The growing pro-firearms non-profit Socialist Rifle Association is bristling after receiving a letter from the CEO of the NSSF, a popular alternative to the NRA, informing them that the SRA’s membership has been rescinded. The reason cited in the letter (attached below) specifies that the NSSF “embraces free-market capitalism” and “is aware of (sic) that your organization does not share these same values”

On Monday, July 22nd, the SRA received an email informing us that our membership in the NSSF had been rescinded and our $200 nonprofit membership dues were refunded. In a followup email, a representative of the organization claimed that the NSSF stands for “free market capitalism” and that a socialist organization being a member of their trade association would be contrary to their “core values”. Further, they claimed both publicly and in the followup email that the SRA had joined through their “automated membership system”, with the clear insinuation that they had accepted our membership without knowledge of our organization’s values and purpose.

– Socialist Rifle Association

The NSSF claims that the SRA was only granted membership due to their application process being automated. The SRA refutes this claim in their public statement, stating “we followed up with both phone and email correspondence to set up our account and spoke to an individual claiming the title of “Manager, Retail and Range Services”. While setting up our online account, an NSSF employee even created the temporary password “Socialist1″ for us.” The statement includes a follow-up email from NSSF Director of Public Affairs, Mike Oliva:

The public statement shifts the blame from the NSSF as a whole to the board members of the foundation. The SRA statement elaborates, noting that it believes their membership was initially called into question on online forums like the one at AR15.com. In an archived forum thread, user noFoTeeneR said “US taxpayers payed good money to train me to kill commies. I don’t intend to betray that by associating with them, in any capacity. Better dead than red.” Most, but not all, of the comments slammed the NSSF for granting the SRA membership. User texassooner said “More people with guns is a good thing [in my opinion].”

The SRA’s statement shames the NSSF for the expulsion and expresses a desire for acceptance of firearms and pro-Second Amendment beliefs among the US political left. ” The SRA not only represents gun owners who align politically to the left, but also minority groups and members of the LGBTQ+ community who feel unwelcome in many circles that claim to support the Second Amendment rights of ALL Americans. The people that make up these circles represent the same voices that seem to have scared the NSSF away from its initial decision to broaden its scope to include a large contingent of gun owners that feel voiceless in regards to mainstream gun politics.”