Opinion of 2A Organizations

Opinion of 2A Organizations: How the Major Groups Differ

Gun owners often ask which national Second Amendment organization deserves their membership or donation. There is no single right answer, because the major groups do different jobs. Some lobby Congress and state legislatures, some focus almost entirely on lawsuits, one represents the firearm industry, and several do a mix. Many gun owners support more than one. Minuteman University.com has polled readers on their favorite groups, and the results are posted below this section; this overview explains how the groups differ so readers can weigh those opinions with the facts in hand. It describes each organization’s approach without ranking them.

Approach is the biggest difference. The National Rifle Association is the oldest and broadest, combining training, competition, publications and political work. Gun Owners of America and the National Association for Gun Rights describe themselves as “no compromise” lobbies and are known for grassroots pressure on lawmakers. The Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition put most of their resources into litigation, and both have brought or backed many post-Bruen challenges. The National Shooting Sports Foundation is a trade association whose members are manufacturers, distributors and retailers, and it also runs safety programs and the annual SHOT Show. Groups sometimes cooperate as co-plaintiffs and sometimes publicly disagree on strategy, such as when to file a case or whether to accept a legislative compromise.

Table comparing major national Second Amendment organizations by founding year, type and approach

Key Facts

  • NRA: founded in 1871 by Union Army veterans; its lobbying arm, NRA-ILA, was created in 1975. It runs a nationwide certified instructor program. In NRA v. Vullo (May 30, 2024) the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that the NRA had plausibly alleged a First Amendment violation by a New York official.
  • GOA: founded in 1975 by California state senator H.L. “Bill” Richardson; it lobbies and also files lawsuits, often through its legal arm.
  • SAF: founded in 1974 by Alan Gottlieb in Bellevue, Washington; it filed McDonald v. City of Chicago, in which the Supreme Court held in 2010 that the Second Amendment applies to the states. Its sister group CCRKBA (1971) handles lobbying.
  • FPC: founded in the early 2010s and based in Sacramento; it is primarily a litigation group and was a party in Bondi v. VanDerStok and the pistol-brace case Mock v. Garland.
  • NSSF: founded in 1961; based in Shelton, Connecticut; owns the SHOT Show and runs Project ChildSafe.
  • NAGR: founded in 2001; focuses on grassroots lobbying and maintains a legal foundation.

How to Choose

  • Decide whether lobbying, litigation, training or industry advocacy matters most to you.
  • Read each group’s annual reports and IRS Form 990 filings to see how money is spent.
  • Look at results: bills passed or stopped, and cases filed and won.
  • Do not overlook state groups, which often have the most influence on state law.

Related Pages

Sources

We have asked what people think of the top 2A Organizations at the federal level, and then we post the results here:

Which 2A.org do you like best?

2021 Results

Chart 2021 Nov

Gun Rights Groups