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NRA Membership Spike May Be Driven By Huge Discounts

NRA Membership Spike May Be Driven By Hugely Discounted Offers
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Senior Politics Editor, HuffPost

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Senior Politics Reporter, HuffPost

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WASHINGTON -- The National Rifle Association is currently experiencing what officials say is an "unprecedented" jump in membership. More than 250,000 people have signed up in the last month, and the group is crediting the surge to Congress' contemplation of new legislation that would restrict some forms of firearms.

"This is in direct response to the threats and accusations coming from Sen. (Dianne) Feinstein and President Obama," NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told CNN on Tuesday. "If anyone is wondering if the American people cared about the Second Amendment ... those numbers give a very clear answer."

Arulanandam is leaving out an important detail.

While some gun owners may feel jittery about the prospects of new legislation, the NRA is also giving them another incentive to join its organization. Since December, the group has been running a major discount membership campaign. The Huffington Post called up the hotline and was offered some impressive deals.

A lifetime membership, which usually goes for $1,000, now costs $300. The group throws in a monthly magazine (the reading variety, not ammunition), a decal for your car, as well as promises of membership discounts on hotels and car rentals. The person who answered the phone thought that a free knife may have come with the offer but, upon checking, she discovered it did not.

A 70 percent discount is a tough deal to pass up. But the hotline was also offering discounts on a yearlong membership. The usual price was $35. It had been knocked down to $20.

Such specials have been much discussed on the Internet, where they have been featured on various gun-related sites. On the NRA's own page, you can sign up for a two-year membership for $50 (usually $60); a three-year membership for $70 (usually $85); and a five-year membership for $100 (usually $125).

The offer ends at the end of February, according to one teller who took a HuffPost call. It appears to have begun before the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which took place on Dec. 14.

"We had it going on for all December and all this month," the teller said.

HuffPost reached out to Arulanandam and asked how much of the last month's spike in NRA membership stemmed from discounted offers. He did not immediately return a request for comment.

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Before You Go

Pivotal Moments In The Federal Gun Control Debate
1981: The Attempted Assassination Of President Ronald Reagan(01 of10)
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on March 30, 1981, President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Reagan's press secretary, Jim Brady, was shot in the head. (credit:Ron Edmonds, AP)
1993: The Brady Handgun Violence Act (02 of10)
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The Brady Handgun Violence Act of 1993, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, mandated that federally licensed dealers complete comprehensive background checks on individuals before selling them a gun. The legislation was named for James Brady, who was shot during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
1994: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act(03 of10)
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The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, instituted a ban on 19 kinds of assault weapons, including Uzis and AK-47s. The crime bill also banned the possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. (An exemption was made for weapons and magazines manufactured prior to the ban.)
2004: Law Banning Magazines Holding More Than Ten Rounds Of Ammunition Expires(04 of10)
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In 2004, ten years after it first became law, Congress allowed a provision banning possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition to expire through a sunset provision. Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke told HuffPost that the expiration of this provision meant that Rep. Gabby Giffords's alleged shooter was able to fire off 20-plus shots without reloading (under the former law he would have had only ten).
2007: The U.S. Court of Appeals For The District Of Columbia Rules In Favor Of Dick Heller(05 of10)
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In 2007 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled to allow Dick Heller, a licensed District police officer, to keep a handgun in his home in Washington, D.C. Following that ruling, the defendants petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
2008: The NICS Improvement Amendments Act(06 of10)
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Following the deadly shooting at Virginia Tech University, Congress passed legislation to require states provide data on mentally unsound individuals to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, with the aim of halting gun purchases by the mentally ill, and others prohibited from possessing firearms. The bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush in January of 2008.
2008: Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban As Unconstitutional(07 of10)
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In June of 2008, the United States Supreme Court upheld the verdict of a lower court ruling the D.C. handgun ban unconstitutional in the landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller.
Gabrielle Giffords And Trayvon Martin Shootings(08 of10)
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Gun control advocates had high hopes that reform efforts would have increased momentum in the wake of two tragic events that rocked the nation.In January of 2011, Jared Loughner opened fire at an event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), killing six and injuring 13, including the congresswoman. Resulting attempts to push gun control legislation proved fruitless, with neither proposal even succeeding in gaining a single GOP co-sponsor.More than a year after that shooting, Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was gunned down by George Zimmerman in an event that some believed would bring increased scrutiny on the nation's Stand Your Ground laws. While there has been increasing discussion over the nature of those statutes, lawmakers were quick to concede that they had little faith the event would effectively spur gun control legislation, thanks largely to the National Rifle Association's vast lobbying power.Read more here: (credit:AP)
Colorado Movie Theater Shooting(09 of10)
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In July of 2012, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on theatergoers attending a midnight premiere of the final film of the latest Batman trilogy, killing 12 and wounding scores more.The suspect, James Eagan Holmes, allegedly carried out the act with a number of handguns, as well as an AR-15 assault rifle with a 100-round drum magazine.Some lawmakers used the incident, which took place in a state with some of the laxest gun control laws, to bring forth legislation designed to place increased regulations on access to such weapons, but many observers, citing previous experience, were hesitant to say that they would be able to overcome the power of the National Rifle Association and Washington gun lobby. (credit:AP)
Sikh Temple Shooting(10 of10)
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On August 5, 2012, white supremacist Wade Michael Page opened fire on a Sikhs gathered at a temple in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six and wounding four more before turning the gun on himself. (credit:AP)
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