In the 1984 film Red Dawn (48 percent on the Tomatometer), director John Milius harnesses Cold War tensions with a portrayal of a joint Russian and Cuban invasion of the central part of the United States. A band of teenagers led by Patrick Swayze and C. Thomas Howell marshal a team of guerrilla fighters who help repel the Red invaders. Really, who could forget it?
While the film wasn’t billed as a comedy, the joke was on Hollywood as the Academy Award-nominated Milius — himself well-known as an avid shooter and fine gun collector — must have figured that he could sell anything to a studio if he was able to peddle the preposterous notion of a Russian invasion of the American heartland. Such a move would be tantamount to the single greatest intelligence failure in Russian history.
Why? Because there are some 430 million firearms in private ownership in the United States, and more than 100 million Americans identify as gun owners according to the latest figures from Pew Research (though that figure is undoubtedly considerably higher as many gun owners are loathe to share such information). Thus, American citizens own three times more firearms than the rest of the world combined. To put that another way, that’s roughly 1,000 times more armed people than the Russians presently have amassed on the Ukraine border. Safe to say, Red Dawn isn’t a comedy in Kyiv.
Clearly, the Second Amendment has never been more popular with Americans who are exercising their constitutional right at an unprecedented rate. Roughly 80 million firearms have been purchased in the U.S. over the last five years alone. In 2021, 5.4 million firearms were bought by first-time buyers, roughly a third of them being women. Nearly half of them signed up for training.
That’s where Winchester Ammunition recently stepped in with their new Shoot United effort. The 156-year-old company is one of the oldest and best known American outdoor brands and has long been a leader in promoting the shooting sports, supporting conservation, producing ammunition for law enforcement, military, competition shooters at every level (including accounting for scores of Olympic medals) as well as for sportsmen and those who want to protect themselves and their families.
In launching Shoot United, Winchester is providing an important information resource to help drive even more participation in the shooting sports and hunting activities, as well as promoting responsible firearm ownership for the growing legions looking to learn more about safe and practical uses of firearms. “Our content is built by men and women of all demographics,” says the company’s Jason Gilbertson, “who are experts in recreational shooting, hunting, gun safety, competitive shooting, personal defense, concealed carry, ammunition and shooting gear. Shoot United is meant to reach new audiences and drive engagement through grassroots events and educational content.”
Visit the Shoot United website and the faces you see reflect contemporary gun owners. African Americans accounted for about 12 percent of gun purchases last year, nearly a 60 percent increase from 2020. Moreover, some 13 percent of purchases came from Hispanics and Asians, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) Retailer Survey.
There are roughly 60 million target shooters in the U.S. with about 40,000 high school students participating on shooting teams along with another 38,000 earning merit badges through the Boy Scouts national shooting programs.
Shoot United is designed to complement those programs and isn’t intended to replace days with mentors on the more than 7,000-gun ranges across America. “More people than ever are participating in shooting sports and hunting,” says Winchester President Brett Flaugher. “People need to hear the stories of how these activities have a positive impact on lives. They need information about gun safety and training courses, places to shoot and products needed to participate. This initiative offers a wide spectrum of easy-to-understand content surrounding firearms, safety and how to enjoy and participate in shooting and hunting activities.”
“All shooters start off as novices and programs like Shoot United are invaluable in welcoming new and returning recreational target shooters to the shooting sports,” says the NSSF’s Mark Oliva.
In the 1950s and ‘60s, many schools across the country taught firearm safety. In 1968, however, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act ended most of those programs. Given the likelihood of encountering a firearm in America — there are roughly twice as many guns in circulation as automobiles — some have called for a return to teaching gun safety in our school systems.
“Firearm ownership has been used as a lightning rod in debates about safety versus freedoms for entirely too long,” says Oliva. “America is not just having a conversation about firearm ownership and personal safety, but the last two years’ worth of background check data for firearms sales shows
they are acting upon those conversations.”
And if Winchester has their way, those firearm buyers will be armed with sound information and instruction — not merely ammunition.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Forbes.
Featuring Casting Call, Call Time and Director’s Cut this bundle includes a book and film production more than 30 years in the making. Author and Executive Producer Chris Dorsey, along with a team of the world’s best sporting life photographers and cinematographers, embarked on expeditions to distant corners of the globe to create an indelible portrait of wingshooting, fly fishing, big game hunting and the great outdoors. Each large-format 250+ page book includes a DVD with corresponding film shot on location for every chapter. Buy Now
