NRA core mission effectiveness

[Jayplace]

Another discussion forum prompted this question.

WHILE TOTALLY AVOIDING ALL POLITICAL DISCUSSION, PER FORUM REQUIREMENTS...

What is your view of the NRAs success level in their stated core mission... firearms training safety and competition?

Their core mission stated here, per Oct 2025 press release::

- Increase in communications with members

-The hiring of a chief operating officer to assist in day-to-day functions

- An app is scheduled to be released to help facilitate those communication needs

- A refocus on core programs like clubs and associations, education and training, and competition

- Doing away with ineffective mailers and sending only quality messages to the members

- Membership benefits like discounts on firearms, ammunition, and accessories

-Putting resources into quality programming rather than quantity

- The merge of membership, marketing, and advancement divisions into a single department

- Changes to NRA publications


In your view, is the NRA doing a good job accomplishing this ? I wanted your view as serious competitors and shooters. Do you see signifucant presence or help at your matches / clubs?

AGAIN.... PLEASE AVOID ALL POLITICAL DISCUSSION.IT IS AGAINST FORUM POLICY.

They are at least "Saying" closer to what it once was. A lot of damage was done with extreme stances.

 

[steve210]

Their core mission should be to defend the second amendment. They appear to have totally abandoned that. GOA appears to be the only national group doing this now. NRA did great work on this for years but no more.

 

[GetReal]

Their core mission should be to defend the second amendment. They appear to have totally abandoned that. GOA appears to be the only national group doing this now. NRA did great work on this for years but no more.

I agree , but am scripulously avoiding any political or legislative issues per forum guidelines. I will simply say I agree with your description of what their core mission *should* be.

The press release referenced in my opening post specifically mentioned the NRA and its return to its original "core" mission is considered a separate and distinct discussion from NRA ILA and its 2A advocacy. That reads to me as what you describe as being "abandoned."

IF that is the direction the NRA chooses.I will go ahead and predict their demise and closure.

 

[David Conder]

NRA-ila that is the legal arm of our second amendment I am a life member an I am with them to the bitter end when they are gone your gun will he gone also

 

[houligan]

DarkStar - You make a good point! As a very old ex-competitor from the 60's to mid 80's, Camp Perry was THE place. I am of the opinion the NRA has put the bullet in their own head. Personally, I no longer compete but I do belong to several clubs. These clubs require NRA membership to be a club member. That should be stopped immediately! People I've talked to don't like it! Does the current board have the testicular fortitude to put a stop to this? I know they don't control private clubs but if they made private clubs aware of their view on this, things would change. Sorry for going off on a tangent!

 

[GetReal]

Along with other aspects of their core mission...

Does anyone see the NRA doing any safety training or marksmanship training Anywhere at their gun clubs or in any venue anywhere ?

 

[GetReal]

DarkStar - You make a good point! As a very old ex-competitor from the 60's to mid 80's, Camp Perry was THE place. I am of the opinion the NRA has put the bullet in their own head. Personally, I no longer compete but I do belong to several clubs. These clubs require NRA membership to be a club member. That should be stopped immediately! People I've talked to don't like it! Does the current board have the testicular fortitude to put a stop to this? I know they don't control private clubs but if they made private clubs aware of their view on this, things would change. Sorry for going off on a tangent!

I was a pretty regular CM.P competitor also both with M1 rifle and AR15 with free floated barrel. I remember being required to show NRA membership to compete. I always viewed it ad kind of hokey , but I knew it was their way of generating funds , which is the one thing the NRA consistently did that they were good at.

(Pic is not me, but very represenrative of the AR 15 comps)

 

[DarkStar]

I was a pretty regular CM.P competitor also both with M1 rifle and AR15 with free floated barrel. I remember being required to show NRA membership to compete.

Until the last few years, virtually every non-EIC Highpower match was an NRA match.

Had to be a member to get scores for classification.
Had to be a member to potentially set National Records
Had to be a member for your scores to be counted (possibly otherwise be Out Of Competition).

NRA dropped some of those requirements and started recording scores for non-members. No chance at setting National Records, though.

The admin side of club/state association matches has been slow for NRA as well, lately. Sometimes taking months before scores show up. Grapevine says that only one or two people are working the scores part of NRA Competitions.

Now that CMP has gotten into the game of smaller competitions, many clubs and match directors are going toward them.
Lower fees, faster and timely reporting.

One match director said that their range has almost totally gone to CMP sanctioned matches. Only one NRA match a year so their members can keep their NRA classification.

 

[jpjulian]

I'd have to say the goal for better communication has certainly been met, at least somewhat as I recently emailed NRA President Bachenberg concerning my not receiving a BOD ballot for several years. He returned my email that very day saying he'd look into the matter. The very next business day I got an email from Devin Cate, Member Services, addressing my issue. I have been extremely vocal in my opposition to NRA and the WLP fiasco but maybe, just maybe, real change is in fact happening. We can only hope.

 

[GetReal]

I'd have to say the goal for better communication has certainly been met, at least somewhat as I recently emailed NRA President Bachenberg concerning my not receiving a BOD ballot for several years. He returned my email that very day saying he'd look into the matter. The very next business day I got an email from Devin Cate, Member Services, addressing my issue. I have been extremely vocal in my opposition to NRA and the WLP fiasco but maybe, just maybe, real change is in fact happening. We can only hope.

Another guy related story where when he complained about the WLP situation, he was told he's not the kind of member N.R A wants and so they canceled his membership.

Good to Hear better outcomes for yourself and others lately

 

[Steve Donlon]

Because they are political they would have to give something up to gain something. What could they give up to make something meaningful happen?

 

[ogre1911]

Change CAN happen quickly in a large organization or even a large COUNTRY. Look what has happened in our country in a year.

Not being political, agree with the changes or not, changes have occurred.

 

[GetReal]

Because they are political they would have to give something up to gain something. What could they give up to make something meaningful happen?

Actually, to make something meaningful happen, I think the NRA has to decide what is their core mission and what are the things they absolutely will never give up. If they stick to those objectives and never give up on those purposes , they will make meaningful things happen.

It's what they gave up that has made them ineffective and nearly irrelevant.

 

[Steve Donlon]

I think it would be to allow us to enjoy our activities. Would you give up full auto weapons for free silencers? I would. How can they get so much money for something that does so much good for everyone?

 

[GetReal]

I think it would be to allow us to enjoy our activities. Would you give up full auto weapons for free silencers? I would. How can they get so much money for something that does so much good for everyone?

"The right to keep and bear arms ( of standard military usage) shall not be infringed . "

An abusive government and its military would have full auto firearms, by which to impose its tyrannies upon us.

Full auto should never ever / should never ever have been negotiated away. They are precisely the firearm that guarantees a free state. That's what I mean by saying the NRA needs to decide the things it will never , ever negotiate away and will never give up on.

I have to leave it there because of the forum requirement to not enter into political discussion. My point is the failures of the NRA to conduct proper 2A advocacy , not the unconstitutional policies of the government.

I don't understand your last sentence / question.

 

[ogre1911]

"The right to keep and bear arms ( of standard military usage) shall not be infringed . "

An abusive government and its military would have full auto firearms, by which to impose its tyrannies upon us.

Full auto should never ever / should never ever have been negotiated away. They are precisely the firearm that guarantees a free state. That's what I mean by saying the NRA needs to decide the things it will never , ever negotiate away and will never give up on.

I have to leave it there because of the forum requirement to not enter into political discussion. My point is the failures of the NRA to conduct proper 2A advocacy , not the unconstitutional policies of the government.

I don't understand your last sentence / question.

This, as supported by the Federalist Papers.

 

[T.Rhodes]

That's a long list of "core" objectives - would like to see that pared down to five or six. The NRA-ila should be one of the primary focus points, imo. Board of Directors should also be pared down to a fraction of what current level is at. Maybe go to 6-8 regional directors. Period.

The burr that gets me is the competition division. That seems to have been on the hind tit of this organization for a long time.

Other than publication changes to magazines, haven't really seen any tangible changes at this point.

We'll see....

 

[LVLAaron]

The NRA is an excellent bogeyman for the news and political pundits to pick on, while other gun orgs get shit done.

 

[Syncrowave]

And as above... we've been waiting 25+ years for the NRA to do something more than fundraise.

Ya mean landmark US Supreme Court cases like
DC vs Heller which overturned the DC gun ban
or
McDonald vs Chicago which established the Second Amendment as a fundamental right
or
NYSRPA vs Bruen which re-affirmed and strengthened the right to arms outside the home for self-protection
... or how about federal legislation like the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which stopped dozens of US cities from suing the US firearms industry into insolvency and bankruptcy?

Or are you referring to NRA's efforts in the state legislatures?

I'm not defending any of the excesses or wrongdoing, but anyone who says the NRA hasn't done one hell of a lot over the years either doesn't know WTF they're talking about, or is playing fast and loose with the facts.

If you care about your right to keep and bear arms -- or any of the other rights you have as an American citizen, all of which are guaranteed by the RKBA -- you had better hope and pray that the NRA can restore its strength, membership and clout. Because in the grand scheme, there's nobody else we can count on to save that freedom from extinction.

 

[MikeT124]

I have what I believe to be an interesting observation on the NRA situation as observed from the view of the general shooting public. I'm an active member of about 7 or 8 shooting/gun forums. In a thread on this forum I offered to make a list of NRA board recommendations for the up coming board election. I started a thread in all of the other forums where I felt it would be of value and pertinent in those other forums offering to post the recommendations in all the forums. Initially I received 5 names in this forum, so far in all of the other forums I have received zero names and no new names in this forum either. One of the other forums I received a number of fairly hostile responses, not at me, but at the NRA. My overall impression from my admittedly small sample size of the shooting public, is that the shooting public in mass doesn't really give a damn about the NRA one way or another. Actually kind of sad, but not really surprising.

Mike