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Ronald Coburn

Mr. Coburn is the Chairman and CEO of Savage Sports Corporation, a privately held company that has 3 subsidiaries (firearms, shooting ranges and archery).

Mr. Coburn joined Savage in 1987 as Senior Vice President and was challenged with delivering the company from bankruptcy, which was successfully completed in 1989, at which time he became President and CEO. In November 1995, he purchased the company from the owners.

Mr. Coburn arrived in the United States in 1979 and joined Smith and Wesson as their Director of Engineering. He then became Vice President/General Manager for Case Cutlery. He has held numerous positions during his 30 year career in engineering and manufacturing including Production Manager, Engineering Director, Plant Manager, Vice President and General Manager. He has worked in Ireland, England, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong and Canada.

Mr. Coburn has a degree in Engineering from the University of Canterbury, Kent, England and a degree in Business Management from Croydon Business School, London, England.

10 questions with Industry Icons!

Ron Coburn, Savage Sports Corporation

1. YSSA: How were you introduced to the shooting sports?
Coburn: I was born in Northern Ireland where there is no big game hunting unless you belonged to a rather exclusive (and expensive) hunting club.
My first exposure was pheasant hunting on a farmer’s property at the age of 12. Two older friends hunted birds with their fathers and one day, they invited me to join them. We walked the fields in a straight line in order to “flush” the birds. We actually shot two that morning—and I could not have been prouder if I had shot them myself! A year later I had my own (used) 16 gauge pump shotgun and I was hooked!

2. YSSA: What is your most memorable shooting or hunting experience?
Coburn: After 18 years of marriage, my wife suddenly asked if she could join me on my next hunt—she was always supportive, but being an artist (sensitive type) she had not previously shown any inclination to participate. She shot her first big game animal with me in Canada—first day, offhand and one shot. And her caribou was bigger than mine!

3. YSSA: Are you concerned about reported declines in participation by youth in the shooting sports?
Coburn: Of course we all are. The shooting industry is not that much different than many other sports or outdoor pursuits—the population is aging and the cost, time and effort to stay in the game is not as compelling as it used to be. The younger generation is more independent, do not get the quality time with a parent or mentor and are more divorced from nature than ever.

4. YSSA: What do you think are our greatest challenges in recruiting and retaining new shooters and hunters?
Coburn: Getting them to try. As we have so often seen, if you can get them out of the house and into the field with a gun in their hands, they love it!

Single parent families headed up by mothers are not helping the introduction process, as mothers are more protective and less inclined in general to let their kids try something that could be dangerous or politically incorrect.

Another big factor is the television and movie media that desensitizes us to the harm that gun misuse fosters –especially in impressionable youngsters, yet emphasizes each and every shooting accident anywhere in the country as though it was pandemic, while ignoring the safe and legal use of firearms that goes wholly unreported.

5. YSSA: What role does youth shooting sports programs play in your company or organization’s customer/member development process?
Coburn: Critical. All of our employees are members of the local public gun club, as are their family members, courtesy of Savage. They are also fully paid up NRA members, again paid for by the company.

We keep them informed regularly on political initiatives (good and bad) and ask them to participate in introducing our products to extended family members and friends. Everyone can help- one person at a time.

We give large discounts to employees so that they can afford our products.

Once the employee has shown interest in the shooting sports, we encourage them to join our weekly trap shooting club and bring their family to weekend events.

6. YSSA: How does your company or organization support youth shooting sports programs?
Coburn: We are a member of YSSA, have a special discount program for any youth club or organization nationwide, give free product for fundraising events that promote youth and we are members of the NSSF youth shooting committee that searches for ways to increase awareness at the youth/parent level.

7. YSSA: How do you encourage your employees to contribute their time and talent to encourage youth to shoot and hunt?
Coburn: As mentioned above, we make it easy for them to learn how to use a gun in the first place by providing the product, ammo, membership and coaching to participate. Then we encourage them to bring their family members to weekend events at the club. Some events require instructors or staff to manage the event, so we ask our management to donate their time for anything from traffic control to actual demonstrations.

This raises our profile in the community and allows us to participate in local shooting events.

8. YSSA: What would you encourage individual shooters and hunters to do to ensure our traditions remain viable in the future?
Coburn: Share.
Share the experience, the excitement, the camaraderie and the time.

Look for members of your community that are not able to get the exposure and encourage them in a safe and fun way to try it.

9. YSSA: What must clubs and shooting range facilities do to develop a “family-friendly” shooting atmosphere?
Coburn: Have a club policy that identifies the need in the first place, establish the budget that supports the atmosphere and then make a “good first impression”

10. YSSA: What people and/or organizations do you admire most for their contributions in providing pathways for new shooters and hunters?
Coburn: All of the major shooting industry organizations are to be commended for getting with the program to introduce more shooter at all ages and both genders, and for having the sense to work together for the greater good, rather than being insular and independent.

NSSF, NRA, YSSA, Boy Scouts and so on—they are our life blood and I am more impressed than ever at the initiatives that are being drafted and the local and national events that are created to emphasis the benefits of the shooting sports.

There are so many individuals that deserve recognition for their contribution, suffice to say that they are the “heart and soul” of the sport –often going about the business of introducing new shooters in a quiet unassuming way.

Our very best ambassadors are often least visible.

YSSA: Closing thoughts?
Coburn: Our industry is no longer apologizing for making or using guns—it is our constitutional right and it is being exercised more than ever.

With that right comes an obligation to be safe, share the wealth and defend our heritage.

Our industry and shooting sports in general are in many ways stronger than ever—we have the will and we have the fortitude to get it done. If everyone that owns a firearm or encourages shooting stands together, it will be contiguous.