

In six of seven Gallup polls between 1993 and 2013, a majority of Americans reported holding a favorable opinion of the NRA.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll in April 2012 found that 82% of Republicans and 55% of Democrats saw the NRA "in a positive light".

In December 2012, 54% of Americans held a favorable opinion of the NRA, though there was a wide spread among party affiliations: 83% of Republicans, 54% of independents, and 36% of Democrats.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll in January 2013 showed that only 36% of Americans had a favorable opinion of NRA leadership.

Criticism

The National Rifle Association has been criticized by newspaper editorial boards, gun control and gun rights advocacy groups, political commentators, and politicians. Democrats and liberals frequently criticize the organization. The NRA's oldest organized critics include the gun control advocacy groups the Brady Campaign, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV), and the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Twenty-first century groups include Everytown for Gun Safety (formerly Mayors Against Illegal Guns), Moms Demand Action, and Americans for Responsible Solutions.

Political involvement

In 1995, former U.S. President George H. W. Bush resigned his life membership to the organization after receiving an National Rifle Association Institute of Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) fund-raising letter, signed by executive vice president Wayne LaPierre, that referred to ATF agents as "jack-booted government thugs". The NRA later apologized for the letter's language.

In December 2008, The New York Times editorial board criticized the NRA's attacks, which it called false and misleading, on Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

After Trump's election, the NRA closely aligned with Trump.

A number of observers have argued that the NRA has become a partisan organization, focusing overwhelmingly on supporting the Republican Party. They argue that the NRA does not support Democratic candidates, even when the Democrat holds pro-gun views, and that the organization supports Republican causes even when they are unrelated to gun rights.

Gun control

In February 2013, USA Today editors criticized the NRA for flip-flopping on expansion of universal background checks to private and gun show sales, which NRA now opposes.

In March 2014, The Washington Post criticized the NRA's interference in government research on gun violence, and both Post and Los Angeles Times editors criticized its opposition of Vivek Murthy for U.S. Surgeon General.

A survey of NRA members found that the majority support certain gun control policies, such as a universal background check:

For instance, 84% of gun owners and 74% of NRA members (vs. 90% of non-gun owners) supported requiring a universal background-check system for all gun sales; 76% of gun owners and 62% of NRA members (vs. 83% of non-gun owners) supported prohibiting gun ownership for 10 years after a person has been convicted of violating a domestic-violence restraining order; and 71% of gun owners and 70% of NRA members (vs. 78% of non-gun owners) supported requiring a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years in prison for a person convicted of selling a gun to someone who cannot legally have a gun.

Gun manufacturing industry

Critics of the NRA have charged that the organization represents the interests of gun manufacturers rather than gun owners. For example, in 2011, Violence Policy Center executive director Josh Sugarmann, said: "Today's NRA is a virtual subsidiary of the gun industry. While the NRA portrays itself as protecting the 'freedom' of individual gun owners, it's actually working to protect the freedom of the gun industry to manufacture and sell virtually any weapon or accessory".

Mass shootings

The organization is the focus of intense criticism in the aftermath of high-profile shootings such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. While supporters say the organization advances their rights to buy and own guns according to the constitution's Second Amendment, some critics have described it as a "terrorist organization" for advocating policies that enable and permit gun violence. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called an online video created by the NRA and released after the Sandy Hook shooting "reprehensible" and said that it demeaned the organization. A senior lobbyist for the organization later characterized the video as "ill-advised".

The NRA has been criticized for their media strategy following mass shootings in the United States. After the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the NRA's silence on the shooting drew criticism. After the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, several companies ended their business relationships with the NRA.

Media campaigns

In 2017, Zack Beauchamp of Vox and Mark Sumner of Daily Kos criticized a video advertisement from the NRA. In the video, Dana Loesch runs through a list of wrongs committed by an unspecified "they":

They use their media to assassinate real news. They use their schools to teach children that the president is another Hitler. They use their movie stars, and singers, and comedy shows, and award shows to repeat their narrative over and over again. And then they use their ex-president to endorse the resistance. All to make them march. Make them protest. Make them scream racism and sexism and xenophobia and homophobia. To smash windows, burn cars, shut down interstates and airports, bully and terrorize the law abiding. Until the only option left is for the police to do their jobs and stop the madness. And when that happens, they’ll use it as an excuse for their outrage. The only way we stop this. The only way we save our country and our freedom, is to fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth.

Sumner alleged the NRA was trying to boost gun sales by "convincing half of America to declare war on the other half." Beauchamp wrote, "It’s a paranoid vision of American life that encourages the NRA’s fans to see liberals not as political opponents, but as monsters."

The NRA's online media campaign includes multiple YouTube Channels under the NRA name and spokespersons such as Colion Noir.

Pro-gun rights criticism

Pro-gun rights critics include Gun Owners of America (GOA), founded in the 1970s because some gun rights advocates believed the NRA was too flexible on gun issues. Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) has also disagreed with NRA for what it perceives as a willingness to compromise on gun control. The National Association for Gun Rights criticizes the NRA as not being conservative enough or not sufficiently protective of gun rights. In June 2014, an open carry group in Texas threatened to withdraw its support of the NRA if it did not retract its statements critical of the practice. The NRA-ILA's Chris Cox said the statements were a staffer's personal opinion and a mistake.

Lack of advocacy for black gun owners

The NRA has come under criticism for insufficiently defending gun rights for African-Americans. Critics say that the NRA is typically quick to defend gun rights when the rights of white gun owners appear to have been violated but has stayed silent or offered muted and delayed responses in gun rights cases involving black gun owners. The NRA rejects the accusations of racial bias. The shooting of black motorist Philando Castile during a traffic stop touched off a wave of NRA criticism. A counter argument is that the NRA's inaction in prominent gun rights cases involving black gun owners is not due to racial bias but is instead likely due to overly zealous support for law enforcement and that the NRA has often failed to support Caucasian members in similar circumstances.

Historical Racism

Adam Winkler, professor of constitutional law at the UCLA School of Law, has argued that there is historical precedence to the NRA's lack of advocacy for black gun owners, noting that the NRA promoted gun control legislation in the 1920s, 1930s and 1960s with the intent to reduce gun ownership by racial minorities.

List of past and present leaders

Presidents

Presidents of the NRA are elected by the board of directors.

• Ambrose Burnside (1871–72)
• William Conant Church (1872–75)
• Alexander Shaler (1876)
• Winfield S. Hancock (1881)
• Ulysses S. Grant (1883–84)
• Philip H. Sheridan (1885)
• George W. Wingate (1886–1900)
• John C. Bates (1910–12)
• William Libbey (1915–20)
• Smith W. Brookhart (1921–25)
• Francis E. Warren (1925–26)
• Benedict Crowell (1930–31)
• Karl T. Frederick (1934–35)
• Littleton W. T. Waller, Jr. (1939–40)
• Emmet O. Swanson (1948)
• Merritt A. Edson (1949–50)
• Morton C. Mumma (1955–56)
• Harlon B. Carter (1965–67)
• Lloyd M. Mustin (1977–78)
• Howard W. Pollock (1983–84)
• Joe Foss (1988–90)
• Robert K. Corbin (1992–93)
• Marion P. Hammer (1995–98)
• Charlton Heston (1998–2003)
• Sandra Froman (2005–07)
• John C. Sigler (2007–09)
• Ron Schmeits (2009–11)
• David Keene (2011–13)
• James W. "Jim" Porter (2013–15)
• Allan D. Cors (2015–2017)
• Pete Brownell (2017–present)

Directors

Notable directors, past and present, include:

• Joe M. Allbaugh
• John M. Ashbrook
• Bob Barr
• Ronnie Barrett
• Clel Baudler
• Ken Blackwell
• Matt Blunt
• John Bolton,
• Dan Boren
• Robert K. Brown,
• Dave Butz
• Richard Childress
• Larry E. Craig
• Barbara Cubin
• John Dingell
• Merritt A. Edson
• R. Lee Ermey
• Sandra Froman
• Jim Gilmore
• Marion P. Hammer
• Susan Howard
• Roy Innis
• David Keene
• Karl Malone
• John Milius
• Zell Miller.
• Cleta Mitchell
• Grover Norquist
• Oliver L. North
• Johnny Nugent
• Ted Nugent
• Lee Purcell
• Todd J. Rathner
• Wayne Anthony Ross
• Ron Schmeits
• Tom Selleck
• John C. Sigler
• Bruce Stern
• Harold Volkmer
• Don Young

See also

• Non-profit organizations in Northern Virginia
• Overview of gun laws by nation

References

1. ^ "The National Rifle Association". The New York Times. September 17, 1871. A meeting of the National Rifle Association was held in the Seventh Regiment armory yesterday, Gen. J. P. Woodward, of the second Division, presided, and Col. H. G. Shaw officiated as Secretary. Articles of association were presented and adopted. The incorporators are composed of forty prominent officers and ex-officers of the National Guard. Membership in the Association is to be open to all persons interested in the promotion of the rifle practice. Regiments and companies in the National Guard are entitled by the by-laws to constitute all their regular members in good standing members of the Association on the payment of one-half of the entrance fees and annual dues.
2. ^ "National Rifle Association". Guide Star.
3. ^ "Remarkable Finding from Pew Survey on NRA membership". National Rifle Association Institute of Legislative Action. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
4. ^ "NRA releases financial statement showing revenue, expenses for 2016". Retrieved January 2, 2018.
5. ^ Korte, Gregory (May 4, 2013). "Post-Newtown, NRA membership surges to 5 million". USA Today.
6. Carter, Gregg Lee, ed. (2012). "National Rifle Association (NRA)". Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 616–20. ISBN 978-0-313-38670-1. Retrieved June 6, 2014. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is the nation's largest, oldest, and most politically powerful interest group that opposes gun laws and favors gun rights. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
7. More gun rights sources:
   • Carter, Greg Lee (2006). Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. p. 285. ISBN 978-1851097609. Almost all of are readily classifiable as either advocating a 'gun control' or a 'gun rights' position.
   • Knox, Neal (2009). Knox, Christopher (ed.). Neal Knox: The Gun Rights War. MacFarlane Press. p. 159. One of the few advantages – possibly the only advantage – that supporters of gun rights hold is the fact that there are more one-issue voters on the pro-gun side than on the anti-gun side.
   • Patterson, Samuel C.; Eakins, Keith R. (1998). "Congress and Gun Control". In Bruce, John M.; Wilcox, Clyde (eds.). The Changing Politics of Gun Control. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-8476-8615-9. OCLC 833118449. Retrieved April 8, 2014. During the gun control legislation battles of the 1960s, the NRA, although it had no registered lobbyists, was the most powerful gun rights organization. It still enjoys this distinction, although it has undergone significant change. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
   • Utter, Glenn H. Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights. Grey House. ISBN 978-1592376728.
   • Wellford, Charles F; Pepper, John V; Petrie, Carol V, eds. (2013) . Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review (Electronic ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. p. 283. ISBN 0-309-54640-0. Another commentator pointed out, however, that a significant number of the articles supporting the individual right model published between 1970 and 1989 were written by lawyers who had either been employed by or who represented gun rights organizations, including the NRA.
8. ^ "A Brief History of NRA". National Rifle Association HQ. Archived from the original on July 2, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; July 3, 2013 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
9. Shally-Jensen, Michael, ed. (2010). "Gun Control". Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Social Issues. ABC-CLIO. p. 506. ISBN 978-0313392054. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
10. ^ "FORTUNE Releases Annual Survey of Most Powerful Lobbying Organizations" (Press release). Time Warner. November 15, 1999. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
11. Wilson, James Q.; et al. (2011). American Government: Institutions & Policies. Cengage Learning. p. 264.
12. ^ "Bloomberg Throws Punch at NRA, Obama: Bloomberg says NRA 'encourages behavior that causes things like Connecticut' shooting". ABC News. December 21, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
13. ^ Robillard, Kevin (December 26, 2012). "Frank Luntz: NRA not listening to public". Politico. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
14. ^ "Meeting of the National Rifle Association Election of Officers". The New York Times. November 25, 1871. p. 3.
15. "Notes of the Day". The New York Times. August 1, 1872. p. 3.
16. "National Rifle Association". The New York Times. August 7, 1872. p. 2.
17. Bellini, Jason (December 20, 2012). "A Brief History of the NRA". The Wall Street Journal.
18. Achenbach, Joel; Higham, Scott; Horwitz Sari (January 12, 2013). "How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby". The Washington Post
19. ^ Craige, John Houston The Practical Book of American Guns (1950) Bramhall House pp. 84–93
20. "Timeline of the NRA", The Washington Post, January 12, 2013.
21. Kerr, Richard E. (1990). Wall of Fire – The Rifle and Civil War Infantry Tactics (PDF) (Thesis). U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
22. Somerset, A.J. (December 20, 2015). "Excerpt: How Canadians helped create the NRA". Toronto Star.
23. "America's Wimbledon: The Inauguration". The New York Times. June 22, 1873. p. 5.
24. "The National Rifle Association". The New York Times. June 12, 1873. p. 5.
25. ^ "The 'Academy' Must Now Share Michael Moore's Cinematic Shame". National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. March 27, 2003. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
26. Davis, Richard (March 8, 1990). Evaluation of the Army's Civilian Marksmanship Program (PDF) (Speech). Before the Subcommittee on Readiness, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives. Washington, D.C. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
27. Canfield, Bruce N. (September 2008). American Rifleman. National Rifle Association: 72–75. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
28. Ness, Mark (June 1983). American Rifleman. National Rifle Association: 58. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
29. Camp, Raymond R. (1948). The Hunter's Encyclopedia. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole and Heck, Inc. p. 599.
30. "National Rifle Association". TheFreeDictionary.com. Farlex. 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
31. "National Firearms Act of 1934". TheFreeDictionary.com. Farlex. 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
32. Jilani, Zaid. "For Most Of Its History, The NRA Actually Backed Sensible Gun Regulation". Retrieved September 20, 2015.
33. Jill Lepore (April 23, 2012). "Battleground America: One nation, under the gun". The New Yorker. Condé Nast.
34. Shaiko, Ronald G.; Wallace, Marc A. (1998). "Going Hunting Where the Ducks Are: The National Rifle Association and the Grass Roots". In Bruce, John M.; Wilcox, Clyde (eds.). The Changing Politics of Gun Control. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-8476-8615-9. OCLC 833118449. Retrieved April 8, 2014. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
35. Knox, Neal (2009). Knox, Christopher (ed.). Neal Knox: The Gun Rights War. MacFarlane Press. pp. 299–300.
36. Achenbach, Joel; Higham, Scott; Horwitz, Sari (January 12, 2013). "How NRA's true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby". The Washington Post.
37. Glen H. Utter, Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights (2000) pp. 137–38, 161–63, 166–67, 186, 219–20
38. Glen H. Utter, Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights (2000) pp. 99–100, 162
39. Knox, Neal (2009). Knox, Christopher (ed.). Neal Knox: The Gun Rights War. MacFarlane Press. pp. 314–20.
40. Glen H. Utter, Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights (2000) pp. 62, 158, 162, 166–67
41. Robert J. Spitzer, The Politics of Gun Control (2nd ed. 1998) p. 88
42. Richard Feldman (2011). Ricochet: Confessions of a Gun Lobbyist. John Wiley. p. 174.
43. Raymond, Emilie (2006). From My Cold, Dead Hands: Charlton Heston and American Politics. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2408-7. OCLC 77125677.
44. "NRA Digital Network". National Rifle Association. Retrieved May 30, 2014. The National Rifle Association is America's longest-standing civil rights organization.
45. "The National Rifle Association". The New York Times. February 7, 1872. p. 8.
46. "New York and Suburban News". The New York Times. March 6, 1872. p. 8.
47. "Important Meeting of the National Rifle Association". The New York Times. May 22, 1872. p. 8.
48. Bruce, John M.; Wilcox, Clyde, eds. (1998). The Changing Politics of Gun Control. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield. pp. 158–59. ISBN 0-8476-8614-0. OCLC 833118449.
49. Drutman, Lee (December 18, 2012). "NRA's allegiances reach deep into Congress". Sunlight Foundation.
50. "About NRA-ILA". Retrieved October 15, 2017.
51. Editorial Board (September 30, 2013). "Containing the Conventional Arms Trade". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
52. "Sen. Moran Discusses Prohibiting U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Implementation on NRA Radio" (Press release). January 16, 2014. Archived from the original on February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
53. "NRA involved in gun registry debate". Ontario, Canada: CBC. September 13, 2010. Archived from the original on September 19, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
54. Kurlantzick, Joshua (September 17, 2006). "Global Gun Rights?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
55. Flannery, Nathaniel Parish (July 11, 2013). "What Are The NRA And Smith and Wesson Up To In Latin America?". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
56. O'Malley, Nick (December 12, 2013). "Sandy Hook massacre: Gun lobby targets Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia: Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
57. ^ Bruce, John M.; Wilcox, Clyde, eds. (1998). The Changing Politics of Gun Control. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield. p. 186. ISBN 0-8476-8614-0. OCLC 833118449.
58. ^ Cox, Chris W. (2012). "NRA Political Victory Fund: Making Endorsements Count". National Rifle Association. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
59. ^ Lowes, Robert (March 11, 2014). "NRA Opposes Surgeon General Nominee Vivek Murthy". Medscapelocation=. WebMD. Retrieved June 9, 2014. (subscription required)
60. "NRA-ILA: Election Center". National Rifle Association of America Institute for Legislative Action. 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
61. Schmidt, Gina M. "100 Years: Remembering President Ronald Reagan". National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
62. Facts on File 1980 Yearbook, p.844
63. O'Toole, James (October 25, 2006). "Santorum touts gun stand: Senate candidate showcases NRA endorsement". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
64. Carter, Gregg Lee, ed. (2012). "National Rifle Association (NRA)". Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 616–20. ISBN 978-0-313-38670-1. Retrieved June 6, 2014. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
65. "NRA has 'anti-gun' Obama in its sights". Orlando Sentinel. Cox News Service. October 19, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
66. ^ Siddiqui, Sabrina (September 10, 2013). "Colorado Recall Results: Democratic State Senators Defeated In Major Victory For NRA". The Huffington Post.
67. "Morse, Giron Lose Recalls Over Gun Laws Support". CBS Local Media. Associated Press. September 10, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
68. Reinhard, Beth (May 20, 2016). "Donald Trump Wins NRA Endorsement". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
69. "Trump wins NRA endorsement, blasts Clinton on gun stance at forum | Fox News". Fox News. May 20, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
70. Spies, Mike (November 9, 2016). "The NRA Placed Big Bets on the 2016 Election, and Won Almost All of Them". Open Secrets. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
71. https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article201907064.html
72. https://www.snopes.com/2018/02/16/did-kremlin-give-money-to-nra/
73. https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2018/02/15/nra-russia-and-trump-money-laundering-poisoning-us-democracy-commentary.html
74. ^ Watkins, Ali (February 22, 2018). "How the N.R.A. Keeps Federal Gun Regulators in Check". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
75. ^ Horwitz, Sari (July 31, 2013). "Senate confirms ATF director". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
76. Yager, Jordy (June 18, 2013). "Sen. Durbin pressures gun lobby with threat to move ATF authority to FBI". The Hill. Capitol Hill Publishing. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
77. ^ Serrano, Richard A. (July 11, 2013). "ATF nominee faces obstacles to confirmation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
78. Horwitz, Sari; Grimaldi, James V. (October 26, 2010). "ATF's oversight limited in face of gun lobby". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
79. Skiba, Katherine (February 16, 2011). "Gun lobby stands firm in opposing Obama's ATF nominee". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
80. Freedman, Dan (July 30, 2013). "Acting ATF director Todd Jones appears headed for confirmation". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
81. Viser, Matt; Bierman, Noah (March 15, 2014). "Surgeon general nominee runs into Senate resistance". The Boston Globe. Boston Globe Media Partners. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
82. Miller, Emily (February 28, 2014). "NRA to score Senate vote on Obama's nominee for surgeon general, Vivec Murthy". The Washington Times.
83. Peterson, Kristina; Nelson, Colleen McCain; Dooren, Jennifer Corbett (March 15, 2014). "Some Democrats Balk at Confirming Obama's Surgeon General Pick". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
84. Elliot, Philip (January 9, 2013). "INFLUENCE GAME: NRA lobbying targets courthouses". Yahoo-ABC News Network. Associated Press. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
85. Winkler, Adam (October 3, 2011). "When the NRA Promoted Gun Control". The Huffington Post.
86. "National Firearms Act". Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
87. "Suppressors-Good for Our Hearing". National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. November 17, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
88. Ascione, Alfred M. (1939). "The Federal Firearms Act". Second Amendment Foundation. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
89. Knox, Neal. "The Dodd Bill Both Fact...and Fantasy". The Gun Rights War. MacFarlane. pp. 50–65. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help) Originally in Guns & Ammo Magazine, June 1966.
90. Rosenfeld, Steven (January 14, 2013). "The NRA once supported gun control". Salon. Salon Media Group.
91. Jacobs, James B.; Burger, Warren E. (September 12, 2002). Can Gun Control Work?. Oxford University Press. pp. 27–28, 49. ISBN 978-0-19-534921-4.
92. "Pittman–Robertson Act: Friend Of The Hunter & Hunted". National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. August 28, 2001. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
93. Cox, Christopher W. (September 17, 2004). "Live Online: The Assault Weapons Ban: NRA". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 27, 2005. Transcript of chat with NRA's chief lobbyist.
94. "President Bush signs Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act". National Rifle Association.
95. "H.R.5441". The Library of Congress> THOMAS Home > Bills, Resolutions.
96. "NRA releases statement on Conn. shooting". USA Today. December 18, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
97. Sullivan, Sean (December 21, 2012). "Put armed guards in every school, NRA leader Wayne LaPierre says". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
98. Cushman Jr., John H. (December 22, 2012). "N.R.A. Calls for Armed Guards in Schools to Deter Violence". The New York Times.
99. "NRA calls for armed police officer in every school". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
100. Egelko, Bob; Goodyear, Charlie (June 13, 2006). "Judge invalidates Prop. H handgun ban". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
101. Egelko, Bob (April 10, 2008). "State high court shoots down S.F. handgun ban". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
102. Matier, Phillip; Andrew Ross (October 27, 2008) "Newsom's city car makes trip to his wedding". San Francisco Chronicle. (Retrieved on November 2, 2008.)
103. "N.O. Police Returning Guns Confiscated Post-Katrina". FOX News Network. Associated Press. April 19, 2006. Archived from the original on June 7, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
104. Egelko, Bob (January 14, 2009). "San Francisco Housing Authority settles gun lawsuit". SF Gate. San Francisco. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
105. "In McDonald v. Chicago another Supreme Court landmark ruling on guns?". The Christian Science Monitor. March 1, 2010.
106. Mears, Bill (June 28, 2009). "Court rules for gun rights, strikes down Chicago handgun ban". CNN.
107. Winter, Michael (September 4, 2013). "NRA joins spy lawsuit, says NSA creating gun registry". USA Today.
108. "NRA joins lawsuit challenging New York's gun control law". FOX News. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
109. Jones, Carolyn (November 6, 2013). "NRA vows to fight Sunnyvale's tough new gun law". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
110. "California: Lawsuit Filed Challenging Sunnyvale Ban on Possession of Standard Capacity Firearm Magazines". National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
111. Richardson, Valerie. "Veteran cops challenge San Francisco's gun limit laws". The Washington Times. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
112. Howard, Brian (January 14, 2015). "Here's the Lawsuit the NRA Just Filed Against Philadelphia Organization says city has "openly defied state law for decades."". Philadelphia. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
113. Ward, Miriam (January 17, 2015). "NRA quick to draw new weapon in Pennsylvania". MSNBC. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
114. RUBINKAM, MICHAEL (January 14, 2015). "NRA uses new state law to sue Pennsylvania cities over gun measures; mayor vows fight". No. online. US News & World Report. Associated Press. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
115. The NRA’s Diabolical New Plan for Killing Gun Laws Alec MacGillis, Slate February 4, 2015
116. Murphy, Kevin (August 3, 2013). "NRA opens Midwest museum showing nearly 1,000 firearms". Reuters. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
117. "NRA Publications". National Rifle Association.
118. "Victories: Eighteen Million Safer Kids". National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. July 27, 2006. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
119. "Education & Training". National Rifle Association HQ. 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
120. "NRA Range Safety Officers". National Rifle Association. 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016. The NRA Range Safety Officer (RSO) program was developed in response to the demand for a nationally recognized range safety officer certification.
121. "Split Leaves U.S. Team Short of Its Target : Shooting: Funding is biggest problem without NRA, but group says progress is being made that may again include NRA". Los Angeles Times.
122. Standifird, S.L. (September 17, 2010). "Making his mark: El Paso sergeant member of winning national rifle team". El Paso Times. Retrieved October 9, 2010. The national matches are considered America's World Series of competitive shooting and have been a tradition at Camp Perry since 1907
123. "National: 11 facts about the NRA". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
124. "Pink Pistols". Pink Pistols. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
125. "Writers, Lawmakers, and the NRA Support ACLU Challenge to NSA Spying". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
126. "NRA welcomes ACLU to gun debate, shares 'significant concerns' with Reid bill". The Daily Caller. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
127. "ACLU v. Clapper – Amicus Brief of the National Rifle Association". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
128. Garrett, Ben. "Biography: Wayne LaPierre A Look at the Life and Career of the NRA's Executive Director". About.com. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
129. "Kyle Weaver". National Rifle Association. April 22, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
130. "Member Profile: Kayne Robinson". NRA On the Record. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
131. "Chuck Norris". Meet the National Rifle Association of America. 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
132. Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (July 23, 2013). "NRA's black commentator becomes Web sensation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
133. "The National Rifle Association of America Bylaws". National Rifle Association of America. 2012. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
134. ^ "These Are the People Who Really Run the NRA". Mother Jones.
135. ^ Smyth, Frank (September 13, 2013). "Introducing the NRA kingmakers". MSNBC.
136. ^ Weissmann, Jordan. "New Evidence that the NRA Might Be Just Another Corporate Front". The Atlantic.
137. Smyth, Frank (January 16, 2013). "EXCLUSIVE: Unmasking the NRA's Inner Circle". Mother Jones. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
138. "Does the NRA Really Have 4 Million Members?". Mother Jones.
139. "America's Complex Relationship With Guns". Pew Research Center.
140. "Did You Know?". National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
141. "NRA Endorses Trump". Forbes. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
142. "Donald Trump Talks: Gun Control, Assault Weapons, Gun Free Zones & Self Defense". Retrieved October 11, 2017.
143. The National Rifle Association of America Bylaws. Inside front cover, organization summary: National Rifle Association of America. 2012.
144. "NRA Member Mike Pence is Trumps Vice President". ammoland. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
145. Susman, Tina (February 22, 2005). "Writer's suicide shocks friends". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 27, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
146. "PBS – frontline: documents: mcveigh chronology".
147. Moore, Michael (November 11, 2002). "Guardian/NFT interview: Michael Moore". The Guardian. Interviewed by Andrew Collins. London. Retrieved August 22, 2011. ...I became a lifetime member after the Columbine massacre because my first thought after Columbine was to run against Charlton Heston for the presidency of the NRA. You have to be a lifetime member to be able to do that, so I had to pay $750 to join. My plan was to get 5m Americans to join for the lowest basic membership and vote for me so that I'd win and dismantle the organization. Unfortunately, I figured that's just too much work for me so instead I made this movie.
148. David, Mark (July 30, 2007). "Rick Schroder's Itty Bitty Beach Shack". Variety.
149. Ernst, Douglas (June 5, 2014). "NRA member James Hetfield under fire; activists want Metallica's hunter out of Glastonbury Festival". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
150. ^ Hickey, Walter (December 18, 2012). "How The NRA Became The Most Powerful Special Interest In Washington". Business Insider.
151. "Civil Rights Defense Fund: About Us". nradefensefund.org. National Rifle Association of America. 2015. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
152. ^ Kohn, Howard (May 14, 1981). "Inside the Gun Lobby". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
153. ^ Hoffman, Jan (April 16, 1996). "Fund Linked to N.R.A. Gave $20,000 for Goetz's Defense". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
154. "Freed New Jersey Man Wants Gun Conviction Overturned". Fox News. December 23, 2010.
155. LaPierre, Wayne. "First Things First: Free Brian Aitken". America's 1st Freedom. National Rifle Association; republished online at BrianDAitken. NRA News. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)>
156. Carey, Amanda (December 20, 2010). "NJ Gov. Chris Christie commutes Aitken's sentence". The Daily Caller. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
157. ^ "Do Assault Weapons Sales Pay NRA Salaries?". Fact Check. January 15, 2013.
158. "About Us". National Rifle Association Foundation. 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
159. "Missouri hosts last Friends of NRA event of 2012 this Friday" (Press release). National Rifle Association blog. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015. {{cite press release}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
160. "Friends of NRA Reaches $400 Million Milestone" (Press release). National Rifle Association. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
161. "The NRA Foundation". Charity Navigator. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
162. "NRA Freedom Action Foundation". National Rifle Association Freedom Action Foundation. 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
163. ^ "About". NRA. n.d. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
164. "NRA-PVF: About PVF". National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund. 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
165. ^ "National Rifle Assn Spending by Cycle: 2012 PAC Summary Data". Open Secrets. Center for Responsible Politics. 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
166. ^ "National Rifle Assn Spending by Cycle: 2014 PAC Summary Data". Open Secrets. Center for Responsible Politics. 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
167. "Our History". National Rifle Association Whittington Center. 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
168. "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax – 2011" (PDF). Foundation Center. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 29, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
169. "NRA Civil Defense Fund" (PDF). Guide Star. McGladrey, LLP. September 16, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
170. "NRA Civil Defense Fund" (PDF). Guide Star. McGladrey, LLP. November 5, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
171. "NRA Foundation" (PDF). Guide Star. McGladrey, LLP. October 4, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
172. "NRA Foundation" (PDF). Guide Star. McGladrey, LLP. November 5, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
173. "NRA Freedom Action Foundation" (PDF). Guide Star. McGladrey, LLP. September 27, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
174. "NRA Freedom Action Foundation" (PDF). Guide Star. McGladrey, LLP. November 5, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
175. "NRA Special Contribution Fund" (PDF). Guide Star. McGladrey, LLP. September 16, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
176. "NRA Special Contribution Fund" (PDF). Guide Star. McGladrey, LLP. November 5, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
177. "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax – 2010" (PDF). Foundation Center. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 31, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
178. ^ Robison, Peter; Crewdson, John (December 28, 2011). "NRA Raises $200 Million as Gun Lobby Toasters Burn Logo on Bread". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
179. Greene, Jeremy. "Friends of NRA Industry Supporter directory". Friends of the National Rifle Association. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
180. ^ Hickey, Walter (January 16, 2013). "How The Gun Industry Funnels Tens of Millions of Dollars to the NRA". Business Insider. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
181. "Ruger Launches 2 Million Gun Challenge". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association.
182. ^ "National Rifle Association Receives Millions of Dollars From Gun Industry "Corporate Partners" New VPC Report Reveals" (Press release). Violence Policy Center. April 13, 2011.
183. ^ Newport, Frank (December 27, 2012). "NRA Has 54% Favorable Image in U.S.: Republicans most positive about NRA; Democrats most negative". Gallup. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
184. "Poll: Most Americans support NRA, right to protect self, but also a few gun limits". NBCNews.com. April 13, 2012. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
185. Clement, Scott (January 22, 2013). "Everything you need to know about Americans' views on guns – in 7 easy steps". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
186. Poor, Jeff (December 31, 2012). "Ann Coulter rails against NRA's Wayne LaPierre". Daily Caller. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
187. Butterfield, Fox (May 8, 1995). "Terror in Oklahoma: Echoes of the N.R.A.; Rifle Association Has Long Practice In Railing Against Federal Agents". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
188. Bush, George H.W. (May 11, 1995). "Letter of Resignation Sent By Bush to Rifle Association". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
189. Keil, Richard (May 18, 1995). "NRA Apologizes for 'Jack Boot' Letter". The Seattle Times. Associated Press.
190. Editorial board (December 1, 2008). "The Gun Lobby's Loss". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
191. ^ "Where the N.R.A. Speaks First and Loudest". The New York Times. February 21, 2018. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
192. "The NRA used to be much more bipartisan. Now it's mostly just a wing of the GOP". CNN. February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
193. Editorial board (February 10, 2013). "Enact universal background checks: Our view". USA Today. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
194. Editorial board (March 22, 2014). "Guns are a health-care issue". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
195. Editorial board (March 23, 2014). "Why NRA opposition shouldn't doom Obama's surgeon general nominee: The group is wrong to attack Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy over his support for gun control". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
196. Barry, Colleen L.; McGinty, Emma E.; Vernick, Jon S.; Webster, Daniel W. (March 21, 2013). "After Newtown – Public Opinion on Gun Policy and Mental Illness". N Engl J Med (368): 1077–81. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1300512. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
197. Editorial Board (December 26, 2012). "NRA nonsense: LaPierre speaks for gun makers, not gun owners". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
198. Lee Fang, Does the NRA Represent Gun Manufacturers or Gun Owners?, The Nation (December 15, 2012).
199. The NRA speaks for the gun industry, not owners: Expert, CNBC (February 22, 2018).
200. Jordan Weissman, Whom Does the NRA Really Speak For?, The Atlantic (December 18, 2012).
201. "US Mass Shootings, 1982–2017: Data From Mother Jones' Investigation".
202. Eller, Donnelle (February 3, 2013). "Iowa gun accessories supplier a key part of community". Des Moines Register. USA Today.
203. February 18, 2018, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Kathleen Parker, Kathleen Parker: Change agent with a camera, Retrieved February 19, 2018, "...successfully lobbies Congress to designate the National Rifle Association as a terrorist organization...."
204. Avery Anapol, October 3, 2017, The Hill, Keith Olbermann: The NRA is 'a terrorist organization', Retrieved February 19, 2018, "...Keith Olbermann rips the National Rifle Association (NRA) in a new video, calling the gun rights group “a terrorist organization.”..."
205. Knox, Olivier (January 17, 2013). "Christie: NRA ad with Obama daughters 'reprehensible'". Yahoo! News. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
206. Cornwell, Susan (January 25, 2013). "Exclusive: NRA senior lobbyist says attack ad was 'ill-advised'". Reuters. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
207. Cerullo, Megan. "NRA silent following Las Vegas shooting". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
208. Creswell, Julie; Hsu, Tiffany (February 23, 2018). "Ties to the N.R.A. Leave Companies Scrambling for Cover". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
209. Barbash, Fred; Bever, Lindsey (February 23, 2018). "#BoycottNRA: Hertz and Avis Are the Latest Companies to Cut Ties with Gun Lobby as Movement Gains Steam". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
210. Cummings, William. "NRA video declares war on liberals, critics say". USA Today. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
211. "NRA". YouTube. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
212. "Colion Noir". YouTube. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
213. Spitzer, Robert J. (2012). The Politics of Gun Control. Boulder, Colorado: Paradigm. ISBN 978-1-59451-987-1. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
214. >Zelman, Aaron (May 23, 1994). Aaron Zelman Talks to the NRA Board (Speech). Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
215. "How This 'Gun Rights Group' Is Profoundly Damaging Your Second Amendment Rights". TheBlaze. February 11, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
216. http://www.washingtontimes.com, The Washington Times. "Rand Paul shunned by NRA over National Association for Gun Rights ties". The Washington Times. Retrieved May 6, 2017. {{cite news}}: External link in |last= (help)
217. "NRA rolls back 'open carry' criticism". Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. Associated Press. June 4, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
218. ^ "Dallas Shootings Underscore NRA Hypocrisy, Critics Say". usnews.com. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
219. ^ Beckett, Lois (July 10, 2016). "Philando Castile's killing puts NRA's gun rights mission at a crossroads". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
220. "Some gun owners are disturbed by the Philando Castile verdict. The NRA is silent". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
221. "Gun Control Is "Racist"?". New Republic. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
222. "Annual Meeting of Riflemen". The New York Times. January 12, 1876. p. 5.
223. ^ Rodengen, Jeffrey L. (2002). NRA: An American Legend. Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Write Stuff Enterprises, Inc. 304 pp. ISBN 0-945903-81-2. ("The Presidents of NRA", p. 276).
224. "NRA-ILA : The "Academy" Must Now Share Michael Moore`s Cinematic Shame". National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010.
225. Heller, Jean (August 18, 1996). "Marion Hammer Leads NRA With Unabashed Passion (News/National/International)". Rocky Mountain News. Denver, CO. Retrieved May 29, 2014. – via HighBeam Research (subscription required)
226. Bragg, Rick (April 14, 1996). "Leader as Hard as Nails Is Taking Reins at N.R.A." The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
227. Vertuno, Jim (May 4, 2013). "NRA's new president has penchant for bold words". Yahoo News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
228. "John Bolton". Meet the National Rifle Association of America. 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
229. Morton, Tom (August 7, 2004). "Cubin garners NRA nod again". Casper Star-Tribune.
230. "John Dingell on Gun Control". On The Issues. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
231. "R. Lee Ermey". Meet the National Rifle Association of America. 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
232. Zilberman, Alan. "'Red Dawn' Wasn't About the Cold War; It Was About Shooting People". The Atlantic.
233. "NRA Announces New Officers" (Press release). National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. April 19, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
234. "Welcome". Meet the National Rifle Association of America. Archived from the original on January 9, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
235. "Ted Nugent (Board Member)". Meet the National Rifle Association of America. 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
236. Smyth, Frank (June 3, 1994). "Crossfire: The War Behind the Closed Doors of the NRA". The Village Voice. republished online at FrankSmyth.com.
237. "The Exhibimbos of SHOT Show". The Gun Zone. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
238. Hardy, David (July 19, 2007). "NRA director Bruce Stern, and former director Jim Nicholson, pass on". Of Arms & the Law (Blog). David T. Hardy.
239. Kopel, David (April 18, 2011). "Rep. Harold Volkmer, R.I.P." Volokh Conspiracy.

Further reading

Books

• Anderson, Jack (1996). Inside the NRA: Armed and Dangerous : An Exposé. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Dove. p. 180. ISBN 0-7871-0677-1. OCLC 34235436.
• Davidson, Osha Gray (1998). Under Fire: The NRA and the Battle for Gun Control. University of Iowa Press. p. 338. ISBN 0-87745-646-1.
• Feldman, Richard (May 12, 2011). Ricochet: Confessions of a Gun Lobbyist. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-13099-5.
• LaPierre, Wayne R. (1994). Guns, Crime, and Freedom. Regnery. ISBN 0-89526-477-3. OCLC 246629786.
• Melzer, Scott (2009). Gun Crusaders: The NRA's Culture War. New York University Press. p. 336. ISBN 9780814795972.
• Patrick, Brian Anse (2002). The National Rifle Association and the Media: The Motivating Force of Negative Coverage. New York: Peter Lang. ISBN 978-0-8204-5122-0. OCLC 316870710.
• Raymond, Emilie (2006). From My Cold, Dead Hands: Charlton Heston and American Politics. ISBN 978-0-8131-2408-7. OCLC 77125677.
• Sugarmann, Josh (1992). National Rifle Association: Money, Firepower, and Fear. Washington, D.C.: Violence Policy Center. p. 258. ISBN 9781451500226. OCLC 773292764.
• Trefethen, James B.; Serven, James E. (1967). Americans and Their Guns: The National Rifle Association Story Through Nearly a Century of Service to the Nation. Harrisburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books. p. 320. OCLC 1361329.
• Winkler, Adam (2011). Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 361. ISBN 9780393082296.

News

• Cizzilla, Chris (December 18, 2012). "The NRA's big spending edge – in 1 chart". The Washington Post (blog). Retrieved June 5, 2014.
• Fox, Lauren (May 7, 2014). "Locked and Loaded: How the NRA Aims to Endure". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
• Smith, Rich (February 17, 2014). "The NRA Reveals Who's to Blame for Ammo Shortage: You". The Motley Fool. Retrieved June 5, 2014.

External links

• Official NRA website – the main website for the National Rifle Association of America
• Lobbyist profile at OpenSecrets.org
• "National Rifle Association Internal Revenue Service filings". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

38°51′47″N 77°20′7.8″W / 38.86306°N 77.335500°W / 38.86306; -77.335500

• National Rifle Association
• 1871 establishments in New York (state)
• 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations
• Firearms-related organizations
• Gun rights advocacy groups in the United States
• Hobbyist organizations
• Lobbying organizations in the United States
• Magazine publishing companies of the United States
• Non-profit organizations based in Fairfax, Virginia
• Nonpartisan organizations in the United States
• Organizations established in 1871
• Shooting sports in the United States
• Shooting sports organisations
• Civil liberties advocacy groups in the United States
• Regions of the International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations