The American Rifleman
Gun control, possibly the most heatedly debated subject of this generation greatly contributes to dividing of our nation. These two words, gun control, have the ability to light a burning passion inside an individual. This can be either a burning hate for the topic, or a burning wish for the elimination of firearms from our society. The National Rifle Association (NRA) magazine, The American Rifleman, has articles tailored for people with the former opinion. With over five million members as of 2013 (according to USA Today), the NRA is looked at by many Americans, and especially the media, as representatives of gun owning men and women in the US. I have been a subscriber to this magazine for a few years now. Upon some analysis I have discovered that the majority of this magazine is made up of advertisements that are disguised as articles.
On the first page of the magazine the reader is met by two ads, the first for a compact carry pistol, like most ads for handguns. The ad shows the different forms the gun comes in, such as one model with tritium night sights and a laser, and the different colors, stainless, “Bel Air blue” with a mirror polish slide, and black and silver. The adjacent ad is much more interesting. The top of the page reads “BALLISTIC LIE DETECTOR” in large bold letters. Pictured is a doppler radar, in the corner there a small picture of a couple boxes of bullets. The ad is for the ammunition, claiming that ballistic tests made by other parties about their ammo is incorrect. Hornady, claims their ammo is “Accurate, Deadly, Dependable.” About half of The American Rifleman is advertisements, which is the case for most magazines. Every article there is a “tribute” firearm. Usually honoring a certain war, but some honoring certain people, one such as Elvis Presley. Scattered between the rest of the pages are ads for guns, scopes, stocks, ammunition, holsters, trucks, and even tobacco. If these were the only advertisements in the magazine the magazine wouldn’t just be ads, but many articles in The American Rifleman leave the reader feeling that they just read an ad. One example of these disguised advertisements is an “article” about the Mossberg 590 Shockwave. The Shockwave is a shotgun created with home defense in mind as the main purpose for the firearm. Shotguns are considered optimal for home defense because other firearms like rifles, and handguns fire singular bullets, instead of a spread of shot, a bunch of tiny metal pellets. Bullets are much more likely to penetrate the walls or doors of a home, potentially injuring other inhabitants of the dwelling. Shot from a shotgun is small and the way it spreads makes it ineffective at long distance, but in close quarters environment does massive amounts of damage to the target, while minimizing collateral damage. The[AM1] shot is too small to penetrate walls enough to harm others, making a shotgun the perfect tool for home defense. Most shotguns used for hunting are long barreled to make the shot go farther as to hit birds flying through the sky. These shotguns also have solid stocks to brace against as you fire the gun making repeated shots easier. When moving throughout the halls and rooms of a home such a large weapon is impractical. The article opens with a reminder of these facts, and follows up talking about the small form of the Mossberg 590 Shockwave already starting to poke the reader towards why they should purchase this particular firearm. Next the “article” talks about how the barrel length of the Shockwave is a …show more content…
The most interesting segment in the magazine is called “The Armed Citizen” this section compiles 8-10 different stories of American’s legally defending their homes, property, and loved ones with their firearms. In the most recent edition the story of a seventeen year old girl who defended herself against an attempted burglar is told. Alongside her a seventy-two year old man who fought of carjackers with his concealed handgun, and a man who defended his wife and baby from a home intruder are featured. Every story cites a news source where the story was pulled from, showing the legitimacy of the
Gun control, possibly the most heatedly debated subject of this generation greatly contributes to dividing of our nation. These two words, gun control, have the ability to light a burning passion inside an individual. This can be either a burning hate for the topic, or a burning wish for the elimination of firearms from our society. The National Rifle Association (NRA) magazine, The American Rifleman, has articles tailored for people with the former opinion. With over five million members as of 2013 (according to USA Today), the NRA is looked at by many Americans, and especially the media, as representatives of gun owning men and women in the US. I have been a subscriber to this magazine for a few years now. Upon some analysis I have discovered that the majority of this magazine is made up of advertisements that are disguised as articles.
On the first page of the magazine the reader is met by two ads, the first for a compact carry pistol, like most ads for handguns. The ad shows the different forms the gun comes in, such as one model with tritium night sights and a laser, and the different colors, stainless, “Bel Air blue” with a mirror polish slide, and black and silver. The adjacent ad is much more interesting. The top of the page reads “BALLISTIC LIE DETECTOR” in large bold letters. Pictured is a doppler radar, in the corner there a small picture of a couple boxes of bullets. The ad is for the ammunition, claiming that ballistic tests made by other parties about their ammo is incorrect. Hornady, claims their ammo is “Accurate, Deadly, Dependable.” About half of The American Rifleman is advertisements, which is the case for most magazines. Every article there is a “tribute” firearm. Usually honoring a certain war, but some honoring certain people, one such as Elvis Presley. Scattered between the rest of the pages are ads for guns, scopes, stocks, ammunition, holsters, trucks, and even tobacco. If these were the only advertisements in the magazine the magazine wouldn’t just be ads, but many articles in The American Rifleman leave the reader feeling that they just read an ad. One example of these disguised advertisements is an “article” about the Mossberg 590 Shockwave. The Shockwave is a shotgun created with home defense in mind as the main purpose for the firearm. Shotguns are considered optimal for home defense because other firearms like rifles, and handguns fire singular bullets, instead of a spread of shot, a bunch of tiny metal pellets. Bullets are much more likely to penetrate the walls or doors of a home, potentially injuring other inhabitants of the dwelling. Shot from a shotgun is small and the way it spreads makes it ineffective at long distance, but in close quarters environment does massive amounts of damage to the target, while minimizing collateral damage. The[AM1] shot is too small to penetrate walls enough to harm others, making a shotgun the perfect tool for home defense. Most shotguns used for hunting are long barreled to make the shot go farther as to hit birds flying through the sky. These shotguns also have solid stocks to brace against as you fire the gun making repeated shots easier. When moving throughout the halls and rooms of a home such a large weapon is impractical. The article opens with a reminder of these facts, and follows up talking about the small form of the Mossberg 590 Shockwave already starting to poke the reader towards why they should purchase this particular firearm. Next the “article” talks about how the barrel length of the Shockwave is a …show more content…
The most interesting segment in the magazine is called “The Armed Citizen” this section compiles 8-10 different stories of American’s legally defending their homes, property, and loved ones with their firearms. In the most recent edition the story of a seventeen year old girl who defended herself against an attempted burglar is told. Alongside her a seventy-two year old man who fought of carjackers with his concealed handgun, and a man who defended his wife and baby from a home intruder are featured. Every story cites a news source where the story was pulled from, showing the legitimacy of the