National Rifle Association (NRA)

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is an organization that has historically promoted firearm ownership, marksmanship, safety, hunting, and self-defense in the United States.  It has more recently taken up a major role as a lobbying organization, to advocate at the state and national level for its reading of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights.

The NRA is designated as a 501(c) and a 501(c) organization, which allows it to operate both as a charity and to participate in political campaigns and lobbying.  Donations made to the 501(c) are neither tax deductible nor subject to IRS disclosure.

The NRA sponsors firearm safety training courses, as well as marksmanship events featuring shooting skill and sports. Observers and lawmakers considered see the NRA as one of the two or three most influential lobbying group in Washington. Its political activity is based on the belief of the NRA that gun ownership is a civil liberty protected by the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights, and the NRA therefore refers to itself as the oldest "civil rights" organization in the United States. Membership reached 4.3 million in 2010.

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