This book records in pictures and words the life story of the National Rifle Association of America—from its first venturesome steps in sponsoring marksmanship training for die New York State National Guard to its position nearly a century later as a national service organization for all law-abiding Americans who use firearms for defense and recreation.
The telling of this story adds a vital piece of Americana to the understanding of the past century. That period of our nations growth from sparsely settled frontiers to an urbanized world power sets the background for this account of how a group of citizens banded together to encourage marksmanship training after the Civil War and then responded to the constantly changing needs of the nation ... of how they initiated and sponsored basic military training programs, competitive shooting activities and international matches . . . established a national magazine . . . offered police and youth programs . . . developed hunting and home firearms safety training—and of how they have contributed to game conservation. Between wars, they became the primary guardian of the proud traditions of American riflemen.
In more than three hundred rare, historical photographs, and in objective reporting, Americans and Their Guns affords fascinating glimpses of many activities: the first shooting matches in the nineteenth century, illustrating highly individualistic shooting positions of those days and relating incidents of great

sportsmanship; the founding of important shooting trophies; how women penetrated the man’s world of competitive shooting; the whole Creedmoor to Camp Perry national marksmanship saga ... a full, candid, thoroughly researched and straightforward biography of American ideas and ideals in all of their progress ... a program highly praised by almost every President of the United States in the past century.
Concern about America’s military preparedness remains a continuing interest of the National Rifle Association, rivaled now, as reported in this detailed history, by its present services to all fields of the shooting sports and its efforts devoted to public safety, law and order.
In reviewing the NRA’s role as champion of the American citizen’s right to bear arms, well-documented facts about firearms legislation and NRA policy are presented. Summarizing its position on these controversial matters, it is shown that the National Rifle Association has recognized changes in American living and the desirability for corresponding changes in the use and control of firearms. It has sought to hold new controls to a sane and workable basis that will warrant public respect and observance.
Many history books record the gun as an instrument in shaping the destinies of men and nations; even in the wars of this atomic era, the foot soldier’s gun plays a vital role. The NRA story records how patriotic, law-abiding Americans have helped to place the gun in proper perspective as an instrument of defense and recreation.