What? Me? Join the ASA? Why would I do that?
That was my opinion of the ASA – the Airgun Sporting Association – until very recently. But now I have changed my mind and joined.
Here’s why I think you should join and how you can gain 1,000 HAM Airguns Points when you do.
At $25.00, an annual membership costs only about the same as one tin of quality pellets! Plus – although HAM Airgun Points have no monetary value – they can be redeemed to obtain a discount when purchasing airgun products from participating HAM Community sponsors. That discount easily could save you more than the cost of the ASA membership itself!!!
First, Why Did I Not Join The ASA Before?
Well, there was a number of reasons and I’ll state them openly.
Firstly, it seems to me to be a trade association for the “big boys” of the industry only, with no place for smaller players like me. Also I could see no interest from the ASA in having the “average Joe Airgunner” become part of it.
Secondly, the ASA’s overwhelming focus on big bore hunting was – to me – far too restrictive. Although not a hunter myself, I have no issues with hunting, nor with using big bore airguns to achieve it.
But realistically, the percentage of air gunners who are big bore hunters is a pretty small proportion of the total airgun community. Yet the ASA Home Page was chock-full of this stuff in its rotating Home Page banners.
To me this was a HUGE turn-off! I would like to see an ASA that supports ALL air gunners, not just a specific sub-set (in this case, big bore airgun hunters).
So, overall, I could see no reason to join the ASA for what it seemed to offer me. Nor – in all honesty – could I encourage others to join either. At least not until three things changed.
So What Changed? 1. Ed Schultz
Firstly, the appointment of Ed Schultz as the President of the ASA.
Ed is a lifelong airgun shooting enthusiast who has worked for almost 30 years in airgun product development at Crosman and SIG. With Ed’s lifetime of interest and passion for airguns, he brings a wealth of true airgun knowledge to the ASA.
You see, Ed is a real shooter who really loves airguns. He’s “one of us” who has been fortunate enough to have made a career in the industry. He understand the “average Joe Airgunner” because he is one himself. That is really important.
So What Changed? 2. Airgunners Are All Welcome
Last year, the ASA extended its membership to “average Joe Airgunners”. Now we can all join the ASA!
So What Changed? 3. Attacks On Airgun Ownership
The third is the sudden – and obviously coordinated – attacks on the sale of airguns in the State legislatures of New York, Illinois and Washington.
Such proposed anti-airgun legislation makes it clear that we – airgun owners and shooters – are suddenly directly in the sights of a minority of politically-motivated, anti-gun zealots across the country.
So how can air gunners defend ourselves? The Airgun Shooting Association is the best – and maybe only – means of defense we have.
In the past few months, I have worked with Ed Schultz on this issue. By doing so, I have come to see how the ASA has been defending the interests of all airgunners through a “behind the scenes” campaign to counteract the proposed legislation through education and logical argument.
This work has involved communicating with State senators, marshaling legal teams and commissioning lobbyists to support our position. It also includes IT work, setting-up the “Save Airguns In New York” webpage and the automated links associated with it. And more…
Ed has been tireless working on this issue and deserves profound thanks form every one of us!
This benefits all airgunners – not just in New York, but across the country. Fortunately the recent, proposed anti-airgun legislation did not move out of the Committee stage in NY. But don’t relax, it may be back in New York and possibly in other states in future. (You can guess which ones as well as me, and there’s plenty of them).
But this work to benefit all airgunners takes effort – that means money. That’s why we need to join the ASA!
The annual membership cost of ASA membership at the “Airgun Enthusiast” level is just $25.00. That’s about the price of just one tin of quality airgun pellets. So it’s a very small amount, but – if we all do it – it would make a big difference.
Join The ASA And Receive 1,000 HAM Airgun Points
To encourage HAM Community members to join the ASA, Hard Air Magazine will credit 1,000 HAM Airgun Points to every Community member who does so before September 5, 2026. WOW, this is our first ever HAM Airgun Points “Flash Offer”!
There’s only one limitation: you need to use the same email address for both your ASA and HAM Community memberships, otherwise I won’t know who you are.
Once a week during the promotional period, the ASA will send HAM a list of emails and joining dates for new members who completed these fields when joining the ASA. There will be no other information, no details of your name, address or payment. I will then credit the Points to your HAM Community account.
HAM Airgun Points have no monetary value, however, they can be redeemed to obtain a discount when purchasing airgun products. That discount easily could save you more than the cost of the ASA membership itself!!!
HAM Airgun points are accepted by the following outstanding companies:
– Airguns of Arizona (1,000 HAM Points redeem for a 10% discount)
– Hawke Optics (1,000 HAM Points redeem for a 20% discount)
– Pinty (1,000 HAM Points redeem for a 20% discount)
– Umarex USA (1,000 HAM Points redeem for a 20% discount)
You can see full details here.
So what are you waiting for? Join the ASA before September 5, 2026. Help protect airguns from attack across the country and save money on airgun stuff!
Again, the only restriction here is that you must use the same email address for both your HAM Community and ASA registrations (otherwise we don’t know who you are).
Thanks in advance and welcome to the Airgun Sporting Association…
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