The National Rifle Association was founded in 1859. Registered as a United Kingdom charity, its objectives are to "promote and encourage
marksmanship throughout the King’s dominions in the interest of defence and the permanence of the
volunteer and auxiliary forces, naval, military and air." In pursuit of this, its founding aim was to raise the funds for an annual national rifle meeting (now known as the
Imperial Meeting). The Association was originally based on
Wimbledon Common, where the Imperial Meeting was held for its first 20 years. In 1860,
Queen Victoria fired the opening shot of the first Imperial Meeting. The
Whitworth rifle used and the target can be seen in the Museum of the NRA at Bisley. The Queen also sponsored the
Queen's Prize match with a £250 cash prize - worth around £38,000 at 2024 prices. The first winner was 17 year old Edward Ross of the 7th North Yorkshire Volunteers. The Imperial Meeting quickly gained significance in high society. In 1878
Edward Walford wrote "These annual gatherings are attended by the élite of fashion, and always include a large number of ladies, who generally evince the greatest interest in the target practice of the various competitors, whether it be for the honour of carrying off the
Elcho Shield, the Queen's or the Prince of Wales's Prize, or the
shield shot for by our great Public Schools, or the Annual Rifle Match between the Houses of Lords and Commons." Key matches such as the Elcho were significant social occasions on par with
The Boat Race. Shooters and officials were often household names, and featured or even caricatured in society publications such as
Vanity Fair. The Association moved from Wimbledon to
Bisley Camp in 1890 after encroaching housing development around Wimbledon caused concerns about the ongoing ability to safely operate the ranges. In the same year, Queen Victoria granted the National Rifle Association a
royal charter of incorporation. The NRA had a strong influence on the development of shooting sports around the world, particularly within the
British Empire. The formation of the
NRA of Australia in 1888 was prompted in part by the desire of regional associations to put together an Australian team to compete at Wimbledon. As a skill-based sport, target shooting became open to women from an early point. Participation was in open competition alongside men rather than separate events, although in practice many clubs refused to accept female members. In 1891, Winifred Leale of the Guernsey Rifle Club became the first woman to compete in an NRA Competition. In 1930,
Marjorie Foster became the first woman to win the
Sovereign's Prize. A road on Bisley Camp is named in her honour. Female participation was not restricted to the UK - in Australia, the North Queensland Rifle Association is documented as holding ladies' competitions as early as May 1899 (although Australian women were controversially excluded when the Army took control of fullbore rifle clubs in 1903).
1990s–present Through the 1990s and 2000s, the NRA experienced falling membership and financial difficulties. Although the
2002 Commonwealth Games saw some capital investment to the Bisley facilities, other facilities including the accommodation and camping ablutions declined, with the NRA making significant redundancies in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, new management within the NRA saw a wholesale change in approach to estate management and membership. Controversially, leases for clubhouses on Bisley Camp were increased significantly. One tenant fought a high profile battle in the media - having rejected the outcome of arbitration. This episode was misreported in national press as involving the "Regimental Clubhouse" of the
Artists Rifles Regiment, but the Artists Rifle Club had in fact vacated the building in 1967 and had no connection with the new tenant. As a result of lease controversies, Conservative MP
Adam Holloway referred the NRA to the
Charity Commission in 2019. ==The National Shooting Centre==