Magazine paid circulation has been decreasing for a couple of decades. Even Readers Digest lost 1,000,000 readers last year- they still have ten million left though. The advertising industry notes an accelerated drop starting in about 1999. The gun magazines are falling off very rapidly. The only one-aside from the NRA Publications- left in the top 200 is Guns and Ammo and it has dropped fromt 600,000 in 2002 to 452.000 in late 2003. It has also moved form the mid 150s in rank to 179 on the list of the top 200.
In 12- 2003 the Audit Bureau of Circulation listed several gun titles and their circulation:
GUNS AND AMMO 452,473 Down 18,000 from June 2003
SHOOTING TIMES 171,620 Down From 200,000
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER 107,361 Down from 171,000
HANDGUNS 128,641
GUNS MAGAZINE 71,607 Down from 100,000
These figures are six months old and the numbers will be lower at next audit. The total circulation of the NRA magazines - Rifleman, American Hunter and First freedom total the membership of the organization. They all out-circulate all of the gun magazines audited by this company with the Rifleman being number 58 of the top 200.
A few years back (1999) was complaining that a magazine devoted to full auto and semi-auto "assault rifles" had a monthly circulation of 190,000. The magazine has since died from lack of interest.
