National Rifle Association

The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a highly organized 501(c)(4) group for gun promotion in the United States. It sponsors firearm safety training courses, as well as shooting skills and sports. The organization is sometimes considered to be the most powerful single non-profit organization in the United States and was established in New York in 1871 as the 'American Rifle Association'. It often refers to itself as the oldest civil rights organization in the U.S., defining gun ownership as a civil right protected by the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights.

NRA history

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The NRA was founded on November 17, 1871 by two Union Army officers, Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate, with the stated goal of "providing firearms training and encouraging interest in the shooting sports" among the general population. The first NRA president was Ambrose E. Burnside, a commander of the Army of the Potomac. Former President Ulysses S. Grant was elected president of the National Rifle Association in 1883. The NRA actively opposed attempts by the Ku Klux Klan to disarm southern blacks. Many southern NRA chapters consisted entirely of freedmen.

Related Topics:
November 17 - 1871 - Union Army - William C. Church - George Wingate - Ambrose E. Burnside - Army of the Potomac - President - Ulysses S. Grant - 1883 - Ku Klux Klan - Freedmen

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The NRA has functioned in a variety of roles over its existence. Besides its political function described above, it has been at various times and in various degrees a organizer of shooting competitions, a general promoter of marksmanship and firearms safety, an advocate for gun owners, collectors and sportsman, and an umbrella body for the many local and regional clubs involved in the various firearms related hobbies.

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NRA firearms safety programs

The NRA sponsors a range of safety programs to educate and encourage the safe use of firearms.

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Hunting safety courses from the NRA are offered all across the USA for both children and adults. In recent years gun safety classes oriented more towards self-defense, particularly for women, have become popular.

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Their "Eddie Eagle" video intended for school-age children encourages the viewer to "Stop! Don't touch! Leave the area! Tell an adult!" if the child ever sees a firearm lying around. The NRA has claimed that studies prove the "Eddie Eagle" program reduces the likelihood of firearms accidents in the home and the program is used in many elementary schools nationwide. Opponents of firearm ownership generally reject these claims and condemn the video as an attempt to indoctrinate children into a "gun culture".

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Shooting sports

Historically the NRA has governed and advanced the shooting sports in the United States. In recent years however, their role in the shooting sports has become somewhat less direct.

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In 1992, the NRA ceased to be the National Governing Body for shooting (USA Shooting is now the NGB), and in 2000, the NRA chose not to be a member of the National Three-Position Air Rifle Council. The NRA is not directly involved in the practical pistol competitions conducted by the International Practical Shooting Confederation and International Defensive Pistol Association, or in cowboy action shooting; both of these types of events have grown dramatically in recent years.

Related Topics:
1992 - USA Shooting - 2000 - International Practical Shooting Confederation - International Defensive Pistol Association - Cowboy action shooting

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However, the National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry are sponsored by the NRA and are considered by most the "World Series of competitive shooting".

Related Topics:
National Rifle and Pistol Matches - Camp Perry

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The NRA functions as a general promoter of the shooting sports. The NRA house magazine, "American Rifleman" covers major shooting competitions and related topics, and the NRA offers a publication dedicated to competitive shooting, "Shooting Sports USA". Most competitive shooters are NRA members.

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The current NRA competitions division publishes its own rulebooks, maintains a registry of marksmanship classifications, and sanctions matches.

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Grass Roots Shooting Support

Through the NRA Foundation and Friends of NRA, the NRA also raises funds and distributes grants to local clubs. In addition to competitive marksmanship, and gun safety, local programs supported by the NRA include instructor/coach training, gun collector programs, hunting programs, and programs for law enforcement officers.

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Second Amendment

In its lobbying for gun rights, the NRA asserts that the Second Amendment guarantees the right for individuals to own and use guns. The NRA typically opposes measures which it asserts would conflict with the Second Amendment "right to keep and bear arms" and or the right to privacy enjoyed by law-abiding gun owners. The NRA has opposed gun control on other grounds as well--they opposed the Brady Bill in the courts on Tenth Amendment grounds, not Second Amendment.

Related Topics:
Gun rights - Second Amendment - Brady Bill - Tenth Amendment

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