NRA-ILA Celebrates Half a Century of Advancements

In the 1970s, the United States saw a significant shift in its approach to gun ownership. The Gun Control Act of 1968 had given the federal government unprecedented oversight of the firearms industry, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) became an independent agency.

Simultaneously, two national groups, Brady and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, arose in 1974, promoting handgun bans and making inroads on public opinion. This was a time when crime was a national crisis, and gun control was falsely promised as an easy answer to the complex dynamics of violence.

During the administration of Bill Clinton, gun control was prioritised. The Clinton Gun Ban, enacted in 1994, attached a ban on various semi-automatic firearms and a limit on magazine capacity to a sprawling federal crime bill. However, this measure came with a 10-year sunset provision, and statutorily mandated studies would later determine Clinton's ban was a crime-control failure.

The Clinton Gun Ban was a significant event, but it didn't affect guns so much as features. AR-15s and the like were still lawful, just without a flash hider and bayonet lug. Existing guns and magazines were grandfathered, and production and sales surged before the ban.

The midterm elections of the year the Clinton Gun Ban was enacted saw historic losses for the Democrat Party, ceding control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in over three decades. This shift peaked in 2008 with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, which invalidated D.C.'s handgun ban and established the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has significantly influenced the United States from 1975 to 2025 in securing individuals the right to own and carry firearms for self-protection and in shaping gun ownership laws and regulations. The NRA's Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) arose with a mandate to protect the Second Amendment in legislatures and courts, support pro-gun candidates for office, and educate the public on the right to keep and bear arms.

One of the ILA's most significant achievements was the Firearm Owner's Protection Act of 1986 (FOPA), which reined in ATF's overreaching enforcement, enabled licensed dealers to sell long guns interstate, repealed ammunition sales red tape, and protected the interstate transport of unloaded firearms.

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, also known as the Brady Bill, was named after Jim Brady, President Ronald Reagan's press secretary who was wounded in a 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan. The Brady Bill sought a national waiting period for gun purchases, but ILA lobbied for a two-phase approach, with the waiting period giving way to an automated, point-of-sale background check (the National Instant Criminal Background Check System or NICS).

The U.S. Supreme Court's last pronouncement on the Second Amendment was in 1939's United States v. Miller, which decided short-barrelled shotguns weren't among the "arms" protected by the right. However, the shift in public opinion and legislative action has led to significant changes in recent years. Today, right-to-carry is the law in all 50 states, and permitless carry is the law in 29 states. Every American jurisdiction recognizes the right to armed self-defense.

The NRA-ILA's legacy inspires and challenges the team, with their advocacy being crucial for gun owners in the United States. The organisation has been involved in every step of these events and in making national gun control a third rail of U.S. politics for decades afterwards.

In 1975, 41% of Americans supported a handgun ban, but today, the right to bear arms is a cherished constitutional right for many. The Clinton Gun Ban and the Brady Bill were significant events in the history of gun control in the United States, but they were not the end of the story. The NRA and its Institute for Legislative Action continue to be at the forefront of the fight for gun rights in America.

President Trump congratulated the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) for 50 years of service and achievement at the NRA's 2025 Annual Meeting in Atlanta. The NRA-ILA's legacy continues to inspire and challenge the team, with their advocacy being crucial for gun owners in the United States. The organisation has been involved in every step of these events and in making national gun control a third rail of U.S. politics for decades afterwards.