A PROFILE OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSN.

Founded: In 1871 by former Union Army officers, with its main focus on marksmanship, hunting and safety. Current mission is “to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, especially with reference to the inalienable right of individual, law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.”

Membership: 2.8 million members in 1989. Annual dues are $25.

Budget: $87.5 million in 1989. Included $19.7 million for federal and local lobbying.

Among noted members past and present: Presidents George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Richard M. Nixon, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Theodore Roosevelt; actor Charlton Heston; entertainer Roy Rogers; rock singer-guitarist Ted Nugent; Joe Foss, former World War II Congressional Medal of Honor winner, first commissioner of the American Football League and outgoing NRA president; and Jerry Mathers, television’s “Beaver” from “Leave it to . . . “

Why people bear arms: About 51% of the nation’s 65 million gun owners say hunting is their main reason for having or using a firearm, according to a 1978 survey. Another 32% listed “protection,” 13% target shooting, and 4% collecting.

Source: National Rifle Assn.