NRA Magazines: American Rifleman vs America's First Freedom

In the spirit of arfcom (.45 vs 9mm; MIAD vs TangoDown; M4 bbl vs HBAR; etc, etc, etc), I bring you:

American Rifleman vs America's First Freedom



American Rifleman:

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.

America's First Freedom:

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.

I love AR; it's even got a great acronym/abbreviation.

I read it all the time when I go to visit my in-laws, and I read it at work because I work on a university campus and the library (believe it or not) subscribes to it. I'm there at least once a week, and the archives (up in the stacks) go back to at least 1930. Fucking SCORE.

Still, it *would* be nice to have a copy of my own, and I love, love, LOVE reading the "Armed Citizen" accounts.

That said, it might be nice to get a new [topically-related] magazine. Do any of you have any experience with AFF?

Anyone know if it has an "Armed Citizen" column, as well?

Yes, AFF does have the Armed Citizen column, it's one of my favorites to read, but I don't read it first. I start at the front and work my way towards it. I like AFF because it deals with our first freedom. When I go Legacy Lifetime, I may add AR.

Jason

Originally Posted By beakerello: Yes, AFF does have the Armed Citizen column, it's one of my favorites to read, but I don't read it first. I start at the front and work my way towards it. I like AFF because it deals with our first freedom. When I go Legacy Lifetime, I may add AR. Jason

First thing I read in every issue of AR.

Bring back American Guardian

Originally Posted By JoseyWales: Bring back American Guardian

Why does that sound familiar?

Maybe I'm a black sheep.
The first things I look at Am. Rifleman are the pics of the firearms, then the articles.

I'll be you say the same thing about Playboy (if you even read the articles in it).

Heathen.

btt for the morning crew

Went with America's First Freedom.

Will be back with Range Report.


ETA: Also check out snazzy new forum title and sigline.

E22CAPT gets Rifleman, and I got AFF under my membership. I personally prefer AFF because I'm more interested in the politics than the Rifleman type articles- reviews, hunting articles, etc.

They both have their places.

I get American Rifleman.

I like Bed-Head's idea, I need to sign up my wife.

Originally Posted By Bama-Shooter: Originally Posted By beakerello: Yes, AFF does have the Armed Citizen column, it's one of my favorites to read, but I don't read it first. I start at the front and work my way towards it. I like AFF because it deals with our first freedom. When I go Legacy Lifetime, I may add AR. Jason First thing I read in every issue of AR.

To my kowledge, all NRA publications have the armed citizen column in it.

And I take AR. Great article on caseless ammo this month.

Originally Posted By Conju: I take AR. Great article on caseless ammo this month.

Thanks for the heads-up. I will be in the campus library later this afternoon, so I will be sure to check that one out.

Originally Posted By wise_jake: I'll be you say the same thing about Playboy (if you even read the articles in it). Heathen.

Well...Then, nothing is wrong with that kind of black sheep.

First Freedom here. I love it, great magazine. Also, I really find their localized election coverage very handy!

I get AFF.

I read the First Things First section...first.

I tell my students...

If you want more info on guns & gear, get AR
If you want more on gun politics, get AFF

I get AFF & Guns&Ammo. That pretty much fills out the required reading (besides the obligatory Penthouse subscription

Originally Posted By kissfan: I get AFF & Guns&Ammo. That pretty much fills out the required reading (besides the obligatory Penthouse subscription

Since you "get both," how does that work? Your LM covers one mag, but they charge you $10 annually for the second?

Originally Posted By wise_jake: Originally Posted By kissfan: I get AFF & Guns&Ammo. That pretty much fills out the required reading (besides the obligatory Penthouse subscription Since you "get both," how does that work? Your LM covers one mag, but they charge you $10 annually for the second?

No. Guns & Ammo isn't an NRA publication.

D'oh!

You said "Guns & Ammo" but my mind read "American Rifleman."

Does anyone know how it would work if I ordered both AFF and AR?

Originally Posted By wise_jake: D'oh! You said "Guns & Ammo" but my mind read "American Rifleman." Does anyone know how it would work if I ordered both AFF and AR?

According to the 'join' page...

"Receive a 1 year additional magazine subscription for $9.95."

Call them & add it to your membership. The number is on the back of your card.

Thanks, Mike. I wasn't sure, but I thought I'd remembered reading that somewhere.

I prefer AFF because I can get info on the guns anywhere but I only get the political info in AFF. YMMV.

AFF here. I look forward to every month. I really like the information I gain from reading it regarding gun politics, laws and current events regarding RKBA. Just my .02

I get both.

AFF here...

America's 1st Freedom...FTW!!!

+1 America's First Freedom

I like AR. FF is stuff that I have read up on using internet-fu usually long before I have got the m-zine in the mail. AR is more interesting to me.

I'm really enjoying America's First Freedom.

I surf arf (including Politics & Activism forum) and several other pro-gun/enthusiast sites, but just reading it tonight, there's at least important 10 things I learned that I did not know previously.

I will read AR when we go to visit the in-laws, and I may just end up adding it anyway.

I prefer AFF because I can get info on the guns anywhere but I only get the political info in AFF. YMMV.

This follows my reasoning. I look at the political aspects as the most important, though I wish it wasn't. If we allow somone to get in office that doesn't believe in the right to bear arms then you may get blindsided or be wishing you would have known this or that about a candidate, especially local elections where a candidates history is not known as well. Next thing you know you won't even be able to own a certain kind of gun in your city or state and you will just be able to read about them and wish you could own one. I do subscribe to G&A also, so in no way am I saying that "more" gun oriented magazines are bad, I just see the political aspect as the #1 priority. I am member of the military and it suprises me how many other soldiers I meet who are really into guns that don't know anything about the national or their own state politicians. I am constantly informing them of the "mistakes" they would be making by voting for certain individuals. Alot of this information I get from FF and to this day I have signed up 15 soldiers for the 1 year free membership to the NRA, just so that they can get informed on the fights that the right to bear arms faces.

Another one here for AFF. The truly best way to prepare for anything is to first understand the politics involved. Makes us better citizens.

AFF for me.

American Guardian...[>:/]

GET BOTH!

AR for me, AFF for my girl. Best of both worlds.

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