14 Million Americans Identify as NRA Members

Gun Watch ^ | 21 July, 2018 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

NRA Members at 2016 Exhibit

In June of 2017 Pew Research published a poll that showed over fourteen million adults in the United States self identified as National Rifle Association (NRA) members.

 From pewresearch.org:

Three-in-ten U.S. adults say they currently own a gun, and of that group, 19% say they belong to the National Rifle Association. While the demographic profile of NRA members is similar to that of other gun owners, their political views, the way they use their firearms and their attitudes about gun policy differ significantly from gun owners who are not members of the organization.

Twenty-four percent of the population of the United States is under 18 years old. The adult population of the United States in 2017 would be 326 million x .76, or 248 million adults.

The number of adult Americans who admit they are gun owners and Identify as NRA members is .30 x .19 x 248 million. Roughly 14 million adults are willing to say they own guns, and identify as NRA members.

The actual number of people who identify as NRA members is likely higher. The poll excludes people who did not identify themselves as gun owners. Gun owners are often unwilling to tell people they have guns. Politically aware gun owners, such as NRA members, are likely to be more sensitive about admitting gun ownership. The poll shows some evidence of this.

Of current people who say they do not own a gun, 58% say they did not own a gun in the past, 10% say they have owned guns previously.  Fifty-two percent of non owners say they would be open to owning a gun in the future.

Of all adults, 30% admit to owning guns, and another .52x.68 are interesting in owning guns in the future, or 35% of the population. More people say they do not own guns, but are interested in owning them, than people who admit to owning them. A total of 65% of the population either own guns or are interested in owning guns in the future.

The poll does not say how many people polled refused to participate or refused to answer poll questions.

Roughly equal numbers of men and women say they are NRA members, 19% of men and 18% of women. When you consider that a spouse of an NRA member may consider themselves a member, but not be on the official roles as a member, it could explain a considerable amount of the gap.

In 2017, the NRA stated it had five million members. If spouses and adult children identified as NRA members, without formal membership, the number of self-identified NRA members doubles to 10 million.

Many people stop paying annual dues to the NRA, for a multitude of reasons. People join the NRA, stop, and rejoin. It is likely that most people who had an active NRA membership at one time, self identify as NRA members.

It is likely that spouses, adult children, and former NRA members account for most of the population that identify as NRA members without being formally enrolled in the organization.

The NRA may have already exceeded six million members. The NRA does not release its membership lists to the public.

It is the millions of NRA members, and supporters that provide the political clout the NRA wields in national politics.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

[elcid1970]

Sign up as a veteran and your life membership is half price.

[spincaster]

Why would you identify as an N.R.A member if you are not one. there is only 4.5 million members but over 85 million gun owners. There should be at least 10 million members. It
is a small amount to pay to keep our gun rights.

[Renegade]

Me To!

[FLT-bird]

I’m a member of the NRA. I’m also a member of the Gun Owners of America because the NRA isn’t as tough in defending our rights as I’d like them to be. The GOA is more hardcore.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I remember when the NRA had less than one million members, way back in 1968. Then a Palestinian immigrant murdered Bobby Kennedy, the News Media led a hysteria fed anti-gun madness, and the NRA suddenly went over one million members.

[semaj]

I is one.

[USS Alaska]

Pronouns???????

Adjectives, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, Nuns...C'mon man.

[USS Alaska]

I always go year by year in case I don’t live that much longer. LOL.

Me too, and we both over paid.

[salmon76]

How many millions NRA country music fans out there? My guess is a lot, and singer Eric Church just blamed NRA for Las Vegas shooting.

[jeffersondem]

With Oliver North as president, it may be time to renew the membership.

The NRA’s history of being in bed with Harry Reid still rankles, as did the board membership of Grover Norquist. It is hard to give money to an organization that dumb.

Still, I'd have to say they did what I paid them to do all those years: protect the second amendment.

[Billthedrill]

Become a Life Member than you won’t get annual dues reminders.

Yep - that worked for me. I intend to hang on grimly long enough to break even at least.

Membership has, according to several sources I trust, broken the six million mark. I was at a gun show in March and the normally staid NRA booth had a line in front of it and the two volunteers inside looking a little overwhelmed. One of them told me her only worry was that they'd run out of applications.

[Persevero]

If three in ten SAY they own a gun, then six in ten actually do!

Who tells this stuff to a pollster?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Two Lifetime Members in this household. Beau has been one since he was in his 20’s; I joined during, ‘Hogg-Mania.’

That snotty little p*ssant p*ssed me off beyond belief!

[Squantos]

Life Member of NRA and Texas State Rifle Association .....

[marktwain]

The NRA isn’t perfect. What organization is?

I have had serious beefs with the leadership. I became a life member sometime about 1973 -76. I paid it in installments.

I am now an endowment member.

They got a lot better after 1994, when they realized they were in a fight to the death, and they had a chance to win.

Several of their actions, such as in 1934 and 1968, I now view as strategic delaying actions, keeping the Second Amendment alive until we gained enough members and media to restore Second Amendment rights.

In 1976, much of the NRA leadership were for giving up the political fight altogether. That is when the Revolt in Cincinnati occurred, creating the NRA as we know it today.

[yarddog]

I am no longer a member but I got a post card in the mail today urging me to vote for Matt Caldwell as Agriculture Commissioner. They gave him an A+ rating.

Since I don’t know any of them, I guess I will go with Caldwell.

[MileHi]

I was an annual member for almost 30 years. I dropped after they supported two democRats for congress in CO several years ago, about the same time they almost endorsed Harry Reid. I have been considering rejoining.

[Viking2002]

I carried weapons in the army and for the USDOJ. I've been a card-carrying NRA member for years. I own a combined total of eight pistols, rifles, and shotguns, half of which have received tactical mods (my AR being an example, 'natch). I plan on acquiring more. And I vote.

Time to man up. Put me on your Bang List.

[SamAdams76]

I joined up earlier this year, in the wake of the Florida school shootings.

The Left alway blames the NRA but to my knowledge, no NRA member has ever engaged in a mass shooting. I don't think anybody can point out even one example of that.

[YogicCowboy]

About 4.5% of population - about double that of homoerotic bloc.

But tbe Enemedia gives them all credibility and legal gun owners none.