Gun Owners of America

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Gun Owners of America
Gun Owners of America logo
Headquarters	Springfield, Virginia
Website	http://www.gunowners.org/

Gun Owners of America (GOA) is the second largest gun rights organization in America. They make efforts to differentiate themselves from the larger National Rifle Association (NRA), and have publicly criticized the NRA on multiple occasions for what the GOA considers to be the selling out of the gun rights movement.

The organization has often been in opposition to the NRA in their respective endorsements and ratings of politicians and candidates. For instance, the GOA has been outspoken in its opposition to a possible 2008 presidential bid by John McCain, describing his gun-rights voting record as "abysmal, wretched, and pathetic"^[1] and rating him with an F- on Second Amendment issues since 2004 as opposed to the NRA's (through its political arm, the NRA-PVF) C+ rating of McCain.^[2] The GOA especially took issue with the NRA over the 2007 NICS Improvement Act.^[3]

They have been described by Congressman Ron Paul as "The only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington." This quote from Paul has long been displayed front and center on the homepage of the Gun Owners of America website, and the only 2008 Presidential Candidate to gain an A+ rating from Gun Owners of America is Paul.^[4]

Gun Owners of America was founded by NRA Board Member, California State Senator H.L. Richardson (Retired). GOA's executive director is Larry Pratt, who also hosts GOA's audio webcast, Live Fire.

In 2004, GOA spent over $1.75 million lobbying the U.S. Congress. Between 1998-2004, GOA has spent over $18 million lobbying Congress.^[5] GOA's Federal Political Action Committee is "Gun Owners of America Inc. Political Victory Fund" (C00278101).^[6]

Gun interest groups in the U.S.
Pro-gun rights
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Gun Owners of America JPFO Law Enforcement Alliance of America Liberty Belles National Rifle Association Pink Pistols Second Amendment Foundation Second Amendment Sisters Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
Pro-gun control
Americans for Democratic Action Americans for Gun Safety Foundation American Hunters and Shooters Association Brady Campaign Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence Coalition to Stop Gun Violence League of Women Voters Violence Policy Center