We're enjoying a boom-time in the firearms business. First-time gun buyers are snapping up guns for home protection and personal carry at unprecedented levels.

But what happens to those first-time buyers if the industry (manufacturers, member organizations and individual shooters) doesn't do something to engage them? Nothing.

Shooters talk to other shooters. We're not particularly good at "playing it forward" when it comes to welcoming new gun owners into a fifty-plus million member (and growing) extended family.

Our wealth of shooting sports each come equipped with layers of rules and restrictions that make it darn-near impossible to simply show up at a match without feeling like you've been dropped on another planet.

Our alphabet-soup of organizations represent everything from the Second Amendment to shooting prodigious distances. It's a dizzying array of possibilities, none of which are designed to turn neophyte gun buyers into shooters.

Many first-time buyers aren't the least bit interested in competition. They bought because they felt a need to own a gun. They weren't looking to pick up a sport.

Most new buyers won't progress much beyond buying that gun. Reaching out to new gun owners isn't the primary goal of any of existing organization.

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/image_archive/2062157.jpeg> The Armed Citizen Alliance: created by industry members with the goal of helping for new and prospective gun owners.

This morning's news section carries the official announcement and details about a group that was created specifically to engage those new gun owners: the Armed Citizen Alliance(www.armedcitizenalliance.com).

As our readers, you're the first people not directly involved in ACA's creation to know about it. Telling you first wasn't an accident. Our readers include the majority of the industry's leaders. ACA's founders wanted to get the message to you via the news and information service you know and trust.

Our readers also include thousands of "average" gun owners. Most of us know someone who's recently bought a first gun but never done anything with it. People have asked us about guns who are still on the fence about making that first gun purchase.
So the ACA wants to reach you with their message: ACA wants to help.

ACA isn't a competition organization. The mission is to be a first point of contact with new gun owners -especially those buying for concealed carry and personal defense. That's job one.

The second goal is to "draw in" new or inexperienced buyers of concealed-carry and personal defense firearms for instruction. There are two goals there: getting them familiar with their personal and/or home defense firearm, and making certain they enjoy-safely- the experience of shooting.

Designed to dovetail rather than compete with existing groups, gun clubs, shooting ranges, and other organizations, ACA will list affiliated groups on their new website.

"We're excited about the Armed Citizens Alliance," says National Shooting Sports President/CEO Steve Sanetti, "normally we concern ourselves with the shooting sports.
But the great growth of sales in small guns for concealed carry and personal protection- creates a need to teach those new owners about their guns."

"There's a natural relationship between NSSF and ACA," Sanetti says, "We both want gun owners to know shooting can be fun, too."

"When I was approached, I listened very carefully," says Taurus President and CEO Mark Kresser about his company's decision to get involved, "and when I looked into the market and saw what was selling, I saw the void new gun owners faced. ACA has huge potential - for all of us."

Kresser's opinion is shared by other gun companies: Colt Firearms, Sig, Kimber, Mossberg, Ruger and Smith & Wesson are all Armed Citizens Alliance supporters. The list grows daily.

Most of us realize growth in shooting sports won't come from those of us who buy another gun, we're core business. Growth will come from new buyers who may never have thought about owning a gun before. Converting them to shooters is the challenge.

That, says Kresser, makes ACA's job pretty simple: "to answer the questions people might be afraid to ask."

Existing groups, whether it's the NRA, NSSF, IDPA, USPSA, NMLRA or whomever, all have a perceived image with new gun owners. They're not interested. ACA's goal is to give them information enabling them to make an informed buying decision, learn to be competent with their purchase, and comfortable with the experience along the way.

How far that moves them toward recreational shooting will depend on our making them feel welcome.

ACA has designed "Practice & Confidence Scenarios" to be used by shooting venues, local clubs, and ranges. Those recreational events will let participants will shoot what they own - the way they normally carry it. The only hard-and-fast rule is safety.

If simple, safe, and fun training events make first timers want to come back, well, we'll be welcoming new people into the community.

There's a "Sports Fair for the Armed Citizen" in the works, with vendor displays, hands-on product tryouts, instruction on concealed carry topics, and on-site classes for concealed carry in any state with enabling legislation.

There's also a recreational event with a dozen individual NAC "Challenge" stages. Anyone can "Take the NAC Challenge" using their own gun and gear (no custom gear allowed).

"We want to get the small concealed carry gun into the hand of their buyer," says ACA Board Chairman Steve Hornady, "while we help them learn how to run them, we think they'll learn that the shooting isn't just about self-defense, it can be fun, too."

Hornady knows first-hand about the current demand for fun shooting events. Earlier this week Hornady Manufacturing announced their co-sponsored "Zombies in the Heartland: Pandemic 2012" 3-gun shoot. Set for June 29-July 1 at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska, up to 350 shooters were expected. Hornady told me during our conversation that an additional150 slots had to be added because "people are coming from everywhere wanting to shoot this match."

Today's buyer looks for information before making any significant purchase - most usually online. The Armed Citizens Alliance hopes to become the informational vehicle that bridges the gaps between curiosity and purchase; then converts new buyers into responsible, competent gun owners, who ideally become recreational shooters, too.

If you're over 18 and legally qualified to possess firearms under the laws of the United States- you qualify for ACA membership. Dues are $25/year. I've already paid mine, and agreed to serve on an advisory board.

My job on that advisory board will be to represent you, so check ACA out and let me know what you think. We all need to welcome new people into shooting.

I promise, as always, to keep you posted.

--Jim Shepherd