Smile When You Buy That Glock, Maggot

posted on April 11, 2011
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Celebrity endorsements are commonly used to sell everything from wristwatches to coffee pots, but for a variety of reasons (which I’ll discuss in a moment) famous faces rarely appear in promotional roles in the gun industry. A notable exception is R. Lee Ermey, the hard-bitten drill instructor from Full Metal Jacket better known to all of us as "The Gunny."

The Gunny was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor for that 1987 role. He wrote his own dialog, ad libbing as he fell into character, which was easy enough as he had been a drill instructor from 1965 to 1967 in San Diego. He was brilliant.

The Gunny first appeared in a promotional role for Glock several years ago at the SHOT Show. I distinctly remember the hullaballoo that surrounded the Glock booth. Correction: It was not so much hullaballoo as it was a massive traffic jam. Hundreds of fans eager for an autographed photo blocked the aisles around Glock’s booth. I’m not sure they could have drawn a bigger crowd If they had been giving away free pistols.

The Gunny is technically not an E-7 Gunnery Sergeant. He left as an E-6 Staff Sergeant after serving 11 years in his “beloved Corps” including a 14 month tour in Vietnam. In 2002, he was given an honorary promotion to Gunnery Sergeant by Marine Corps Commandant James L. Jones, becoming the first non-active marine to be promoted in the history of the Marine Corps. I dare say The Gunny is personally responsible for more enlistments than a battalion of recruiters.

The Gunny appears in ads for SOG knives and Glock handguns. According to my insider sources, his endorsements are genuine. He won’t lend his name to a product he doesn’t personally believe in.

I mentioned in the opening paragraph that celebrity endorsements in the shooting industry are rare—why is that? The Insider has several theories.

First, an actor’s career is more endangered than a banana in a roomful of chimps if he or she dares to promote an evil gun. Charlton Heston was a rare exception. His service to NRA remains a brave example of selfless dedication, putting principle above personal ambition.

Second, celebrities who publicly avow their love of the shooting sports—Ted Nugent, Karl Malone, Robert Stack, Tom Selleck—have simply never taken jobs as spokespersons or product endorsers, other than as an NRA directors or to promote their own books. Why I can’t say. Possibly their fee is too high. Maybe no one’s bothered to ask them.

It hasn’t always been this way. Back in the day, the biggest celebrities proudly participated in the shooting sports. Clark Gable loved quail hunting. John Wayne owned a gun collection. Ernest Hemingway went on African safaris.

Today, loving guns is worse than loving evil dictators. I bet you that the Gunny would having something colorful to say about this state of affairs. I bet your ears will be ringing afterwards!

Latest

Making Keltec Pr57 1
Making Keltec Pr57 1

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

$160K Raised For HAVA At SIG Sauer Event

SIG Sauer hosted its 9th Annual Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Charity Golf event early last month and raised more than $160,000 to support disabled veterans.

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.