Dale Brown said:
I've never been a member, but from what I've been reading on the forum, people have failed to renew their membership in protest.
I guess that people who have paid their dues over the years and watched the group stray farther from it's original goals are feeling vindicated by the declining numbers.
Well the Organization has changed, and so has Muzzleloading. In 1933 When the NMLRA was formed there was No Pyrodex, No BP Substitute, No Inlines, and it was all Traditional Front Stuffers.
Today 2006 if you look at the Advertisement in Muzzle Blast you see ads for Black Powder Cartridge Rifles & Supplies, Pyrodex, BP Substitute, Inlines. Think those ads are nessessary to keep the magazine in the black.
Funny thing is that many who use to come to the Range I go to and volunteer at use to come with their inlines, and several have made the Switch to Traditional Type Percussion Rifles, or Flinters as they saw the fun in Traditional Muzzleloaders.
Think if Muzzle Blast & the NMLRA stopped taking ads from those who sell Black Powder Cartridge Rifles & Supplies, Pyrodex, BP Substitute, & Inlines Muzzle Blast would be about 1/2 the size it is, and the NMLRA Dues would jump up again to maybe 50-75 Buck/year.
Also advertising rates/page, or partial page advertising rates are based upon circulation that is tied directly to Membership.
Again photo, and editorial rates paid to contributing writer & photographers would is again based upon membership. As the membership is the circulation of the magazine.
Another reason to build Muzzle Blast into a Magazine that could be sold on the New Stand to Non Members like the American Rifleman.
This would also boost advertising rates based upon the extra copies sold/circulation on the News Stand when the ABC Audits Circulation.
Plus you could attract more contributing gun writers & photographers to Muzzle Blast with higher rate paid for stories & photo packages....