European Cartridge Research Association (ECRA) is a nonprofit organization which aims to promote interest and knowledge about ammunition of all types and forms. The organization was founded in 1965 under the name European Cartridge Collectors Club by the Belgian Emile Timmermans,European Cartridge Research Association | UIA Yearbook Profile | Union of International AssociationsECRA History - European Cartridge Research Association and later changed name to the European Cartridge Research Association. While ECRA consists of European member associations, it also has individual members from outside Europe.Ammunition Pages - Links
History The founder of ECRA, Emile Timmermans, had started collecting in 1945, and in 1964 wrote a letter to 10 other collectors in Germany, England, France and Switzerland where he described his ideas, whereupon he received 20 enthusiastic answers. On 1 January 1965, the first edition of the bulletin The Cartridge Researcher was published, written by Emile Timmermans. The Bulletinen has always been published with English as its main language, but has also been translated. Today there are five language groups within ECRA, which covers English, French, Spanish, German and Dutch.ECRA - European Cartridge Research AssociationIAA Journal, (Issue 452, Nov/Dec 2006) p. 2 The Cartridge Researcher bulletin is published monthly.European Cartridge Research Association – The Shooting SHED Journal
On 20 September 1980, Norwegian and Swedish cartridge collectors met in the town of Grums in Sweden and agreed that a Scandinavian organization should be to established. This led to the Scandinavian Ammunition Research Association (SARA) which was formally founded on 22 August 1981 in the city of Arvika in Sweden.Nøkkelopplysninger fra Enhetsregisteret - Brønnøysundregistrene SARA today has increased its activity to also include collectors from Denmark, Finland and Iceland, and as such acts as the Nordic branch of ECRA.
Independently from ECRA, the U.S. based International Ammunition Association (IAA) was founded in 1955.
Resources ECRA edits the ECRA Caliber Data Viewer (ECDV)Ecra Caliber Data Viewer - International Ammunition Association which is regarded as one of the most important cartridge identification databases in the world, with more than registered small caliber cartridges up to 50 mm.ECRA - European Cartridge Research AssociationMedea Corp Collectible Cartridges - Links of InterestEcra Caliber Data Viewer - International Ammunition Association
Member associations Argentinian Collectors AssociationAsociación Argentina de Coleccionistas de Armas y Municiones (AACAM) Czech and Slovak Ammunition Collectors AssociationSpolecnost pro studium Nabodju CZ / Slovensky klub zberatel'ov nabojov Dutch Association for Research of Ammunition and BallisticsNederlandse Vereninging voor Bestudering van Munitie en Ballistiek NVBMB German Research Association for AmmunitionPatronensammler-Vereinigung e.V. Italian Cartridge Collectors AssociationGruppo Oplologico Italiano Di Riferimento New Zealand Cartridge Collectors ClubNew Zealand Cartridge Collectors Club (NZCCC) Scandinavian Ammunition Research AssociationScandinavian Ammunition Research Association (SARA) is the Nordic branch of ECRA, and represents collectors from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. SARA publishes a member magazine called the Bulletin.Scandinavian Ammunition Research Association Portuguese Collectors AssociationAssociação Portuguesa de Coleccionadores de Munições (APCM) Southern Africa Arms and Ammunition Collectors AssociationSouthern Africa Arms and Ammunition Collectors Association (SAAACA) Spanish Cartridge Collectors AssociationAsociación Española de Coleccionistas de Cartuchos (AECC) Swiss subdivision of the German Research Association for AmmunitionFachgruppe Schweizer Munition (FCHM)
See also International Cartridge Collectors Association Air travel with firearms and ammunition CIP, a European standardization organization for firearm cartridges SAAMI, an American standardization organization for firearm cartridges
References
External links IAA - International Ammunition Association IAA Web Forum ECRA - European Cartridge Research Association Asociación Española de Coleccionistas de Cartuchos (AECC), responsible for Spanish language group of ECRA Nederlanse Vereniging ter Bestudering van Munitie en Ballistiek (NVBMB), responsible for Dutch language group of ECRA German Research Association for Ammunition, responsible for German language group of ECRA MSELECT, at tool for cataloging cartridge collections Cartridgecollector.net Bibliography of Books on Cartridges or Ammunition