The National Arms Association of Spain (Spanish: Asociación Nacional del Arma, abbr. ANARMA) is a Spanish

non-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

which defends the ownership and

recreational Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure ...

use of

firearms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...

by law-abiding citizens (and foreign residents) under

nation A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolled bill, enrolling, enactment of a bill, enacting, or promulgation, promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous Government, governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law i ...

. As current legislation is restrictive by nature, most effort is placed on the adaptation of national laws to

EU directive The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

, and defending the rights of gun owners by legal means. Since

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...

is not considered as sufficient motive for acquiring a firearm licence (compulsory for all arms and related activities), the principal collectives represented by the association consist of

precision Precision, precise or precisely may refer to: Science, and technology, and mathematics Mathematics and computing (general) * Accuracy and precision, measurement deviation from true value and its scatter * Significant figures, the number of digit ...

and practical shooters,

hunters Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...

and arms

collectors Collector(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Collector (character), a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe * ''Collector'' (2011 film), a 2011 Indian Malayalam film * ''Collector'' (2016 film), a 2016 Russian film * ''Collec ...

History

The National Arms Association was founded in 2003, after a proposed

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

had threatened to introduce significant modifications to firearms

regulations Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. For ...

(firearms are governed by special regulations rather than

statutory law Statutory law or statute law is written law passed by a body of legislature. This is opposed to oral or customary law; or regulatory law promulgated by the executive or common law of the judiciary. Statutes may originate with national, state legi ...

). Although the initiative gained a fair share of acceptance at its inception, the fact the bill was never brought to a vote as well as internal conflicts, brought about its near dissolution. The association’s resurgence took place in 2010, after the presentation of a new bill, introducing important modifications to arms regulations, mobilised the principal affected groups. The association's involvement in the process which led to the dismissal of most of these modifications, as well as its leading role in the withdrawal of another bill, this time on

ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...

and pyrotechnic materials, helped it gain popularity among its

target audience A target audience is the intended audience or readership of a publication, advertisement, or other message catered specifically to said intended audience. In marketing and advertising, it is a particular group of consumer within the predetermined ...

Objectives

According to its constitution act, the Spanish Arms Association has two main objectives: representing the interests of its members and defending their rights, on one hand, and raising awareness among citizenship, as well as the institutions, in regard with the varied facets of firearms-related activities. The association argues that Spanish authorities disregard their constitutional obligation to boost recreational sport activities, including those related to firearms. Another argument maintains that current legislation, let alone the proposed modifications, fails to meet EU regulations. The association also defends the preservation of national heritage, from made-in-Spain firearms, to related artisan and

craftsmen Craftsman may refer to: A profession *Artisan, a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative * Master craftsman, an artisan who has achieved such a standard that he may establish his own workshop and take ...

trades such as sword-forging, considered to be nearly extinct. The Spanish Arms Association is not associated with any political party or

umbrella organisation An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

, mostly because, unlike other organisations of its kind, it wouldn’t operate as a

lobby Lobby may refer to: * Lobby (room), an entranceway or foyer in a building * Lobbying, the action or the group used to influence a viewpoint to politicians :* Lobbying in the United States, specific to the United States * Lobby (food), a thick stew ...

. This is made possible by the fact that firearms manufacturers, in spite of many being members of ANARMA, are normally formally represented by other, professional associations, which protect their commercial interests. The association’s funding comes from membership fees and the sale of promotional items.

Organisational structure

President; Javier Arnáiz Executive Vicepresident and Spokesman; Daniel Alvárez Secretary and Treasurer; Amaya Taranco Regional delegates; José Roca, Antonio Lema, Jesús Sanchez, Mario Alberto Moreno, Santiago Lopez, Xavier Fa Coordinators and delegates to other countries; Marcel Salmans (FESAC) Other, minor positions;

International collaboration

The Spanish Gun Association is a member of the Foundation for European Societies of Arms Collectors (FESAC by its initials in French), which played a major role in the drawing up of European policy on gun laws. On April 30, 2012, ANARMA has become a full member of the

International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights (IAPCAR) is an association of gun rights organizations, with over 29 member organizations. Member organizations The International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arm ...

.Spanish Gun Rights Group Joins IAPCAR
/ref> It has been reported that the NRA was the principal advisor during ANARMA’s restoration at the turn of 2010.

References

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External links