For over three decades I
have studied a wide variety of topics about guns. I did this simply because I like guns. I like everything about them. Over the years I have seen many changes. Some of them good, some not so good.
What I have noticed,
especially in the past 10-15 years, is the industry as a whole is stagnating. The industry produces the same products with
little improvement or change and many new products are just crap and do not
serve the customer well. The culture is
not changing fast enough to keep up with the changing demographics. Nor is it adapting to the needs of todays
shooters. Especially those new to guns
and gun culture. Finally the politics
are old and stale and highly ineffective.
It is time for a reformation
of the gun community to take us forward into the 21st century. I fear if we do not adapt and change for the
better there will not be a gun culture within 2 generations (approx. 50 years).
Below I will outline some of
the problems I am seeing and what may be done to improve the gun community.
Gun Industry:
First I want to start with
the gun industry. I will use more of
list form instead of writing a Tolstoy novel on each line item. Nor will this be a complete list. Just some of more obvious issues.
1.
First item is an
overall drop in quality. I’ve noticed
this drop across all manufacturers.
a.
I would rather
see a price increase than a drop in quality.
b.
The fit and
finish is not a nice as it was 10-20 years ago.
i. Compare a new Smith revolver to an old one. Especially a pre-lock revolver. Night and day difference. Yet, they cost the same.
2.
Manufacturers
building the same designs they have been for many decades without change or
improvement.
a.
An example would
be rifle stocks. Unless you go to the
aftermarket, most rifles stocks are the same design from 100 years ago. A time when iron sights ruled the day. Not very
useful with optics which sit higher up.
Time for manufacturers to improve their designs.
b.
Another example
is Revolver stocks. These haven’t changed
in decades. Why not design something
that actually fits the human hand? Revolvers
are great but the ergonomics suck.
c.
One final
example is holsters. Most holsters out
there are crap. I wish the manufacturers
would update or go out of business, but they continue due to the ignorance of
the consuming public. A good example is
Lethal Lace. This is a shit product and
should go away.
d.
A couple of good
examples are the Ruger Precision rifle and the Magpul Hunter stock. Both are adjustable for length of pull and for
comb height to fit the individual user. Not
perfect, but for the price point very well done.
e.
Manufacturers
need to update their designs to be better and more useful to the public.
3.
Educate the
public on the use of your products. Help
consumers decide what they actual need.
Don’t just sell crap because you can.
Possible trim down the number of product options.
a.
An example would
be scopes. Most of the public probably
does not really understand what they actually need in a rifle scope. What magnification is needed? What reticule is best suited for the task? What
features are appropriate and necessary?
b.
Educate the
consumer on what is actually useful and what is just unnecessary fluff.
4.
Better educated
sales staff at guns stores.
a.
The businesses
selling guns need to be better educated so they can give good advice to
customers.
i. I should never hear from a salesman that a rifle has
the wrong magazines. No, not the wrong
magazine, proprietary magazines. There
is a difference. Actual event I
encountered. I know better because I
have the experience. What about a new
comer to the gun community? What will
they think when a salesman tells them a rifle has the wrong magazine?
ii. I understand profit margins with guns is slim, but it
may be better to hire a few knowledgeable employees than to hire nothing but
shop monkeys. Also, I should not know
more than a factory sales rep. Yep, ran into a Ruger sales rep. that could do
nothing more than parrot the generic information that is found on the Ruger
webpage. Dear lord, hire, or train,
competent sales staff.
These are just a few
examples of things I see wrong with the gun industry. There are more but I’m
not trying to write a Tolstoy novel.
The industry needs to update
for the 21st century. Adapt
to the changing demographics and help supply customers what they actually
need. Help educate the consumer on what
is good and why. Then also produce good
products and update them as necessary.
The knowledge base of firearms has increased significantly over the past
few decades, so use that knowledge and make better products.
Gun Culture:
Now I want to move onto gun
culture.
1.
One thing that
must change is the image of the “typical” gun owner. Currently it stands as a middle aged white
man. This is an old stereotype who’s
time has come to die.
a.
Gun culture is
for everyone (except Felons and the criminally insane)
b.
We must be open
to the changing demographics and welcome newcomers.
2.
Retailers and
gun ranges need to be more open and help newcomers be more comfortable and
welcomed.
a.
Help newbies
learn the ins and outs of guns and gun culture.
b.
Stop talking
down to women. They are capable. Teach
them correctly.
c.
Have a more open
and friendly environment. Your shop
should feel comfortable to come inside. This
is especially important for those potential customers who may not feel
comfortable around guns but want to learn.
3.
Gun culture
needs to change and be seen as a martial art. Guns are not some magic talisman. They don’t grant you power or authority or
protect you from evil. They are
inanimate objects. True they are deadly
weapons and that puts them in the realm of martial arts. We need to treat them as such and train as such.
4.
We need to
change how we train. We need to develop
GunFu into a regular training regiment.
a.
Most people take
a basic class or are taught by their cousins, sisters, brother and they think
they know how to use a gun. Or worse,
they just kinda’ “figure it out” on their own.
(even worse)
b.
Nope. Just like any other martial art, use of a gun
is a perishable skill and takes dedicated time and practice to get good and to
stay proficient.
c.
Taking one weekend
class and going to the range twice a year is not good enough. In most other martial arts, students are
going weekly. One to five times a week
and it takes years to truly be proficient.
We need to develop the same mentality and training regiment with
guns.
d.
Does this mean
dry fire, airsoft, more shooting ranges, shooting simulators, videos, books,
all of the above? I don’t know the
answer, but we need to update for the 21st century. Make it easier to find good information,
especially for newbies. Lets use the
power of the internet to spread more and better training.
i. Yes, I know there are lots of internet
resources. Blog pages, YouTube videos,
books, etc. How easy is it for newbies
to find good information versus bad opinion?
This is what I’m talking about.
Make the information more organized and easier to find.
1.
This goes along
with gun shops being a little more friendly and accommodating.
5.
We need to stand
together as a community and stop the petty squabbles between gun groups. The collectors need to support the hunters
who need to support the target shooters who need to support the tactical
shooters and on and on. We must stand
united together as a community.
Here are a few items I think
can be improved in gun culture.
Gun Politics:
Finally, the hot
potato. The politics of guns!
1.
First off, we
need to stand together as a gun community.
We must stop the circular firing squads we sometimes form. We must stop eating our own.
2.
We must have a
unified platform to present to the world.
a.
Notice no matter
which anti-gun group you talk to or which media outlet is presenting the news,
they always have identical talking points and identical language? They all use “background checks”, “gun show
loophole”, “gun safety”, etc.
b.
We need the same
unified platform for the pro-gun side.
Unified talking points, unified data, etc. We must stand together. The data and root philosophy is on our
side. We must convey the message better.
3.
We need an
emotional component to the pro-gun argument.
a.
The anti-gun
groups use mostly emotional components, sprinkled with distorted facts, to
great effect. Simple logic and facts
will not accomplish the task. It is time
to add to the debate. Guns are used
daily in self-defense and managed hunting.
Time to give those positives a face and a voice.
4.
It is time to go
on the offensive in the debate. We have
been defensive for far too long.
Valuable time and resources are wasted being defensive. The anti-gunners make an accusation, and we
defend. The pro-gun story appears
weak. Time to take the fight to the anti-gunners.
a.
For
example: The anti’s claim children are
killed daily due to guns. A very
emotional argument used to great effect.
i. We hit back by accusing the anti’s of being
anti-child. That they hate
children. Otherwise, why would
anti-gunners block the Eddie Eagle program from being taught in every
school. A real safety program for
children.
ii. Yes, it is time to get mean. Otherwise the anti-gunners will continue to
lay down blocks in our path. Lay down
enough blocks and you have a wall. A
wall that is not easily knocked down.
1.
What are these
blocks you ask? New York Safe Act. Magazine capacity restrictions. Universal background checks. Ammunition taxes (Seattle, WA.) Little by little they lay down blocks. In a few years they have a wall.
5.
We need a new
universal platform to be the face and spokesman for gun owners. Unfortunately, the NRA has been marginalized
by the anti-gunners. I don’t think the
NRA is truly effective anymore. They
have been demonized so much their name is tainted.
a.
What this new
platform is, I don’t know. Is it a new
version of the NRA? Is it a federation
of existing pro-gun groups? I don’t
know. But it must be better and more
effective and better represents all gun owners.
Including the new, changing demographics.
b.
Should we
include the NRA? Yes, they have many
valuable resources that will be needed.
And they are still part of the gun community. No need to form a circular
firing squad.
This outlines some changes
that need to be improved in the political arena.
Conclusion:
Here are some of my ideas
for improving the gun industry, culture and politics.
I don’t have all the
answers. But I do know that we must
change. We must improve. We must stand together, united to make it
better. To be better! To take gun ownership into the 21st
century. Otherwise, guns and gun
ownership may be a distant memory relegated to history.
-Mez
July 2017
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