Companies and Brands

Why Does the NRA Give Away Free Gun Cases?

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: April 19, 2016 10:15 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 10:36 am

The National Rifle Association (NRA) currently gives away a gun case, valued at $21.95, and will do so for 48 hours. What would a business school professor say about the program? One of three or four things.

The program itself, based on NRA emails:

Renew your NRA membership within the next two days… And we’ll send you this padded pistol case – a $21.95 value – absolutely free!

This is an extraordinary gift reserved for preferred NRA members only. And, because quantities are extremely limited, this offer is valid only for the next 48 hours.

As soon as this time limit is reached, this special offer will be closed. So don’t wait. Get your $21.95 pistol case by renewing your membership today!

This is the only notification you’ll receive about this special “insider’s” deal – and this offer will disappear in two days. Renew now and claim your exclusive gift today!

Thanks for your support!

Wayne LaPierre
Executive Vice President

LaPierre is almost certainly the most famous advocate in America for the freedom to own and carry guns.

Reason one is not unlike any other entity that relies on paid subscriptions. A rule is to “move revenue forward.” That is, renew people as early as possible and get their money early in the subscription cycle. People might change their minds later.

A related reason is to gather money to cover operating expenses. The earlier the money comes in, the more likely any organization is to hit budget revenue goals.

Harder to quantify is the ability to ride a wave of demand. Gun registrations continue to reach all-time monthly highs, based on FBI data.

Underpinning all these is a long-successful tactic. The NRA supply of the gun cases is extremely limited. They are going to run out quickly.