Companies and Brands

Why Is the NRA Auctioning Off Guns?

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: May 20, 2016 9:33 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 7:48 am

One of the latest promotions to NRA members is the chance to win a gun. Presumably members of the National Rifle Association already own guns, which makes them good targets for the promotion. However, there have to be reasons beyond this.

The first advantage to the NRA is that the program is not a free giveaway. Members bid against each other for rare guns or ones that are extremely powerful. The yield of the bids goes into the NRA coffers:

All auctions end on the final day of the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, Sunday, May 22, at 3:00PM EST. 100% of the winning bid supports the NRA’s efforts to protect our Second Amendment rights, especially critical in this election year.

The gun makers that participate get exposure. These include Remington, Berreta and Browning. The guns are not cheap. The latest bid for a Browning M1919A4 .22LR is $2,525. The latest bid for the Springfield 1888 Trpdr 4570Govt is $5,001.

The guns can be seen up close at the NRA’s 145th Annual Meeting and Exhibits. The promotions may draw people to the event, although it is already underway

The most important part of the bidding process is that the Fire Arms for Freedom promotion “tethers” members to the organization. Like any other nonprofit, the NRA wants to make sure people stay members for years to come. The Fire Arms for Freedom program meant to protect Second Amendment rights plays to an issue that is core to people who are already part of the NRA, as any business school professor would point out.