A Better Sweepstakes

The Gun Thing

Received in the mail:  the NRA’s latest sweepstakes details — “Win 44 guns!” or something — which works as follows:

Out of a total of 44 guns, First Prize Winner must select 12 guns from Group A, 2nd Prize Winner 10 guns from Group B, 3rd Prize winner 8 guns from Group C, and so on.

Sounds good, but there’s a HUGE problem with the way it’s set up.  Here, for example, are the 18 guns from the 1st Prize selection, which I’ve grouped for easier comprehension:

Semi-Auto Rifles
Armalite M-15 Tactical Light Carbine (5.56mm/.223)
Bushmaster XM-10 Standard (7.62mm NATO)
Savage Arms MS Recon (.224 Valkyrie)
SIG M400 Elite TI (5.56mm)
Benelli R1 (.338 Win Mag)

Bolt-Action Rifles
Browning X-Bolt (6.5mm Creedmoor)
Remington 700 XCR (.308 Win)
Winchester 70 Extreme SS (.30-06)

Semi-Auto Pistols
Colt Delta Elite (10mm)
Desert Eagle (.44Mag)
Kimber 1911 Raptor II (.45 ACP)
S&W SW1911 Performance Center (9mm)

Revolvers
S&W 500 (.500 S&W Mag)
Colt King Cobra (.357 Mag)

Shotguns
Benelli Vinci (12ga)
Beretta A440 Extreme Plus (12ga)
Remington 870 (20ga)
Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen (16ga)

It’s a decent-enough selection of guns, I suppose — but the problem is that I would only want to own a few of them (4/18), namely:

  • Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen (16ga)
  • Remington 870 (20ga)
  • Kimber 1911 Raptor II (.45ACP)
  • Colt King Cobra (.357 Mag)

,,,and I’m kinda iffy about the short barrels on the last two anyway.  The rest of the guns are either in the wrong chambering (.224 Valkyrie?), duplicates of stuff I already own (.30x bolties), or a type of firearm I don’t care to own anyway (AR-15 variants) — even for free.  (If I were promiscuous when it came to guns, then I could take any of the eighteen, but I’m not That Guy.)

The same, by the way, is true of every other group of guns they’ve arranged for the prize winners:  3/10 in 2nd Prize, 5/8 in 3rd Prize, 3/6 in 4th Prize, and 1/4 in 5th Prize.  And of these prize guns, only a couple get me really  panting.

But here’s what’s interesting.  If you add up all my choices across the prize groups, you’d get 16 in total — and if pushed I could easily trim that to 8 or 10.

So why shouldn’t the NRA ask contestants to rank their top 10 favorites (out of the 44) on their entry forms, with a guarantee they’d get at least eight guns for 1st prize, six for 2nd, etc.  That way, contestants would get at least some  guns they actually want/need, instead of moaning that all the guns they wanted were in 4th Prize and they’d won 2nd instead, which contained only one favorite.

Yes, there might be a duplicate or two, but that’s not important.  And the NRA could share the “favorites” aggregate with the various gun manufacturers — and let me tell ya, that info is valuable.

Here’s the thing:  right now, I have little inclination to enter the sweepstakes, not only because I know it’s just a ploy for the NRA to get extra donations, but also because quite frankly, I don’t care for many of the guns they’re offering and even if I won a prize, it’s not worth my time to fill in the stupid form.

And because this wouldn’t be a Kim post without at least some kind of “favorites” list, here are my Top 10 Guns from all prize offerings in the NRA’s Stupid Sweepstakes, in order of “want”:

  1. Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine (3rd Prize)
  2. Remington 870 in 20ga (1st Prize)
  3. Savage 110 in .300 Win Mag (3rd Prize)
  4. Remington 1911 R1 in .45 ACP (4th Prize)
  5. Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen 16ga (1stPrize)
  6. Marlin 1895 in .45-70 Govt (4th Prize)
  7. Henry Golden Boy lever rifle in .22 LR (2nd Prize)
  8. Ruger SP101 in .38 Spec (5th Prize)
  9. CZ 557 in .243 Win (2nd Prize)
  10. Winchester 94 carbine in .30-30 (4th Prize)

Feel free to add your own thoughts in Comments.

15 comments

  1. I guess someone wins this stuff and I even filled one out and sent it in several years ago and I had the same problem. I could pick four or five that I might really want and the rest were just kind of stocking stuffers to make up 12 guns chosen. Although I wold have a few duplicates I could enjoy your top ten guns with the exception of the Savage 110 300 mag which would kill my shoulder and I already have one in 22-250 which suits me.

    I have been wondering if these promotions are NRA or Ak-Mac PR people who are not going away and while I will remain an NRA guy they certainly won’t get any more money from me than my annual re-up. Of course the Brewer III law firm in Dallas has themselves imbedded in the mess and through my retired atty brother-in-law in Dallas who helped get sanctions on Brewer III I think the NRA is up to their self-serving necks in sleaze and slime. Just saying…..

    1. I’m guessing this was put together by some Ak-Mac staffer who knows as much about guns as I know about current popular music.

  2. Up until (runs out of fingers, removes shoes, damn this is hard, gets pencil and paper) 32 days ago I never bothered with the NRA sweepstakes because either many of the guns were Verboten in NJ or NYC, or it would take me years and mountains of paperwork to take delivery and would have the authorities up my ass checking to see if my hair is parted straight.

    Now? The local fire and rescue squad is having a gun raffle today as a fund raiser. I (expletive deleted)ing LOVE living in America! Unfortunately I didn’t participate in the raffle because I’ve not yet established my PA proof of residency, but next time!

    1. Ah yes! Pennsylvania and gun raffles. Fire departments, Lions Clubs, Gun Clubs…all have them. I think even the Democratic party has them….OK not the Democrats. Go to the raffle in the fire hall, eat, drink, tell lies about MOA and your pet reload, shake hands with politicians, see folks you only see at the raffle every year. And maybe win a gun you don’t particularly want but …hey you won something. Yeah, America!

      Can’t do this in NY.

  3. Well, if I can’t have a Colt Python in stainless and black grips with 6″ barrel and target sights I’ll settle for that King Cobra. Desert Eagle would be kinda cool, just because. I’m indifferent to all the others even though I pretty much like all guns. What, no levers? An 1883 in 45-70, stainless with black furniture and a 30″ barrel would be nice.

  4. I’d take any of these, if you were giving them away.
    Fun for the grandkids to play with …
    Armalite M-15 Tactical Light Carbine (5.56mm/.223)
    SIG M400 Elite TI (5.56mm)

    It’s not possible to have too many 7.62×51 weapons …
    Bushmaster XM-10 Standard (7.62mm NATO)
    Remington 700 XCR (.308 Win)

    Good for attracting attention on range day. Meeting new friends …
    Desert Eagle (.44Mag)
    Colt King Cobra (.357 Mag)

    Girls need guns too …
    Remington 870 (20ga)
    Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen (16ga) (Homage to JMB.)

    As for the others … who needs more weird ammo?
    Savage Arms MS Recon (.224 Valkyrie)
    Benelli R1 (.338 Win Mag)
    Winchester 70 Extreme SS (.30-06)
    Colt Delta Elite (10mm)
    S&W 500 (.500 S&W Mag)

    What, another Kimber recall?
    Kimber 1911 Raptor II (.45 ACP)

    How many keys do I get for that lock? Oh, no lock? How many safeties then? S&W FY.
    S&W SW1911 Performance Center (9mm)

    Like all Italian machinery and Italian women, too … more fun to look at than use.
    Benelli Vinci (12ga)
    Beretta A440 Extreme Plus (12ga)

      1. Yep, us old people are old – had the same reaction to 30-06 being weird. I only have two guns in that caliber along with maybe 300 rounds. It’s still a great rifle to reach out a touch someone.

        1. It’s weird if I don’t stock it. How about that for a good operating definition?
          I had a semi-auto in .30-06 about 40 years ago. I got tired of waiting for the long action to cycle ;-).

          1. 30-06 is AMERICAS ammo dammit! From the time when we were at our pinnacle and kicked ass on both sides of the planet and fed the British and Russians to boot. Anyone who calls themselves a gun buff has to have an ’06. And an M1 Garand!

            You will never be a true American gun owner without a Garand.

  5. I’m really disappointed, Kim. The optimal system is simple:

    1) Pick the four guns you want to keep.
    2) Research the resale values of the remaining guns.
    3) Select the 8 highest values and flip them to a dealer.
    4) Buy any number of other guns (or ammunition, or trips to Paris, etc) with the proceeds from step 3.

    1. +1. Take what you can get, if you don’t like it sell it/trade it for what you do want.

      My VFW post is raffling off a Glock 43. Not really looking for one but the money helps the post and if I win I’ll try it out and see how I like it.

      I’m thinking if nothing else trade it towards one of the Turkish Hi-Power clones Brownells is selling to add to it the collection.

  6. Hate to say it but I think the NRA has become a sham.

    Re upped and pick the folder as my “free” gift. about a week later I got and email saying we do not have enough knives to meet demand so tough crap.

    Doubt I will reup on the next call. Sad time for a once proud organization. That is what comes from putting Lawyers in charge. Especially east coast shysters.

    As to the guns, I think Kim had it closest as a phishing operation to give gun builders ideas on what the public wants. Would bet if any one wins then you will not be able to find them in the real world.

  7. Pingback: The Brian J. Strategy to NRA Dream Gun Raffles – Musings from Brian J. Noggle

  8. Oh, I’m sure it’s a marketing ploy…but like Kim, I think the guns on offer are a poor lot.

    But my preferences run to Olympic-grade target pistols…and VERY high-end muzzle-loading arms.

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