# Are employees and visitors to the NRA HQ allowed to carry firearms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438 "2016-06-15T16:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/1 "2016-06-15T16:59:00Z")
Does anyone know if people who visit the NRA, or its employees are allowed to carry weapons when within the premises of their headquarters in Virginia? Don’t need answer fast, just genuinely curious. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/2 "2016-06-15T17:12:22Z")
Poking around on google, it seems that the NRA allows its employees to carry weapons. Visitors may only carry weapons into the firing range. Visitors are not permitted to carry weapons elsewhere in the facility. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/3 "2016-06-15T19:47:15Z")
So they do exercise some gun control. I would have guessed. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/4 "2016-06-15T20:16:22Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Visitors are not permitted to carry weapons elsewhere in the facility. WHAT!!?!! How the hell are the supposed to defend themselves if some shit goes down while they are visiting? And who the hell does the NRA think it is to take away their right to do so?!! ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/5 "2016-06-16T00:54:59Z")
Oh, that’s right: there’s no difference whatsoever between a private organization and the government. Why do I keep forgetting that?! ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/6 "2016-06-16T00:57:12Z")
Not if they’re Muslim. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/7 "2016-06-16T01:06:42Z")
> [@akennett](#): > > Oh, that’s right: there’s no difference whatsoever between a private organization and the government. Why do I keep forgetting that?! I get your point about the difference between a private organization and the government, but do they believe in the right to carry on not? Just because they have the legal right to have such a ban doesn’t mean that they have to. Do they trust the general public to be armed or not? They’re rhetoric would seem to indicate that they do, but they’re actions seem to say otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/8 "2016-06-16T02:11:02Z")
It’s just a thread on another message board (a pro-gun message board, natch), but [this thread from a couple of years ago](http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=137935) quotes an e-mail from an NRA PR guy as having said “If you were to visit our office, you would most likely come across people open-carrying, both employees and visitors alike. Concealed carry is allowed as well for both visitors and employees.” ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/9 "2016-06-16T03:08:09Z")
> [@akennett](#): > > Oh, that’s right: there’s no difference whatsoever between a private organization and the government. Why do I keep forgetting that?! Not sure what your point is. It seems that the NRA is of the opinion that there are some places were it is reasonable to limit who should have guns, but that is limited to around them. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/10 "2016-06-16T03:30:58Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Poking around on google, it seems that the NRA allows its employees to carry weapons. Visitors may only carry weapons into the firing range. Visitors are not permitted to carry weapons elsewhere in the facility. > [@MEBuckner](#): > > It’s just a thread on another message board (a pro-gun message board, natch), but [this thread from a couple of years ago](http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=137935) quotes an e-mail from an NRA PR guy as having said “If you were to visit our office, you would most likely come across people open-carrying, both employees and visitors alike. Concealed carry is allowed as well for both visitors and employees.” So who’s right here? Some actual cites would be nice but it’s difficult to find anything online other than second hand claims. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/11 "2016-06-16T03:47:14Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > WHAT!!?!! > How the hell are the supposed to defend themselves if some shit goes down while they are visiting? > And who the hell does the NRA think it is to take away their right to do so?!! I suspect that you’re being sarcastic. Nevertheless, three points– #1, only a complete lunatic would attack the NRA, of all places. #2, NRA HQ is going to have a far higher percentage of people with guns than almost anywhere else on earth. #3, the right of private property is ALSO an extremely important right. When two rights collide, something is going to have to give. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/12 "2016-06-16T03:52:57Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > … > #3, the right of private property is ALSO an extremely important right. When two rights collide, something is going to have to give. But this again misses the point. They have the right to enact such a ban, but it seems hypocritical for them to do so. This assumes of course that they actually do have a ban. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/13 "2016-06-16T04:51:20Z")
For a business to prohibit concealed carry in Virginia - they would either need to inform the visitor, or post a sign. In many states the size/shape of the sign is prescribed by law and those signs that do not meet these requirements are not valid. Virginia does not have sign requirements so theoretically the sign could be of any size or type. I’m engaging a bit of reasoning by induction, but if the NRA headquarters prohibited concealed carry, I would think an image with such a sign would be readily available. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/14 "2016-06-16T12:11:07Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > But this again misses the point. They have the right to enact such a ban, but it seems hypocritical for them to do so. > > This assumes of course that they actually do have a ban. Yup. I tried to be ironic with my sarcastic post. Maybe I should have added the line “Somebody call the NRA!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/15 "2016-06-16T13:24:05Z")
Anecdotal post on a gun forum, but it jibes with many others that say there are no signs disallowing visitors from carrying concealed there, so it is therefore allowed. You don’t need affirmative permission to carry, you need explicit signage disallowing it (on private property). It would be illogical and hypocritical for the NRA to disallow concealed carry. That’s one of many reasons they chose to locate their HQ in VA, rather than in anti-gun DC or MD. [Can a visitor carry in the NRA HQ? - CMP Forums](http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=137935) (read to the last post) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/16 "2016-06-16T13:28:56Z")
This article from the [Daily Kos](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/21/1172739/-I-Called-the-NRA-Today-Oh-Boy) states that the author was told by one employee that visitors were not allowed to be armed. At the bottom of the article there is an update that says the employee was wrong or the policy had changed. The article is from 2012 and it was updated in 2014. Here is [another](http://buzzpo.com/shannon-watts-caught-red-handed-lying-nra/) (obviously biased) article that also states that employees and visitors are allowed to be armed following the laws of Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/17 "2016-06-16T14:11:26Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](#): > > Not if they’re Muslim. Comments like this are not appropriate for this forum. No warning issued, but do not do this again. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/18 "2016-06-16T18:30:50Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > But this again misses the point. They have the right to enact such a ban, but it seems hypocritical for them to do so. > > This assumes of course that they actually do have a ban. Not really. The NRA is also big on gun safety–see the Eddie Eagle program, and so forth. They may want to assure themselves that anybody who carries on their property does so safely. There is nothing inherently hypocritical about that. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/19 "2016-06-16T18:43:00Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Not really. The NRA is also big on gun safety–see the Eddie Eagle program, and so forth. They may want to assure themselves that anybody who carries on their property does so safely. There is nothing inherently hypocritical about that. But, if I’m not mistaken, they support public carry laws. They’re not concerned about people carrying safely in public? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438/20 "2016-06-16T21:28:32Z")
I am a lifetime NRA member. I live in Northern Virginia. I have visited the range and the offices, which are co-located, many times, carrying both openly and concealed, neither of which are prohibited. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employees-and-visitors-to-the-nra-hq-allowed-to-carry-firearms/757438.md?page=2)