National Organisations moans and whinges here only folks

[ugly]

Lets have your horror stories and your good news here.
I personally have always rated the NSRA over the NRA and in particular Geoff Doe who almost secured funding for our range before Dunblane killed it off.
As for the NRA or Notional Rifle Association, they are neither national nor organised. I am sure that other orgs and associations have more members and should have a seat at the negotiating table with Govt. Lets face it without the HBSA and MLAGB we wouldnt even have section 7 pistols!

 

[mac1]

seems to me anything halfway robust/militant doesn't get that far - SRA/SAGBNI?

People slate NRA of America to be too uncompromising; I think they have to be simply to keep things standing still.

 

[ugly]

Agreed!

 

[Trevor_H]

seems to me anything halfway robust/militant doesn't get that far - SRA/SAGBNI?

A long time ago, (IE pre Dunblane), I was the Secretary of a Pistol Club. Our main base was a 25m indoor range in a TAVR centre, where we shot .22LR. We did graduate to shooting else where, full bore disciplines such as PP1, Service Pistol B, and a bit of Practical. We also got on to a bit of competition circuit around London and the Home Counties, with many of us competing at the AD meetings at Bisley as well to have a go at different things.

To get the use of the TA range from which other venues and thence other disciplines could be had, we had to affiliate to either the NSRA or NRA, and be insured by them. Neither organisation seemed particularly interested in anything other than target rifle. Not really relevant to us pistol shooters who felt we would be better tying in with the NPA or UKPSA, they were relevant and fought the shooters corner. The club was also affiliated to the SRA which was a pressure group rather than a "governing body".

I was instructed by the committee to pursue dropping the NSRA who we were with in favour of the NPA. Affiliating to both was not an option due to funds lack of. I initially approached TAVRA, who told me it was NSRA or NRA or no range. I did follow this up and eventually got a response from the MOD, which in a nutshell said we had to affiliate to an organisation which encouraged proficiency in the basic arm used by an infantryman, the rifle.

Totally irrelevant to us as pistol shooters, as would be our target rifles if we had them, to what an infantryman was issued with and using at the time. (IIRC the SA80 was just being phased in.)

The point, and I will get there, is that effectively the NSRA and NRA are part of the establishment and it isn’t in their interest to change the status quo or upset the government. Going elsewhere is not to be encouraged.

Before Dunblane was Hungerford, I seem to recall both organisations not exactly taking a robust line in defence of the shooting sports then at that point in time either.

 

[mac1]

Before Dunblane was Hungerford, I seem to recall both organisations not exactly taking a robust line in defence of the shooting sports then at that point in time either.

hmmmn...

For some time now I've considered these 2 to be worse than useless; not only do they not defend shooting sports, they're quite happy to collude with the govt in banning anything that doesn't affect them.

 

[ugly]

Before Dunblane was Hungerford, I seem to recall both organisations not exactly taking a robust line in defence of the shooting sports then at that point in time either.

hmmmn...

For some time now I've considered these 2 to be worse than useless; not only do they not defend shooting sports, they're quite happy to collude with the govt in banning anything that doesn't affect them.

I always agreed with both of the above but I did find the NSRA more helpful at issues such as building ranges, aquiring land etc.
These orgs (not national and not organised) both face being dissolved and made into a bigger national shooting sports association but the poison has had its effect and there are many like us who hate these self serving types who only sit on committees to hear their own voice and promote their own sports to the detriment of others. I particularly lost it big time when the NRA replied to the Home Office consultation on firearms law recomending a general tightening up and mandatory pre cert issue training with them as the sole providers!
Gravelbelly will be along to defend these people but lets face it they both lost their way in the 80's.