The airgunning community can feel tiny speck when compared to the firearms community. The firearms community has money, power, political groups, etc. We don’t. It would be nice if we did but, our community is so small that I don’t know if we could effectively sustain it. We simply don’t have the numbers… yet.
But, if you look at it from another perspective, we’re actually pretty lucky. We have a community of shooters where many of us know one another and call each other “brother” or “sister”. It’s very easy to reach out to each other for advise and friendship through the online forum or blogs like this. I think we are very lucky to be part of such a tight knit group of people. Sometimes we disagree and get on each others nerves. But, overall, we know that we are all in this adventure together and we all do what we can to watch out for one another and come together when we need to. This became very apparent to me when youtube had it’s banning spree. Everyone from industry leaders and manufacturers, down to the newest faces in our sport was ready to stand together. It was really great to see that collective reaction.
While we may not have all the power of the firearms industry, we also don’t have all the political attention like the firearms industry, which is really nice! Youtube did eventually realize that they made a mistake and most of our airgun channels have been reinstated. Firearms channels are still in the radar though.
It was unfortunate to see one of the old forums get torn apart. As a “community” we stuck with each other and turned a bad situation into something great. I think this tight knit community is something we should really cherish and appreciate. Because we are so small and so tight with one another, I think we could almost use the word “Family” of airgunners.
I recently attended the 1st ever “Daystate owners fun shoot” hosted by Airguns of Arizona. It was a heck of a good time shooting all the newest Daystate rifles, meeting new people, and seeing old faces again. While I was down there, I noticed something interesting. On the back of the new Daystate T-shirts, it says, “Welcome to the family!” It put a smile on my face since I had been brainstorming on this topic before heading down there.
How hard do you think it would be to get in touch with the owner of one of the major firearms dealers? I think it would probably be a bit of a chore. I have personally spoke with many retail owners and manufacturers in the airgun industry over the past few years. Some of them are so approachable and talkative that I end up wondering how they could possibly have the time to run a business if they’re that chatty with everyone they talk to!
As an airgun family, we know one another. We know what rifles each other has. We borrow from one another. We know each others families. We celebrate additions to the family and mourn losses together. 6 degrees of separation? In our community, it’s more like 1-2 degrees. Do you know Steve, Giles, Ted, or Matt? I’ve met them. I consider them distant friends and know that they recognize me, who I am, and what I stand for. Since you’re reading this that means you’re 1 degree of separation away from knowing them as well!
I look back at a time when I was shooting firearms and before I found airguns. While shooting firearms is an enjoyable sport, I had an overall feeling of isolation. Even at the range, shooters rarely spoke to one another. These days, when I shoot with other airgunners, we’re always talking and laughing and having a great time together. I feel tremendously fortunate to have found this sport and all the great people involved in it! I hope all of you enjoy this feeling of family like I do.
Tom Adams
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The close knit community of airgunning… our Family :)
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