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I started The Truth About Guns five years ago to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns. I started with zero page views and zero unique readers. As of this writing we have 2.5 million unique readers per month, and we just passed 200 million page views. While I remain proud of and thankful for TTAG’s writers’ passion, perseverance, expertise and talent, I’d like to celebrate this milestone by highlighting our comments section . . .

In addition to the readership stats above, we’re also fast approaching 1 million comments. But it’s not the quantity that counts. It’s the quality of our Armed Intelligentsia’s commentary that sets TTAG apart from any and all other firearms-based websites.

I’m constant astounded by the depth and breadth of the expertise our readers post on our pages. Whether the topic is firearms function, marketing, finance, Constitutional law, armed self-defense, law enforcement, politics, warfare or religion, TTAG’s readers bring a world of knowledge to our community.

Not only do TTAG’s commentators keep us honest (correcting our mistakes) they add perspective. And humor. And inspiration. Indeed, I doubt I could run this endless marathon without the joy that comes from reading the feedback underneath our posts. It has made me a better writer, thinker and person.

Less than one percent of our readers ever comment on the site. I invite the “lurkers” amongst you to enter into this online conversation, safe in the knowledge that this website’s “no flaming” policy will keep you safe from malicious attack. I also invite you to give a shout-out to those commentators whose insight and attitude you appreciate.

I won’t say we couldn’t do this without our commentators. But I will say that it wouldn’t be anywhere nearly as rewarding. Or fun. From Dan, Nick, Jeremy S., Tyler, Mike, Johannes P., Ralph John Wayne Taylor, Dean Weingarten, ShootingTheBull410 and the rest of the TTAG team, thank you.

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49 COMMENTS

  1. You’re welcome. (Doffs hat and takes a deep bow) ((Realises how fat he is and straightens up red faced and gasping)) (((Being an OFWG is a lot of work)))

  3. Congratulations, Robert and crew. TTAG should be proud of this accomplishment, and I hope more people will leave thoughtful comments. TTAG is one of the sites I look at first thing in the morning, and usually several times a day even if I don’t have anything to contribute.

    This blog has an honored place on my site’s blog roll. You more than earned it.

  8. Congratulations Robert et al!

    I helped a infinitesimal amount of those page views by recommending TTAG to all my relatives, neighbors, and friends, as well as some more casual acquaintances.

    Keep up the good work…and good writing!

  11. I haven’t missed a single typed word in the last 3 years or so. Keep up the good work. I’ll be checking my homepage 5x a day.

  17. Right on. The comments section here is gold. As you state, there is often much discussion ranging just about every topic imaginable. I’ve learned a lot of stuff about not only about guns, but nearly everything else as well.

  18. 200 million? According to Shannon Watts, that’s exactly the number of people who favor universal background checks. Coincidence?

  20. If it wasn’t for the comments below the articles I would have stopped reading this website. It’s always the comments that keeps me coming back. I’ve learned a lot though through both articles and comments. Keep up the good work one and all.

  24. I learned of TTAG by searching for review comments on pistols I planned to buy. Now I am hooked and read your posts every day. Congratulations.

    • That’s how I found it too. That, and looking up mods for my Marlin 336.

      I’ve been reading TTAG daily for a little more than 3 years. Every single article.

      I don’t comment as much as I used to, but I still do read the comments on just about every article. Shoutouts to Ralph, JWM, Accur81, MattInFL, Dyspeptic Gunsmith, Tom in Oregon — and to all the commenters in their mold — who together make this one of the smartest places on the internet.

      • +1. Few sites on the innertubz attract and hold the quality of commentary here.
        I can think of a half dozen others that I visit also regularly, and at least 50% is due to the quality of comments there.

        What is even more rare is how that is organic- ie, very very little moderation, other than peer pressure and the culture of the site itself. Compare TTAG to someplace like NYT, where not only are dissenting opinions censored, but the editors chose to curate top comments and push the narrative to the top.

        You may have to search hard for one proof- google Jennifer Macias, an “assistant” for Joe Nocera, who ran an anti-gun blog inside NYT, who admitted same, censoring pro 2A comments at roughly the same time she was organizing PR for MDA in NY area.

  27. Congrats to RF & crew on the anniversary. I stumbled across TTAG while looking for indisputable facts for a debate I knew was coming with an acquaintance, and I was also happily surprised with the commenters. Many of the firearms sites I had visited in the past were full of people that sound like what Shannon & her ilk think the majority of gun owners are like. I knew better, and TTAG & the regulars have proven that many times over.

    Let’s all keep up the good work!

  28. To those who don’t comment because you don’t want to be on a list, if someone wants you on a list viewing this website is all they need 😛

  29. I’m a “lurker” but I figured I’d leave my first comment to let you know that I appreciate what you guys are doing with this website. I found the gear reviews to be an invaluable resource when selecting my first firearm purchase and I continue to find your insights on the other matters you mentioned (marketing, finance, Constitutional law etc.) educational and relevant. Congratulations on 5 years, and thank you for your voice in the culture.

  30. There’s one thing that’s been neglected for more than a year and it’s really starting to piss me off.

    When the heck are you going to update the copyright in the footer of the page? I mean, COME ON, MAN!!

  31. Congrats to everyone at TTAG. Thanks for your fine work, quality reviews, and entertaining writing.

    Thanks to all of the commentators for being thoughtful, intelligent, and informative.

    Last of all, thank you Shannon Watts. I am sure, Shannon, that you and your tens (if not dozens) of followers have contributed a substantial number of page views therefore increasing the advertising revenue of the site and contributing to its continued success. Your words and actions have certainly created much interest in the pursuit of freedom embodied in this blog, so thank you for that, too. You are the perfect Elmer Fudd (ironic, huh?) to our Bugs Bunny.

  33. Congrats, and thanks for the site. It’s been invaluable to me for

    *helping me codify and express my previously held beliefs about the second amendment in better and clearer ways.

    *helping me through my first rifle and shotgun purchases.

    *helping me to plan my upcoming (i.e. as soon as my NYS pistol permit is granted) pistol purchase.

    *hours of gun blog gold.

    Here’s to the next five years!

  34. Lurker here… 😉
    What brought me in was the gun reviews. And the comments section of this site is really valuable and one of the reasons I stay. Hope to see you strong for the next 5 years!

    I wonder how many hours of work I have lost to this site? Don’t tell the boss! 🙂

  35. Pleased to see that TTAG has earned such success. Am proud to consider myself among the “armed intelligentsia”.

    I wish you continued success.

  36. Congratulations RF, staff writers and commenters. I can’t help but think that we are in fact the gun lobby. I have benefitted enormously from the stories, reviews, political commentary both from the articles and the commenters. If we would have had this kind of communication available in prior decades it would have been much more difficult to trample our rights. Keep it up and keep up the fight for our rights.

  37. And a huge thank you to you for listening to the female voices and cleaning up the comments, the ads, and controlling flaming. You listened to us and responded in a positive manner which has made this site one that, for the last couple of years, I can recommend to my gun-students. And, still, I get the biggest kick out of the comments as they are often witty and simply hysterical to read! Job well done!!

    • +1. And lets not forget the open-ness to other diverse views- articles by the Pink Pistols, or featuring liberal gun guys’ writing- like Dan Baum, for example.

      Pretty rare for a gun-site.

  38. “I also invite you to give a shout-out to those commentators whose insight and attitude you appreciate.”

    TTAG needs to set up a Dyspeptic Gunsmith Cyber-Shrine.

    And one for Ralph.

    If you can pry him away from his Annie Oakley ‘literature’.

    🙂

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