In talking with friends at the high point of the gun talk after Sandy Hook - I said to them that the NRA has a registry of gun owners in their member list.
Now I don't know what it takes to be a member - but if you fill out a membership application form for the NRA - does it ask the question: Do you own a gun? Does it have a fill in the blank as to what kind it it or how many you might have?
Even if it doesn't ask that info - their membership rolls - is a good indicator or registry of people that have guns.
I'm sure that the NRA probably uses a mailing house to mail out info to its enrolled members. So it's a good bet that that listing/registry of members is in the hands of others than the NRA.
Additional Info:
I just visited the NRA website and clicked on Join. It doesn't ask any questions about guns - whether you own one or how many you might have.
But in a round about way - one could probably get a good feeling as to why a person joined the NRA and what kind of gun enthusiast they are and maybe even a clue to what types of guns one might own.
As a member - when you join - one opts for a subscription to a magazine as a benefit of membership. They have 4 to choose from:
1. American Rifleman: (with the following description) - With more than one million readers, NRA's flagship magazine, AMERICAN RIFLEMAN, is the largest circulation firearms magazine in the world. Featuring stories of interest to gun enthusiasts of every kind -- from competitive shooters and hunters to reloaders and gun collectors -- the monthly magazine also delivers impartial reviews of rifles, shotguns, handguns and shooting equipment, technical analysis and expert advice, state and federal legislative updates, and regional reports on local events and facilities.
2. American Hunter: (with the following description) - NRA's magazine for outdoors men and women, AMERICAN HUNTER is the most popular -- and largest circulation -- all-hunting magazine in the world, with nearly one million readers. Offering expertise on how and where to hunt all types of North American game, the magazine encourages readers to take advantage of the rich opportunities most Americans take for granted and to pass along the tradition to the next generation. Reviews of hunting equipment and services, as well as coverage of legislative and political developments of interest to hunters, are highlights in each issue.
3. American First Freedom: (with the following description) - NRA's first pure news magazine, America's First Freedom, delivers timely, hard-hitting journalism that tells the truth about the threats to our Second Amendment rights. It features an editorial profile that clearly defines the issues surrounding the one belief that insures all our freedoms -- the Second Amendment.
4. NRA Insights - News For Young Shooters: (with the following description) - INSIGHTS, NRA's monthly digital publication for junior members, caters to all ages and skill levels among them. From the youngster eager to learn gun safety and shoot his first BB gun, to the high school smallbore competitor on her way to Olympic Gold, young people turn to INSIGHTS for its fun-filled, action-packed coverage of safety, achievement and excellence in the shooting sports.
If you read these descriptions - they refer to one's interest in gun ownership. Think about it - what type of gun owner would subscribe to American First Freedom Magazine?
So in a round about way the NRA's membership listing - is a good indicator of those that have guns and what their interest is in having a gun(s).
Now I know that there are probably a lot of people out there that have guns that aren't members of the NRA. But the very thing that NRA comes out against - a gun registry - they actually have a very good facsimile of a gun registry - and they are in a way conning their very members.
= new reply since forum marked as read
THE NRA.. as in National Rifle Association.. the they are coming to get our guns people.. the ones that have been claiming the Obama Administration was taking all their information down so they could track where the guns were.. That is rich.. I have been unplugged from the TV for a few days.. thanks for the update
