Before the negativity starts, please bear with my reminiscing! Below is a shot of the Tulsa Gun Show which I attended while living in Missouri, about 2007. Billed as "world's largest", but I differ with that: in Phoenix some took up 3 big buildings at the State Fairgrounds! The gun control advocates want gun shows banned by law. Seems smart on the surface, but OTOH, would you rather these thousands of transactions take place in locations uncontrolled? The streets, bars, alleys, etc? I was almost 40 before I even heard of a "gun show", by then transplanted from Chicago to Phoenix, AZ. My first view of the fairgrounds show astounded me......I never imagined........that was in about 1980. Soon enough, the mania against "assault" rifles would begin, finally commencing with Bill Clinton's "Crime Bill", 1994.... "Violent Crime Control Act and Law Enforcement Act of 1994". I say mania because thousands of non-gun owning Americans purchased firearms during the period preceding passage of the bill, which incidentally was scrubbed from existence 10 years later without a single review, as required by the law, of effect on crime in America. I took part in that flurry of buying (and, sometimes selling), firearms, all legally. About 1981 or '82 I purchased a new Colt AR-15 Model SP-1 R- 6001 rifle at retail, from Smitty's Stores in Phoenix, for $359.95. Here's a picture of it: It had features not often seen on "sporting" rifles: collapsible stock, flash hider, bayonet lug, pistol grip, carry handle, AND, IT WAS BLACK!......mostly military features appealing to the "gun nut" rather than the sportsman. Believe it or not, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms pronounced BLACK as a bannable gun property! Popularity of these guns whetted the appetites of many sportsmen, of whom I was one, though I never have hunted game. The AR-15 design, which went on to become our military's official rifle as the M-16, was conceived by Eugene Stoner, "His firearm designs have influenced modern rifles and machine guns more than anyone else's." So what? My story revolves about an incident involving my nephew Mike, who accompanied me to a Phoenix Gun Show. I slung that AR-15 about his shoulder, as we walked the show aisles. Separated, I was unaware of his "transaction": well-dressed man with 2 young boys, identified himself as a school teacher, approached Mike to look over the rifle. I previously told Mike if offer to buy were made, ask $3,000. He did. The teacher promptly produced 30 big bills, leaving a bewildered nephew searching for me! Mike walked the fence, regarding "gun control", I knew. This development astounded him, bringing forth "what if's". What if the man was a crook (or, what if I were a crook)? Cops' jobs are to catch him or me, as criminals, regardless of our possession of dangerous "tools". Gradually, Mike relented. The teacher, incidentally, explained he knew that folks like Bill Clinton were bent on destroying private gun ownership in America, and wanted to put away an about to be banned rifle for his sons to own someday. He then went about looking for another! Back to shows. Paid daily attendance back in the '90s in Phoenix was close to 200,000 as I recall. As many as several hundred thousand firearms on display, many thousands offered up for sale by renters of tables, thousands carried in by individuals like me. I saw elderly gentlemen, some in wheelchairs, viewing the wares at shows. I felt bad for them, but good that they refused to give up their belief in arms ownership. Sadly, today, I am one of them........ I noticed today that this weekend a show is scheduled here in Bullhead City. I believe I have convinced my wife to tag along and "support" me........'course, stipulation is I gotta sell something! Frank
We've been to a few Gun Shows, but bought our firearms from a major sporting goods store, like Academy Sports. Anyway, once Gun Show we attended, in Denver, CO, we seen a grenade launcher for sale. Don't know if it was functional, but it was sitting on a table for sale. Many very interesting handguns, rifles and Old West things. When we decide to sell our Winchester Lever-Action 30-30 and our Remington Express Shotgun, will sell to a local gun store. They will handle all of the paperwork, etc. and that will make us feel a whole lot better about who we are selling to. We are selling both because there is no outdoor range here that is cheap enough to shoot either at. Outdoor ranges here are pretty expensive for day-use or membership. Our other firearms can be shot at an indoor range not to far from where we live.