handgunsmag.com A recent issue of Handguns.
The Bangor Daily
Though print journalism largely remains in the financial doldrums, there’s at least one sector that’s maintaining its buoyancy in these days of political ferment and latent social unrest: gun magazines. AdWeek recently reported that four separate firearms publications saw significant circulation boosts over the first half of 2013. American Riflemanand America’s 1st Freedom, both published by the National Rifle Association, saw circulation increases of 14 percent and 8 percent, respectively, compared with the first half of 2012. Guns & Ammo and Handguns magazines, both issued by the publisher InterMedia Outdoors, saw respective jumps of 16 percent and 7 percent. These numbers are especially impressive when compared with those of other magazine sectors; fashion magazines and celebrity weeklies all reported reduced single-copy sales.
What makes these magazines so popular? The obvious answer is that a lot of people like guns. (End of blog post—thanks for reading!) But is there anything else to it? I went to a bookstore and bought the latest issues of Handguns andGuns & Ammo to see what I could find. I also picked up a copy of Rifle Firepower, a newer magazine that is all about—you guessed it—rifles and the firepower they so ably provide.
My main takeaway is that these are all essentially car magazines. They feature money shots of various guns, plenty of product reviews, and geeky, unbridled enthusiasm for their subject matter. They rarely stray into politics. If you don’t own a gun, there’s no real reason for you to read them.
Could that explain it, the fact that the gun magazines don't go into politics? First of all, I don't believe it. Without even looking at them, I can't believe they don't have articles about the 2nd Amendment and about freedom and about government oppression. But, regardless, I reject that suggestion.
Gun owners, being made up of mainly old, fat, white men, could it be that a significant percentage of them are computer illiterate? Obvioulsy that would exclude the fanatical pro-gun commenters who come around here, who will certainly respond with their usual contentious hurt feelings, but is it possible that at large, many gun owners either don't have computers at all or are so uncomfortable with them that they still reach for paper publications?
What do you think?
Debate Magazine
handgunsmag.com A recent issue of Handguns.
The Bangor Daily
Though print journalism largely remains in the financial doldrums, there’s at least one sector that’s maintaining its buoyancy in these days of political ferment and latent social unrest: gun magazines. AdWeek recently reported that four separate firearms publications saw significant circulation boosts over the first half of 2013. American Riflemanand America’s 1st Freedom, both published by the National Rifle Association, saw circulation increases of 14 percent and 8 percent, respectively, compared with the first half of 2012. Guns & Ammo and Handguns magazines, both issued by the publisher InterMedia Outdoors, saw respective jumps of 16 percent and 7 percent. These numbers are especially impressive when compared with those of other magazine sectors; fashion magazines and celebrity weeklies all reported reduced single-copy sales.
What makes these magazines so popular? The obvious answer is that a lot of people like guns. (End of blog post—thanks for reading!) But is there anything else to it? I went to a bookstore and bought the latest issues of Handguns andGuns & Ammo to see what I could find. I also picked up a copy of Rifle Firepower, a newer magazine that is all about—you guessed it—rifles and the firepower they so ably provide.
My main takeaway is that these are all essentially car magazines. They feature money shots of various guns, plenty of product reviews, and geeky, unbridled enthusiasm for their subject matter. They rarely stray into politics. If you don’t own a gun, there’s no real reason for you to read them.
Could that explain it, the fact that the gun magazines don't go into politics? First of all, I don't believe it. Without even looking at them, I can't believe they don't have articles about the 2nd Amendment and about freedom and about government oppression. But, regardless, I reject that suggestion.
Gun owners, being made up of mainly old, fat, white men, could it be that a significant percentage of them are computer illiterate? Obvioulsy that would exclude the fanatical pro-gun commenters who come around here, who will certainly respond with their usual contentious hurt feelings, but is it possible that at large, many gun owners either don't have computers at all or are so uncomfortable with them that they still reach for paper publications?
What do you think?
