National Rifle Association

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is a U.S. membership organization that promotes firearms education and training and advocates for gun rights.

Civil War: The U.S. war fought from 1861 to 1865 between the Union and the Confederacy. Union officers' concerns about poor marksmanship after the war helped prompt the NRA's founding.
NRA-ILA: The National Rifle Association's lobbying and public-policy division, founded in 1975. It coordinates the NRA's legislative advocacy and political engagement.
Wayne LaPierre: An American gun-rights advocate who served as the NRA's chief executive from 1991 to 2024. LaPierre led the association through its expansion into a prominent political force.
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence: A U.S. nonprofit organization that advocates for policies to reduce gun violence and expand firearm regulation. It is a prominent national counterweight to the NRA's opposition to many gun restrictions.
Firearm Owners Protection Act: A 1986 U.S. federal law that revised the regulation of firearms and amended the Gun Control Act of 1968. The NRA strongly supported the law, which narrowed some federal restrictions while adding others.
William Conant Church: A U.S. journalist and Union Army veteran who helped establish the National Rifle Association. Church co-founded the NRA in 1871 and became its first president.
NRA Political Victory Fund: The National Rifle Association's political action committee, which supports candidates for public office. It channels the NRA's electoral activity through candidate endorsements and campaign contributions.
Harlon Carter: An American gun-rights advocate who led the NRA's legislative affairs and later served as its executive director. Carter helped drive the organization's shift toward more forceful political advocacy.
Everytown for Gun Safety: A U.S. gun-control advocacy organization that supports policies intended to reduce gun violence. Its advocacy frequently opposes the NRA's positions on firearms laws.
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act: A 1993 U.S. federal law requiring background checks for many firearm purchases from licensed dealers. The NRA opposed the bill, making its passage a major setback for the association's legislative campaign.

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