Michael Bane notes that it looks like shooters and self-defense oriented gun owners are in the drivers seat when it comes to the industry. He notes:
Note that hunting came in 4th on that list. It wasn’t that long ago that our trade organization said that the future of gun rights in America was “irrevocably” linked to hunting, and their massive survey of a couple of years back (which I had the temerity to question) delivered the same warmed-over crap and, unfortunately, sent the industry haring down the same dead-end paths.
We’ll be talking about this more on the podcast next week…
I think I remember the report Michael is talking about, and he was right in questioning it. Our reaction to the report was here, and Bitter’s was here, over at her now cooking blog, but then gun blog.
The 2nd Amendment, it ain’t about duck huntin’.
I’m going to forward that poll to every Fudd I know.
But now you have other divisions in the community. Remember when I dared to mention that some people who are getting new carry permits might be participating in the shooting sports, too? I am shocked we didn’t have a lynch mob out in the driveway over that one.
Well, just to take a slightly contrarian view, I think one of the biggest (maybe the biggest) step that the firearms industry has taken that has advanced RKBA is the Remington R15 and R25. This is the straw that broke the camel’s back on “military assault rifle” vs. “backwoods hunting rifle,” and in doing so created a vital link between hunters, target shooters, self-defense advocates, and the onlooking public. I still think they’re shockingly overpriced, but I have to tip my hat to their effect.