February 2008

     You will have noticed that this website has recently undergone a facelift, to include some fresh graphics and a few modest modifications to the navigation structure. We expect to continue making some tweaks over the next several months. Please feel invited to make suggestions about how we can improve it as, ultimately, this site exists for your benefit.

     Prompted by the transition, I've begun to review every page on our site, in no small part to remind myself of the wealth of information that the site includes, and to see if there's a better way to organize and present it. This has included a review of each of the Soapboxes I've written over the past seven+ years. It was like taking a trip down memory lane.

     I'm amused with the array of things I written about. Some of these Soapboxes have been interesting, some helpful, some prescient, some of interest to almost everybody, some of interest to virtually nobody and some not worth the space on our server or an entry on the archive list. My purpose for this particular Soapbox is to give an indication of the diversity of information which can be found in previous editions and to highlight those which I believe are worth bringing to your attention on an FAQ basis.

     Several Soapboxes have addressed political issues. I'm a known whiner regarding some regulations that we attempt to deal with, some legislation that we struggle with, some which we've supported, and some of the legal battles in which we've been involved. Several Soapboxes have addressed our on-again-off-again romance with the CA and MA markets (07/01, 08/05, 09/06). In some, I've expressed anxiety about the decision due from the Supreme Court regarding the Second Amendment that I hoped would one day come (09/01), and I'm disappointed by the loss of some personal liberties we've suffered in the name of "security" and the wake of 911 (10/01).

     On the product front, I've used Soapboxes to discuss a variety of development projects, including the shelved .32 H&R Magnum, the suspended .17 HMR mini revolver line, the development of the proprietary .25/.32 NAA calibers, etc. I've attempted to give the "how and why" that these decisions were made

     Some Soapboxes have served as mea culpas. I hope most will agree that we've been very candid in times of trouble, acknowledging/describing a variety of design and productions issues we've faced during the period and the plans we had and the actions we took to address/solve the problems.

     Sometimes we've asked for civility from the participants on our Message Board (03/06, 12/07). Sometimes we argue in support of the use of our products as personal protection tools (10/04) and about the lethality of small calibers (05/07). Sometimes we talk about how we conduct our business, including our approach to customer service (10/03), product testing (02/01) and pricing (10/00).

     Some Soapboxes talk about engineering issues and highlight product advisories (05/04) and some are a random collection of answers to FAQs (09/00). One even included photos from my wedding (find it yourself).

     Rant or rave, informational or simply amusing (or sometimes neither), I remain appreciative of the interest of the NAA community that gives me the opportunity to stand on this platform. I encourage you to browse the archives.