NRA

The value of the NRA membership rose again in 1910 when the army established a program to give surplus arms to NRA members. By 1912, Congress was supporting the NRA with funding for shooting contests, and the National Defense Act of 1916 set aside $300,000 for civilian marksmanship training. In 1921, when it had a membership of 3,500, the NRA bolstered the organization by affiliating with 2,000 sporting clubs. By the mid-1930s, NRA membership had increased tenfold making it the largest organization of firearm users in America (Snapp 28).
             There have been several bills passed in the last ten years that have to do with gun control. First, there was the Gun Control Act of 1986, which banned all fully-automatic w3eapons from the hands of citizens (Hatch 3). Then in 1988 there was the Brady Bill, which made a seven day waiting period mandatory for all handgun purposes, this law passed the House of Representatives in 1991, but part of it was ruled unconstitutional in 1994 (Hatch 3). Most recently there was the ban on assault weapons, which bans the sale and manufacture of what the government considers assault weapons (Hatch 3). Both the NRA and HCI have fought very hard against one another to pass some bills, and to keep some bills from becoming law.
             More recently, the NRA has continued to benefit from government largess, using military shooting ranges for competitions, and receiving free ammunition through affiliation with some 2,000 shooting clubs (NRA-ILA 8). In the early 1990s, the government was continuing to fund various programs, through the Division of Civilian Marksmanship, which benefit NRA members to the tune of nearly $5 million a year (Hatch 7).
             Today, the group of about 4 million has a 76-member board and top leadership known for their incendiary rhetoric and no-compromise position on gun control (NRA-ILA 6). The NRA's lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action, and its political action committee, the Political Victory Fund, operate on multi-million dollar budgets, rewarding friends and targeting perceived enemies (NRA-ILA 1).