Final answer:
The National Rifle Association was originally founded to improve marksmanship among its members. Its focus shifted over the years, notably turning towards second amendment advocacy in 1977 after a leadership change. The NRA now actively opposes gun control legislation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The National Rifle Association (NRA) was originally founded as a sports organization in the late nineteenth century with the main purpose of improving its members' marksmanship. Over time, the focus of the NRA evolved significantly. In the 1960s, it became an advocate for law and order, and after the internal disagreements following their support for the 1968 Gun Control Act, a leadership change in 1977 prompted the NRA to concentrate its efforts on defending the Second Amendment right to bear arms. This change steered the NRA towards actively opposing legislation that would restrict the sale or distribution of guns and ammunition.
It is important to note that there is a separate entity also abbreviated as NRA, which is the National Recovery Administration. Created by the National Industrial Recovery Act, this NRA was involved in regulating wages, prices, and production during the Great Depression and is not related to the National Rifle Association that focuses on gun rights and marksmanship. The National Recovery Administration was declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 1935.