The NRA and GOA are actually two different types of Second Amendment groups...
The NRA is more of a corporate institution with an est. 4+ million members, they also have a lot of irons in the fire, training, education, legislative action group. Definitely the big dog in the kennel so they get smoozed a lot by the "elected class", but with that comes some interdependence with politicians and the government.
The GOA is a small but ferocious grassroots type group that uses member alerts to battle or support specific legislation. Instead of spending money on lawyers and training programs, they use their members as the "action arm", they send out alerts and the members are urged to take action... as in contacting and bringing pressure on their Reps.
People attempt to compare the two groups, but it is unfair at best, as the GOA is a much smaller organization and their impact on legislation is difficult to gauge.
www.saf.org