Gun Club Liability Insurance problems

[Gaffer]

Most of you may or may not be aware of the horrific increases in liability insurance costs since 9-11. Many gun clubs are struggling with the cost of same if they want to be covered for such incidents. It is my understanding that most insurance companies recommend at least $1 million in such coverage and that costs many thousands of dollars.

I am puzzled why the NRA doesn't step up to the plate and devise an insurance scheme that will be cheaper and be specifically pointed toward gun clubs. I know that the NRA has such liability insurance available now but it is no cheaper than other commercial insurance. My thinking is that more economical insurance could be created specific to gun club coverage at a cheaper rate, if indeed the use of guns is as safe as the NRA says it is.

Many clubs are quitting because of the extreme cost of providing all the necessary insurance and meeting all the other environmental roadblocks being used these days to discourage gun use. The antis seem to be winning by use of these chipping away tactics that make it so difficult to fund and run gun clubs.

Any thoughts or ideas on the subject?

 

[Len-2A Training]

Maybe different in Maine, but in MA those gun clubs (like Braintree R&P) have found that NRA insurance is a lot cheaper than any commercial insurance.

Of course the state of MA "regulates" (price-fixes artificially high) some/most/all insurance rates. Can't say for certain that this is true for gun club insurance, but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Insurance

I was using the indoor pistol range at the Hopkinton club 10 years ago when I get a "cold call" from ani insurance agent. Yikes!!! A telemarketer. But, he was calling a business so I listened.

His name is Tom Carrol, and he has an agency in Worcester. He found us a great deal on liability insurance - the only "catch" was that it was only available as a package if we got our fire and general property insurance from the same vendor.

The price was competitive with the NRA policy, with much better coverage. The NRA policy is very poor - as I remember, it's "claims based" rather than "occurrence based" (if you are sued years after the policy or a continuous renewal thereof expires for an act which took place during the policy period you are not covered on a "claims made" rather than occurrence policy - very relevant if someone shoots themselves 10+ yeas after taking an intro course and claimes you forgot to tell them to remove ammo from the gun and vicinity before cleaning it).

The NRA policy has a boatload of non-trivial exclusions - When I checked, no accident involving hunting; a firearm in a motor vehicle or a suit brought by a club member was covered. Guess what happens if a member gets killed; he had a "family membership", and the spouse decides to sue? The policy Tom got for our club covered pretty much everything but had a priest clause (child sexual abuse was specifically excluded). The property insurance wasn't bad either and paid one claim without screwing us on the rates the next year (lightning strike fried the card key system).

Read the NRA policy carefully and remember, the need for the NRA to make a commission is a no doubt a key factor in the selection of which policy will have the "official NRA" designation.

 

[DCunniff]

I may be wrong as I looked into rates a year ago for one club and I think you need at least 50% membership to get NRA insurance.

Dana

 

[C-pher]

I may be wrong as I looked into rates a year ago for one club and I think you need at least 50% membership to get NRA insurance.

Dana

If you belong to a club like Mansfleld, you have to keep up your NRA membership to be a member of Mansfield...