Pro-gun rights

The Maverick Who Revolutionized Gun Rights In America

The Legacy of H.L. “Bill” Richardson

Innovative Maverick. Defender of Freedom.

Effective, provocative, colorful, and imaginative – these words perfectly describe Senator H.L. Richardson, the founder of Gun Owners of California and Gun Owners of America.

Long before the anti-gun movement was on anyone’s radar, California State Senator H.L. “Bill” Richardson became concerned with the national inroads the radical left were making in politics, most specifically their consistent attempts to disarm Americans. In 1975, in Richardson’s home state, legislation was introduced to ban all handguns, which generated a swell of support from elected officials and the mainstream media.

This, however, did not sit well with Richardson, who decided to mobilize thousands of enraged citizens to fight the ban, and Gun Owners of California was born, America’s first pro-gun political action committee. A direct mail attack was unleashed from one end of the state to the other, and the handgun-ban bill was summarily defeated. This success and Richardson’s keen skill for activating single individuals toward a common goal spurred him to take it national – and Gun Owners of America came into being.

During his 22 years in the California Senate, Richardson showed that a determined application of confrontational politics could produce big victories. While in office, in addition to GOC and GOA, Richardson organized multiple Political Action Committees (PACs) that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight the political left. Richardson also took this sharp political insight and wrote a virtual “game plan” for political wins with his controversial book, Confrontational Politics. He clearly explained his core belief that politics should be a struggle of competing ideologies, not a game of compromise and accommodation. Thus, GOC/GOA’s “no compromise” motto.

Following his retirement from the Legislature in 1988, he primarily devoted his time to GOC and GOA. Respected veteran reporter Dan Walters covered the Capitol for decades and remembered Richardson after his passing in 2020 by penning “The Man Who Changed the Capitol.” He wrote how Richardson “single-handedly changed the nature of the Capitol, pioneered political techniques that continue to be used, and altered the course of California history… few political figures past or present could claim to have had such impact.”

GOA is proud to celebrate the extraordinary legacy of our founder, Senator H. L. “Bill” Richardson.

This article was originally published in the GOALS 2024 Magazine.

Gun Owners Foundation’s National Women’s Range Day to be held at Sig Sauer Academy and Experience Center 2026 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2026

Epping, NH – Gun Owners Foundation’s (GOF) Empowered 2A proudly announces National Women’s Range Day on June 6, 2026. The event will be hosted at the world-renowned Sig Sauer Academy and Experience Center in Epping, New Hampshire. This event—hosted by GOF’s coalition of female firearms enthusiasts—will bring together leading instructors, advocates, and influencers from across the nation to deliver a full-spectrum empowerment experience for women.  

Attendees will participate in live-fire training, Stop the Bleed® training, self-defense instruction, and Second Amendment advocacy education — all designed to build confidence, skills, and a stronger voice for freedom.   

The event will also feature exclusive vendor exhibits, key 2A influencers, training sessions, and special discounts at the Sig Sauer Experience Center. Each participant will receive a complimentary annual membership to Gun Owners of America. 

Suk Smith, Chair of Gun Owners Foundation Empowered 2A issued the following statement:  

“National Women’s Range Day is about more than marksmanship — it’s about courage, empowerment, and the unwavering belief that every woman has the right and ability to protect herself, inspire others, and lead with confidence both on and off the range.”

GOF spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on education and litigation and is the sister organization of Gun Owners of America, a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization representing over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.