One of the nation’s largest gun makers made a new multi-year commitment to one of the country’s leading gun-rights groups on Monday.
Sig Sauer will give hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) over the next several years. The gun-rights group, which has focused primarily on legal activism, enters new grounds with the deal.
Alan Gottlieb, the group’s founder, told The Reload the deal is an “unprecedented” fundraising haul for them.
“Sig Sauer’s six-figure multi-year commitment of financial support is a first for SAF from the firearms industry,” he said.
The sizeable donation comes as the Biden Administration is pursuing significant new gun restrictions, including by unilateral action that gun-rights activists are likely to challenge in court. It also comes as Americans are buying guns at record levels, with over 8 million doing so for the first time last year. The combination makes for fertile ground for gun-rights groups to grow.
The National Rifle Association, the nation’s largest gun group, has seen memberships and donations decline despite the current environment. Corruption allegations levied against its leadership have embroiled the group in internal turmoil and a government lawsuit that threatens to dissolve it. That, and the financial hardship caused by the pandemic, has left space for other gun-rights groups to fill the void.
The NRA remains the dominant financial force in the gun-rights movement. Its combined groups brought in nearly $340 million in 2020, while SAF brought in about $5 million. However, if other large donors inside and outside the gun industry shift donations towards groups like SAF over the NRA, it could signal a significant reorganization of the gun-rights movement.
Sig did not cite issues at the NRA as the reason for its donation to SAF. Instead, it focused on the new partnership with SAF, which will also include the company promoting the group through its social media.
“The Second Amendment is under constant attack and the legal activism, education, and resources provided by the Second Amendment Foundation is absolutely essential to stopping the encroachment on our constitutional rights and ensuring that the Second Amendment is preserved for future generations,” Tom Taylor, Sig’s executive vice president of commercial sales, said in a statement.
Gottlieb said the gun maker’s financial support will help the group expand its efforts in the courtroom and the public sphere.
“To have this legendary company as our very first Double Diamond sponsor underscores the importance of our legal and educational efforts,” he said. “SIG SAUER’s commitment will guarantee that SAF can continue winning firearms freedom one lawsuit at a time.”
