NRA/TSRA (not stickers)

[Teamless]

I did not want to hijack the prior thread about the bumper stickers, so thought it best to start a new one.
Seeing the question though, made me wonder what the TSRA is all about.

I know what the NRA is (for the most part) and I have joined it.

But the TSRA I had never heard of until joining this forum just a few weeks ago.

What, in your eyes, does the TSRA do?
Is it worth joining (sponsoring honestly)?

would you guess that most members on this forum are members of both the NRA and TSRA?
Thanks

[longtooth]

In short, TSRA is the State arm of NRA.

If it were not for the work of TSRA you & I would not be legally carrying our firearms for personal defense.

Charles Cotton, owner of this board has been instrumental in writing the bills, lobbying the legislators, & doing exhaustive leg work to help achieve these goals.

Is it worth joining???
Absolutely. As a country Baptist preacher my salery is printed on the treasury report every month.
Anyone that wants to know if I believe the TSRA is worth supporting, ask & I will send you one.
This Baptist preacher is a life member of both & willing to agree w/ the founding fathers when the pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. My $$$s support the TSRA as well as my tongue.

If you want to protect your 2nd Amendment Join up.
LT

[shortysboy09]

I am already a member of the NRA but I'm not a fan of all the offers that the NRA sends me regarding credit cards and things of that nature. Is the TSRA the same way? Also, my budget really only has room to support one or the other not really both. Is it required that I be a member of the NRA to be a member of the TSRA. I figure we will just turn this thread into a Q&A for the TSRA. I'm very interested in joining up.

[Teamless]

Longtooth, thanks!
I will join up as well.

[longhornmike]

i agree with preacher , the tsra is a great organization. they have helped me several times when i need information.

i love the nra also , but they do seem to be mainly trying to sell life insurance these days.

preacher , where is your church?

[Bayllor]

I joined TSRA on 2/07 through their website. I am still waiting on any correspondence to arrive, but have heard nothing. I realize Feb. was a busy month, but it's coming up on two months without receiving membership info. Anyone know what may be causing the delay?

[AddyLO]

I also joined the TSRA almost a month ago and still haven't heard a word from them. At first I was a bit put off that I didn't even receive an email acknowledging my new membership. But after receiving my 500th NRA solicitation mailing (mostly insurance offers) I realized that might be a good thing.

Seriously, I figure my donation to both organizations is just that... a donation. The perks are certainly nice but the main reason I'm donating is to help enable them to protect my second amendment rights. Without both these organizations we would all be lucky to be carrying pocket knives, let alone firearms.

[y5e06]

Took me a month or two to get my TSRA packet (sticker & card). you get a mag quarterly I think. I just joined last year for a 3yr stint.
I'm suprised the TSRA hasn't taken advantage of the NRA membership and mailed information packets to TX NRA members to get the word out. I didn't know about it until discussing Garands w/ my friend and it came up w/ CMP, membership qualification, etc.

I noticed just this week in the TSRA mag there is one of those texas emblem license plates and TSRA has one available! $30/yr....

[The Annoyed Man]

Been a TSRA member for 2 or 3 years now. Lifetime NRA member. Like 'em both. Regarding mailings: I do not get any where near the amount of "junk" mail from TSRA as I do from NRA.

One thing I would tell the NRA: "I never respond to the mailings. Stop sending them, and save the NRA some money. I occasionally respond to the phone calls, but I don't need to sit through a 2 minute recording of Wayne LaPierre telling me why my donation is needed in order to be motivated to donate. Simply have the caller state why the money is needed this time, and have him/her prepared to answer a few questions about the issue if I have questions to ask. I can make my decision without having to sit through the recording before being allowed to donate."

[Rex B]

If you joined TSRA and are bracing yourself for the onslaught of mail and phone calls, relax. They don't do that.

If you think you can't afford to belong to both NRA & TSRA, the annual fees are equivalent to one box of handgun ammo.
Skip a shooting session and join with your brethren in defense of our 2nd Amendment rights.

TSRA does good work that affects you locally. It's important.

[OldCannon]

I'm a proud member of the TSRA and I highly recommend you become a member AND get a TSRA plate. It will ding you $30 more each year for the plate, but a large percentage of the fees go to support 4H Shooting Safety Programs ($22 out of the $30, if I recall).

Regarding the NRA mailings...I just toss them. I understand they need to raise money in different ways (and remember that the NRA-ILA is the one that does most of the mail spam, not the NRA itself), and it's not a problem for me to ignore them most of the time. I did get "spammed" recently by the NRA for Rob Pincus' Personal Firearm Defense Series DVDs https://www.nravideocollection.com/PFDO ... eSupport=1. I've been enormously happy with them. As somebody who has dropped a LOT of money into training, it's nice to see these videos being made available to people that might not be able to afford attending a real session (whether for cost or travel limitations). I highly recommend them!

[Crossfire]

TSRA and NRA are completely separate. You do not need to be an NRA member to join the TSRA.

TSRA does not call you. You will never get a dinnertime phonecall from them asking for money. They don't have enough people on staff to do that sort of thing!

TSRA does not send solicitation mailings. You will get your magazine from them every other month, and there may be solicitations in it, but you won't get other mailings from them.

In short, TSRA costs less to join, and in my opinion, is a better steward of your money. All the money is used for state support of local shooting programs. As was mentioned by Longtooth, if you have a CHL, you can thank the TSRA for that. If you shoot at a public range, you can thank thank the TSRA for lobbying state and local governments to keep those ranges open. I highly recommend you support them.

[shortysboy09]

TSRA and NRA are completely separate. You do not need to be an NRA member to join the TSRA.

TSRA does not call you. You will never get a dinnertime phonecall from them asking for money. They don't have enough people on staff to do that sort of thing!

TSRA does not send solicitation mailings. You will get your magazine from them every other month, and there may be solicitations in it, but you won't get other mailings from them.

In short, TSRA costs less to join, and in my opinion, is a better steward of your money. All the money is used for state support of local shooting programs. As was mentioned by Longtooth, if you have a CHL, you can thank the TSRA for that. If you shoot at a public range, you can thank thank the TSRA for lobbying state and local governments to keep those ranges open. I highly recommend you support them.

You have me sold on it! Headed over right now to join.

EDIT: Okay, I signed up. Thanks for the information guys/gals.

[seamusTX]

Just off the top of my head, without looking up anything, here is what the NRA and TSRA have done recently:

NRA (national level) pushed the following bills:

• sunsetting of the "assault weapons ban," which otherwise might have been renewed in 2003
• federal law against confiscating weapons in emergencies
• ban on cities and states suing firearms manufacturers over safe, legal products
• appointment of RKBA-friendly Supreme Court justices who ruled on Heller
• legal carry in national parks

TSRA:

• Motorist Protection Act
• Castle Doctrine and civil immunity
• pressed the legislature and governor to expedite CHL processing (turnaround time down from six months in some cases to less than a month)
• eased some restrictions on places weapons prohibited
• removed penalties for not displaying a license to LEO
• employee parking lot bill
• school carry bill

The last two bills got stuck in the legislature, along with hundreds of other bills. The employee parking lot bill probably would have passed if not for parliamentary maneuvering.

Membership in the NRA gives you $1,000 insurance against loss or theft of a firearm, and you can buy additional insurance in higher amounts.

The total cost per year of annual membership in both organization is $60, not taking advantage of any discounts.

Nothing happens in Congress or the state legislature by accident. Getting a seat at the table costs money. The anti-RKBA forces have money and influence far out of proportion to their popular support.

Whether you think it should work that way is irrelevant. That's how it works.

- Jim

[ElGato]

Sign up, TSRA is what keep's our right's strong here in Texas and the NRA is the only reason we still have a 2nd Amendment.