High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA), founded in 2005, was a small United States-based group, which has set itself apart from the much larger gun owner organization, the National Rifle Association, founded in 1871, by advocating for increased gun control. Critics questioned the legitimacy of the group, including whether the membership was composed of or representative of gun owners, or was merely a front organization for misleading political endorsements.