Katie Connolly

BBC News, Charlotte

Some 460 exhibitors are displaying firearms at the NRA convention The annual National Rifle Association (NRA) Convention is about more than just guns. It's a celebration of a culture that is distinctly American. More than 70,000 gun owners and shooters are expected to converge on Charlotte, North Carolina, this weekend for the three-day event. Local authorities say this influx will provide a $20m (£13.7m) boost to Charlotte's economy. There are 460 exhibitors in the cavernous convention hall displaying the latest handguns, assault rifles and hunting gear. There is something for everyone; restored Civil War-era guns and martial arts swords. Other vendors will paint your gun casing fluorescent blue, orange, pink or yellow - or all four. Purveyors of self-defence sprays, meat grinders, hunting tours, and African elephant hair jewellery are interspersed among the gun stands. One of the biggest crowds gathers at the booth of a company that makes discreet holsters. Many states require permits for concealed weapons.

In pictures: NRA members on guns Upstairs, at an indoor air rifle range, the young and old get tips on their style from experienced supervisors. A 10-year-old girl shooting a hot pink air rifle hits her mark with five consecutive shots, almost bettering the veteran shooters. "We're a sport-oriented, patriotic, family-focused organisation," says Howard Q Moody, an NRA manager. "We love our guns because they are an instrument or a tool that helps us do the things we love." For Mr Moody, those things involve sport shooting, spending time with his family, and, if necessary, protecting his loved ones and property. Powerful lobbyist The NRA was established in 1871 in New York by two Union Army soldiers who - concerned about the poor marksmanship of troops in the Civil War - wanted to train and support skilled shooters. Growing up around guns, I never had a thought in my head that shooting was any different to football or baseball or any other American pastime

Tactical shotgun trainer Michael Shain Since then, the association has become a vast political and cultural movement. The NRA now boasts nearly four million members and is considered one of the most powerful political lobbying groups in the country. At the core of the NRA's political agenda is the protection and promotion of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which states that "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed". The NRA fights perceived breaches of that right, including, for example, laws aiming to limit access to high-powered semi-automatic weapons. It also strongly advocates for the rights of hunters and sports shooters, who are among its most ardent supporters. But for many convention-goers, being a card-carrying NRA member means more than just protecting their right to own guns. The convention slogan says it all: A Celebration of American Values. NRA membership is a cultural signifier, identifying people who hold dear their conservative ideals of individual freedom and patriotism. Owning firearms also serves as a link to America's frontier heritage, where guns were essential for the survival of early settlers. Guns played a pivotal role too in the War of Independence (1775-1783) and the Civil War, which shaped the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. "The British and Europeans in general don't appreciate how natural this is to Americans," says Michael Shain, a tactical shotgun trainer and salesman. "Growing up around guns, I never had a thought in my head that shooting was any different to football or baseball or any other American pastime." But the NRA also has a sense of urgency about its mission. There is a fear of government encroaching on gun rights - a fear that was on full display at the NRA leadership forum. Star speaker At the forum, there was deeply felt anger over a perception that the country was shifting to the left. Mrs Palin entertained the crowd with her jokes about rednecks NRA members responded enthusiastically to calls to "take their country back". John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, delivered an anti-UN tirade - much to the delight of the NRA crowd. He called the UN's policy on guns a trap that would not "provide for American security". He said the UN infringed on national sovereignty and undermined the US Constitution. But the real star of the show was former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who had waived her normally high speaker's fee. Mrs Palin told the crowd that being called a redneck didn't bother her. She read a series of "you know you're a redneck if..." jokes from her Blackberry. "You know you're a redneck if you've ever slept in the back of your truck rather than pay for a motel room." The crowd laughed but her speech quickly turned political. "President Obama and his allies... have been relatively quiet on the gun control front, not because they don't want to limit your rights but because they're afraid of the political consequences," Mrs Palin said. "Don't doubt for a minute that, if they thought they could get away with it, they would ban guns and ban ammunition and gut the Second Amendment. "It's the job of all of us at the NRA and its allies to stop them in their tracks," she said. To date, the only federal legislation on guns enacted since Mr Obama took office was to permit loaded weapons to be carried by licensed owners in national parks. But NRA convention-goers tend to be suspicious of his intentions, recalling comments by Mr Obama recorded at a campaign fundraiser in San Francisco, where he said blue-collar workers in America's industrial heartland "get bitter, they cling to guns or religion". "That was a slap in the face," says NRA spokeswoman Alexa Fritts. "We have to be ever vigilant. We can't just hope."



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