NRA Magazines: American Rifleman vs America's First Freedom

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - NRA Magazines: American Rifleman vs America's First Freedom

Posted: 8/1/2008 6:25:26 AM EDT

Admittedly, sort of a dupe post, but only because I know not everyone goes to the NRA Activism forum (even though they should).

Quoted:
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 also 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?

By the way, that last question has been answered in the other thread; apparently, America's First Freedom *does* have a monthly "Armed Citizen" column.

So now I would just like commentary comparing the two magazines, from people who know both, and/or commentary from people who solely have experience with America's First Freedom.

I don't really need any commentary on or reviews of American Rifleman, because it's a publication I am well-versed in.

Thanks in advance.

Posted: 8/1/2008 6:39:54 AM EDT

[#1]

I get AR.

Tag for AFF info.

Posted: 8/1/2008 6:45:38 AM EDT

[#2]

I really enjoy First Freedom. Its got some good illuminating articles, but its bias is obvious and pronounced. I like to cut out my name from the delivery page, and leave them in doctor/dentist/planned parenthood waiting rooms. Its like sabotage.

Posted: 8/1/2008 7:46:46 AM EDT

[#3]

Went with America's First Freedom.

Will be back with Range Report.

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

Posted: 8/1/2008 8:11:06 AM EDT

[#4]

I get both. About half of the material in each magazine is the same. It's just the major articles that differ.

Posted: 8/1/2008 8:22:54 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I get both. About half of the material in each magazine is the same. It's just the major articles that differ.

LOL. In true ARFCOM fashion.

Posted: 8/1/2008 8:37:56 AM EDT

[#6]

I get both, too. And that decision predates my ARFCOM involvement.

As was posted earlier, there's a bit of redundant material which mostly mimics stuff you can find at the various NRA websites - Armed Citizen, the columns by top NRA folks, and upcoming events. The rest of the articles are the main diference. AR goes into hunting articles and shooting technical articles, while AFF deals more with news/politics. Together, the 2 magazines make for good reading.

Posted: 8/1/2008 8:42:02 AM EDT

[#7]

American Rifleman. Some really interesting articles on the old and new guns.

BTW: I have been a life member for about 20 years now, and I notice that AR is getting thinner and thinner over the past years. It used to have about 175 pages, now it is down to about 125 or so. But then all magazines seems to be thinner today than the previous years. I guess the effects of rising cost of paper, postage, and other general costs.

Posted: 8/1/2008 8:46:29 AM EDT

[#8]

I paid for a subscription to AFF in addition to getting AR, so I may have some insight for you.

First, the most important info in either magazine is in both. The Armed Citizen, the columns from the leadership, etc.

Second, the articles unique to AFF were decidedly dated by the time you get the magazine. Anything important enough to make it into the magazine is something that you can guarantee has been posted already on all the major gun boards and has been discussed ad nauseum.

Third, the articles on historical guns in AR contain info that is far more obscure and less likely to have been common knowledge for months before you finally read about it in the magazine. :)

American Rifleman is head and shoulders above America's First Freedom.

Posted: 8/1/2008 10:20:25 AM EDT

[#9]

Well crap.

Posted: 8/1/2008 10:24:28 AM EDT

[#10]

In before the NRA bashers.

Posted: 8/1/2008 11:08:15 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I get both. About half of the material in each magazine is the same. It's just the major articles that differ.

LOL. In true ARFCOM fashion.

yeah same I like american rifleman it has better articles most of the information in first freedom is very dated by the time i get it.

Posted: 8/1/2008 4:45:10 PM EDT

[#12]

I had a subscription to AFF for a while, but noticed that most of the stories and issues had already been covered (and beaten to death!) on the internet by the time they made it into print.

IMO, AFF is fine if you don't get this whole interweb thing, and don't mind reading about news that happened 3-4 months ago...

The long lead time associated with print media makes it much better suited for less-timely material - such as the product reviews in AR. So, I would suggest that most ARFCOMers will get more out of a subscription to AR.

Posted: 8/1/2008 4:47:53 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
I really enjoy First Freedom. Its got some good illuminating articles, but its bias is obvious and pronounced. I like to cut out my name from the delivery page, and leave them in doctor/dentist/planned parenthood waiting rooms. Its like sabotage.

i am going to steal this idea

Posted: 8/1/2008 5:01:28 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
I had a subscription to AFF for a while, but noticed that most of the stories and issues had already been covered (and beaten to death!) on the internet by the time they made it into print.

In light of what you and about a hundred other people have said regarding this, it is now my considered opinion that AFF should reposition itself to be more about 2A/RKBA ideas and theory instead of news.

What passes for AFF at the moment could be dealt with much better as a monthly e-newsletter, or section of the website.

Yes, I would feel sorry for the people who don't "get" the Intarwebs and would miss out, but maybe they could still get a few pages in the back.

Posted: 8/1/2008 5:03:18 PM EDT

[#15]

Just Rifleman here, maybe should adjust.

Posted: 8/1/2008 5:24:00 PM EDT

[#16]

First freedom - all the way. NRA does a LOT of good. Its important we help keep them on topic & encourage them to FIGHT now that we have Heller on our side.

D.

BTW - I have been described as an "NRA basher." Truth is, we need the NRA AND we need to help reform the NRA into an even more potent political force than it is - a force that protects not only old hunting guns and trap shotguns - but ALSO the AR-15 rifle and handguns too.

Posted: 8/1/2008 5:27:29 PM EDT

[#17]

I love AFF. Good rag.

Blake

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - NRA Magazines: American Rifleman vs America's First Freedom

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