Double Eagle Gunworks

Why Join the NRA and Other Second Amendment Advocates?

Posted on by Carla Pittman

By far the best known gun advocacy group in America is the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA has been fighting for the Second Amendment since its start in New York in 1871.

Gun owners who want to make sure the Constitution continues as the law of the land can look to the NRA for advocacy, education, and guidance. As an NRA Recruiter, Double Eagle Gunworks wants you to join the NRA.

We also want you to consider several other groups that advocate for the Second Amendment. There are many such groups springing up in this challenging time when the Constitution itself is on the line, but here are groups whose activities we find especially beneficial:

  • NRA (National Rifle Association)
  • USCCA (United States Concealed Carry Association)
  • GOA (Gun Owners of America)
  • NAGR (National Association for Gun Rights)
  • NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation)

Why Gun Advocacy is Needed Right Now

Right now your freedoms are at risk–all of them. With the COVID lockdown likely to continue for months into the future, you have been told when you can leave home, where you can go, and how to behave when you get there.

The First Amendment entitles you to speak freely, assemble freely, and express your religious beliefs freely. Have you been able to do that this year? See my article on the First Amendment for details.

The Second Amendment entitles you to bear arms without infringement. Recent laws in the State of Virginia have threatened that (the link is to the Virginia Legislative Information System).

HR 812, for instance, made it illegal to buy more than one handgun a month in Virginia unless you are a gun dealer.

You can get around this law if you have a concealed carry permit or if you undergo an enhanced background check and sign an application under oath explaining why you need to purchase more than one gun in a thirty day period.

Does that sound like an uninfringed right to you? It sounds like government control to me.

That is just one of a whole page of gun laws the Virginia legislature wrote in 2020 that infringed on the rights of freedom-loving Virginians. Follow the link above to see the whole list.

New York is known for its disdain for the Second Amendment. At the time of this writing (2020), you must specify whether you want to carry concealed, possess a gun at home, or carry your weapon at work.

That’s right, in New York you have to have permission to own a gun that you keep in your own home! The website states you will wait a minimum of four months to learn whether you are allowed to possess a gun.

You need to be of good moral character and have a legally accepted reason to carry a gun. You have to provide character references. If you don’t want your name published, there is an additional form you must fill out.

California is another state where gun owners must fight for their Second Amendment rights. The link is to the California Department of Justice government website.

To qualify for gun ownership in California you need to pass the Federal NICS check and an additional California Personal Firearms Eligibility Check (PFEC).

All gun sales and transfers must be done through a firearms dealer and there is a mandatory 10-day waiting period. Married couples/domestic partners, parents, and grandparents are excluded from this requirement.

If the weapon is a handgun, the recipient (spouse, child, grandchild) must possess a Handgun Safety Certificate AND fill out a Report of Operation of Law or Intra-familial Handgun Transaction Form with a check for $19.

You have to prove California residency with something like a utility bill. You can only purchase one handgun per month. You are guilty of a felony if a child gains access to your loaded gun and hurts someone because you failed to secure it.

Magazines holding more than 10 rounds are illegal in California unless you already owned them before the law was enacted in 2000. California CCW permits are issued by the city or county. No other state’s Concealed Carry Permit is honored in California, so leave your gun at home if you visit.

If you move to California with guns, you must report them to the California Department of Justice within 60 days using the New Resident Firearm Ownership Report.

These three states have committed the most obvious infringement on your Second Amendment rights, but all fifty states need someone watching over the legislature. You can do it yourself, and you should, but why not join a group that is already watching?

What the NRA is Doing

  • The NRA has an arm called the NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) that actively lobbies for gun rights at the state and national level
  • The NRA publishes four monthly magazines with articles about gun-related issues of political and nonpolitical nature, including featured stories about gun owners who used their firearms to stop violent crimes
  • The NRA partners with hotels, car rental outlets, and other vendors to provide discounts for members
  • The NRA sponsors the Eddie Eagle Program to teach gun safety to children (see my article on gun safety for children).
  • The NRA sponsors clubs and competitive shooting events with awards and scholarships
  • The NRA certifies shooting instructors and range officers
  • The NRA provides online training and gunsmithing education
  • The NRA has branded merchandise available to help you spread the Second Amendment message
  • The NRA grades political candidates on their Second Amendment compliance and endorses candidates. They endorsed Donald Trump for the 2020 Presidential race

What the USCCA is Doing

  • The USCCA provides a Concealed Carry Reciprocity Map with details on the current gun laws of every state
  • The USCCA includes its members in a self-defense liability insurance policy as a benefit of membership
  • The USCCA puts out a magazine with education on gun safety and stories of gun owners who used their firearms to prevent violent crimes
  • The USCCA certifies firearms instructors and provides classes in gun safety
  • The USCCA publishes books aimed at gun owners and those considering concealed carry
  • The USCCA promotes concealed carry as a lifestyle
  • The USCCA keeps its members informed of state and federal encroachments on their gun rights
  • The USCCA provides online classes for members
  • The USCCA has launched a three-level member certification program to recognize members for taking online and in-person courses and qualifying in onsite live fire training

What GOA is Doing

Double Eagle Gunworks LLC is not affiliated with Gun Owners of America, but we like their style. They have been described as “the only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington” because they take a hard line on the Second Amendment.

While I was researching this article I signed their petition for nationwide Concealed Carry Permit reciprocity.

  • GOA rates Congressmembers and candidates on the Second Amendment. In South Carolina, Lindsey Graham received a B- and Jeff Duncan an A+. Scores for South Carolina Democrats ranged from D to F-.
  • GOA is currently suing Facebook over anti-gun policies
  • GOA has filed FEC complaints agains Kamala Harris, Facebook, and AFP Fact Check for campaign violations
  • GOA endorses political candidates and engages lawmakers at the local, state, and national level
  • GOA sells branded merchandise to help you spread the Second Amendment message
  • GOA is sponsoring a petition to make all states recognize the Concealed Carry Permits of other states, as we currently do for driver’s licenses
  • GOA keeps members informed of national and local issues and suggests a course of action, with a legislator lookup function so you know whom to contact

What the NAGR is Doing

Double Eagle Gunworks LLC has no affiliation with the National Association of Gun Rights, but we signed their petition for Constitutional Carry when we interviewed their spokesman for our YouTube video about Constitutional Carry.

  • NAGR advocates for Constitutional Carry, the idea that the Second Amendment is our permit and state laws are infringing on our rights
  • NAGR advocated for the immediate confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court
  • NAGR contributes to gun owners who need legal defense after high-profile incidents, such as Kyle Rittenhouse
  • NAGR’s Bill Watch keeps members aware of legislative encroachments on gun rights
  • NAGR sells branded merchandise to help you advocate for your Second Amendment rights
  • NAGR is sponsoring a petition to end red flag gun laws (confiscating guns on suspicion of propensity to commit a crime rather than on conviction of criminal activities)
  • NAGR has affiliate organizations in states without Constitutional Carry, including Palmetto Gun Rights in South Carolina

What the NSSF is Doing

Double Eagle Gunworks LLC is a member of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which bills itself as the firearm industry trade association. The NSSF advocates for the shooting industry.

  • NSSF members include manufacturers, shooting ranges, distributors, retailers, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers.
  • NSSF sponsors the annual SHOT show, the trade show for the gun industry
  • NSSF publishes information about where to shoot, seminars for new and experienced shooters, and organizations to join
  • NSSF maintains a member compliance hotline to keep the industry honest
  • NSSF has launched an online education resource for the firearms industry
  • NSSF urges members to vote in order to secure their Second Amendment rights.

How to Evaluate Other Gun Groups You Might Want to Join

Gun advocacy groups abound, but so do sketchy organizations that might use your membership dues to forward goals that don’t meet with your ideals. How do you know the difference?

  • Talk to a member. See if the organization’s talking points make sense to you.
  • Visit the organization’s website. Do they link to other organizations whose goals you admire?
  • Listen to what they say. Are they respectful? Do they torture logic to make a point? Do they marginalize any group of people?
  • Find out what the organization has done. Advocating in Congress is a good way to get the laws you want. Signing petitions lets lawmakers know how many people want the law to change.
  • Pay attention to the tone at meetings. Do they smile and offer literature and bumper stickers, or do they plan to loot and burn?
  • Look at the candidates they support. Are they the ones with the voting record you prefer?
  • See what others are saying about them. Read the news, and then go to the website to see what the organization says it was doing. Find someone who was at an event and see how it really went.
  • Listen to your gut. If you don’t feel comfortable, or you think the organization is ineffective, find a better way to spend your time and resources.

The Bottom Line

Get involved and stay involved. Do your research. Find an organization whose goals are worth promoting, and then put your boots on the ground and make a difference. You and I are the last obstacle for those who would take away our Constitutional rights.

Watch our Double Eagle Gunworks YouTube videos to stay informed.