As reported on Oct. 31, 2025, the NRA announced a major internal reorganization to modernize and increase efficiencies. This reorganization marked the first step in our effort to modernize and improve operations. As mentioned in previous updates, NRA 2.0 is refocusing on its core missions of defending our Second Amendment rights, promoting gun safety and training, supporting our clubs and associations and hosting shooting competitions. Women and youth programs, as well as those focused on hunting and conservation, are also receiving renewed attention.
Last fall, the officers invited an information-technology firm to evaluate our technology infrastructure, systems and operations. The NRA staff was highly supportive in assisting with the assessment and offering valuable insights to improve operations. One of the main findings was the need for better coordination and integration of the latest information technology within the membership-facing teams.
In mid-December, NRA Human Resources posted a new position called Executive Managing Director, Operations & Technology—a role that the Officers and EVP identified through the reorganization and IT assessment. Here is an overview from the job description: “The Executive Managing Director will lead enterprise-wide transformation across core divisions, technology, data and organizational change. This role requires a seasoned executive with a proven record of delivering complex organizational and technical transformations, modernizing legacy environments and driving measurable business outcomes at scale. Reporting directly to the CEO, this leader will own enterprise transformation strategy, execution and deploying AI technology.”
This will be a significant step forward for the organization on a new journey toward operational excellence and will enable EVP Doug Hamlin to fully carry out his duties.
Membership Magazine Update
Many members are asking why we made changes to our association magazines. To explain, some background information is necessary.
In the early 1990s, an annual NRA membership cost $25. To keep up with inflation, an annual membership would need to be about $62 today, but it is available for as little as $35 a year. Similarly, a Life Membership was $1,500 back then. Today, with inflation, a Life Membership would be $3,700, yet it remains only $1,500.
For about 10 cents a day, your annual membership dues help defend your God-given Second Amendment rights and support excellent programs in Education & Training, Women & Youth initiatives, Eddie Eagle, Refuse to be a Victim and Women On Target, to name a few, along with a great magazine.
In 1885, a magazine was first published called The Rifle, which still exists today as the American Rifleman. American Hunter was first published in October 1973. During the 1980s and ‘90s, the NRA released several other targeted magazines. Back then, paper and postage were relatively cheap, and gas prices were dramatically less. Today, paper costs about six to seven times more, and a first-class stamp increased from 6 cents to 78 cents, a 13-fold rise. Consequently, the cost to produce the NRA magazines has risen to the point where we could not in good conscience continue with the same model.
This was not an easy choice, as we had to figure out how to cover publishing costs without significantly raising membership dues or charging Life Members more than $20 for a magazine subscription. Leadership has a duty to our members to be efficient and effective with your dues and donations. Our older members, like me, prefer paper, while the younger generations favor a digital experience. We aimed to meet each group’s needs with four physical magazines and 12 digital magazines for all members. The exciting part about digital magazines is that we can include videos and sound in the articles. Additionally, your digital experience will feature more current news, not news that is two months old due to publishing deadlines. Plus, the new digital experience opens up interesting opportunities for member interactivity with the content that most interests them.
As we have announced, the Media Division at NRA will be transferring content from the discontinued magazines to the American Rifleman or the American Hunter, as well as to the digital format. We understood that this might not be popular with some members, but we had to make tough decisions so we could continue publishing a paper magazine. You might not receive them as often as you’re used to, but you will still get four print magazines a year at a time when most organizations have completely stopped publishing theirs.
Again, while this was a gut-wrenching decision, we believe it was made in the best interest of the members. Please give the digital format a try on your computer or mobile device.
Lastly, the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will be held April 16-19 in Houston, Texas. The Exhibit Hall will feature more than 14 acres of the latest guns and gear. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Houston.
