Joining the NRA?

[Ri22o]

I've thought about joining the NRA, but is it worth it? Is anyone here a member? Would this be a good group to be a member of and have on my side in the event I need to use a firearm for defense?

 

[TomN]

I'd be surprised if the vast majority of the people here weren't members actually. They're a good group for our 2nd Amendment rights. Now they're not perfect and there are many examples that people will bring up to say that the NRA isn't what it's cracked up to be, but seriously, that's going to be true of any group. I think they're one of our best chances to protect our rights.

Also the NRA sells insurance that will help with defense bills if you are ever involved in a self-defense shooting. I haven't looked into it for a while but keep meaning to.

And there are other groups out there also. GOA is a much more militant group and much less compromising. JPFO is good too.

 

[indyninja]

it would be nice if we could find a "go to lawyer" for this board in case any of us ever got into a situation where we had to defend ourselves

 

[TomN]

it would be nice if we could find a "go to lawyer" for this board in case any of us ever got into a situation where we had to defend ourselves

 

[Scutter01]

I'd rather give my money to the Gun Owners of America. NRA has compromised too many times for my taste.

 

[indyninja]

maybe I'll start a new thread about the lawyer thing

 

[NEOCON]

I'd rather give my money to the Gun Owners of America. NRA has compromised too many times for my taste.

Same here and I do belong to GOA. We do not need to compromise on our 2nd ammendment.

 

[Paul]

Im a member...the nra does a lot to keep 2nd amendment rights. you have to compromise sometimes...with the way this country is now, we cant expect to get all of our rights back right away. it takes time....plus the anti-gunners hate the nra

 

[jerbur6]

i joined the nra about 2 months ago and havent got a card or anything. i called them and they said they would look into it. i guess ill join goa now and see if they let me in the club.

 

[Pami]

*pulls out her freshly arrived NRA Membership package*

I just got my card in the mail this week....
The general marketing welcome-to-the-club membership letter says thank you for your support in this critical moment of 2nd Amendment right history! Yada yada.

There are membership benefits -- like $20 off weekly car rentals from AVIS and Hertz. I can display my NRA pride every time a write a check or put an address label on an envelope! And a host of other discounts are available to NRA members at over 200 name-brand retailers. I haven't checked it out yet, but there's a whole website I can log in to.

Also there is a survey looking for feedback so they can ensure the NRA is supporting my and my family's interests in gun ownership -- hunting, sporting events, home defense, etc.

On the life insurance, if I send in the form with my signature on it in the next five days (hmm... today might be day five...) I get a free $5,000 AD&D Benefits policy and $1,000 ArmsCare Benefits (protects against theft, loss, and damage of your firearms). For literally just pennies a day, you can buy into an expanded accident benefits program (which includes accidents not only while hunting, but also while driving to work, traveling, working on projects around the house, and more), up to $7.50 per month for an individual NRA member that covers up to $100,000. You qualify as long as you stay an NRA member in good standing and are under 70 years of age.

But like I said... that's all their marketing materials I got in my membership package. I'm sure there are other benefits that aren't as publicly advertised.

I think the thing the NRA has going for it is name recognition. It's been around for 130 years, and everyone has heard of it, whether they like guns or not. It may not always be favorable recognition, so if you are concerned about being confronted by someone about your membership, you (I) should probably do more research into the positive things they've done. Personally, I don't know anything about the other organizations that were mentioned (which isn't much more than I know about the NRA, really), but if they were mentioned here in sincerity (as I'm sure they were), then they're probably worth looking in to also.

And Jerbur6... I got my membership card two weeks after my husband did, and he signed us both up the same day. Who knows how their membership operations is working right now?

 

[melensdad]

I've thought about joining the NRA, but is it worth it? Is anyone here a member? Would this be a good group to be a member of and have on my side in the event I need to use a firearm for defense?

I'm a member and I believe every gun owner should also join. Its not a bad idea to ALSO join Gun Owner of America / Citizens Committee to Keep and Bear Arms / Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership . . .

But every gun owner should join the NRA.

Here is a link to join: Official NRA online Membership Applications and Donations

Is the NRA perfect? NOPE. Have they made a few minor compromises that have pissed off some of the hard core pro-gunners? YUP. But those compromises are very few and far in between.

Here is the reality about the NRA. They have POLITICAL CLOUT. None of the other groups have any clout at all. As much as I love the ideals of the G.O.A. and some other groups, they simply don't have the ear of the politicians. They have no ability to generate votes, no ability to generate letters, no ability to influence politicians, at least not in the numbers and ways that ACTUALLY matter. I've got award certificates on my wall from the CCRKA for my 'outstanding work' for efforts when I was testifying in front of our State Senators/Representatives but it doesn't have much value. Now mention the NRA and these guys sit up and take notice, and they do it for one simple reason, the NRA generates a lot of votes.

So while I understand why some people may not like the NRA, I think it is foolish to not be a member. Hey, join the GOA and the other groups too. If you are a 3+year annual member or a Life Member then you get to vote in the NRA elections; so if you don't like the rare compromises that the NRA has made, join and vote for a GOA supported board of directions.

Realize that on 99.5% of the issues, the GOA and the NRA are in agreement. For those who 'boycott' the NRA over that 0.5% of the votes, well I think they are foolish and I believe they are aiding and abetting the anti-gun groups because they don't join the ranks of the one group that is actually influential.

Here is a link to join: Official NRA online Membership Applications and Donations

.

 

[bwframe]

Doesn't the NRA membership include $10,000 firearms loss insurance?

 

[Pami]

Doesn't the NRA membership include $10,000 firearms loss insurance?

i only see $1,000 no-cost firearms loss insurance in my info here, but you can find out for sure at the website: NRA Endorsed Insurance Programs

 

[bwframe]

i only see $1,000 no-cost firearms loss insurance in my info here, but you can find out for sure at the website: NRA Endorsed Insurance Programs

Sorry, I was mistaken. Thanks Pami.

[FONT=Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][SIZE=-2]Q: What comes with my Membership in the NRA?
A: As a member you will receive:
[/SIZE][/FONT]

• [SIZE=-2]NRA's black and gold shooter's cap or another gift depending on the promotion.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]Your choice of NRA magazines: America's 1st Freedom, American Rifleman or American Hunter [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]A personalized membership card [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]An NRA member decal [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]$10,000 in Hunter's Accident (A,D, & D) insurance [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]$1,000 in Firearms Theft Insurance [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]Discounts on car rentals and interstate moves and, if you meet credit criteria, an NRA VISA card.[/SIZE]

 

[Episcopus]

I am going to be signing up for the NRA soon. Membership in the NRA is required for membership in the local gun club I am going to join.

 

[melensdad]

SA: As a member you will receive:

• [SIZE=-2]NRA's black and gold shooter's cap or another gift depending on the promotion.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]Your choice of NRA magazines: America's 1st Freedom, American Rifleman or American Hunter [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]A personalized membership card [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]An NRA member decal [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]$10,000 in Hunter's Accident (A,D, & D) insurance [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]$1,000 in Firearms Theft Insurance [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-2]Discounts on car rentals and interstate moves and, if you meet credit criteria, an NRA VISA card.[/SIZE]

Interesting thing about using the NRA VISA card. I've actually had people notice it and make comments about it, all positive. In fact I was checking into a hotel with my family one night and the clerk behind the counter was an older guy, he saw the NRA VISA card and gave me an additional 10% off the room rate that he had just quoted me a few minutes earlier, simply because I was a member of the NRA.

By the way, for every charge you make on the NRA VISA card, the bank donates a small portion to the NRA.

 

[rhino]

Membership and NRA and other pro-RKBA groups isn't an either/or situation. We should all be members of as many as we can afford. They all serve a vital role in the overall picture and deserve you support.

Given that, the primary reasons I retain my NRA membership are:

o Insurance (the Armscare Plus is a great deal)
o I shoot NRA Action Pistol
o I'll be getting multiple NRA instructor certifications in the near future.

 

[strongcrow]

I have been a life member of the NRA since 1981 or so. I believe we all need to support all the RKBA organizations we can to keep them from getting our tools.

 

[Scutter01]

But like I said... that's all their marketing materials I got in my membership package. I'm sure there are other benefits that aren't as publicly advertised.

Just wait. The NRA will spam the hell out of you. I get an endless stream of junkmail and spam e-mail from them trying to sell me stuff.

 

[Pami]

Just wait. The NRA will spam the hell out of you. I get an endless stream of junkmail and spam e-mail from them trying to sell me stuff.

I can't wait!

Flipping through the marksmanship pamphlet I got in class yesterday, I'm actually looking forward to learning more about that.