And the Gun Show Goes On
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I’m willing to bet few of you have been to a gun show. I’m willing to bet you know all about them and what they’re like and who is there. I have a buck that says you’re wrong too. Yes, I just came back from one (gun nut! gun nut!)
I haven’t been in a while and once again, I was there as a seller. I’ve been getting rid of things I’ve tired of and some I’ve inherited – some old guns that aren’t really old enough to fit into the collection or that aren’t in good enough condition. Last time it was a civil war carbine and an 1873 Argentine Remington rifle and some odds and ends – things that aren’t worth sending to auction.
All or nearly all the vendors are licensed dealers of course and also buyers which means you’re going to have to show a license or some identification. I did even though I was a seller. But another reason to go is that I need to find a gunsmith qualified to work on one of my 18th-century flintlock Naval pistols. I’ll get a better price if it’s working of course and I aim to sell off nearly all of it in the next year.
Sure enough, I found one and spent an hour in interesting conversation with people interested in and knowledgeable about history. Like others I’ve gone to, it was more friendly than other such shows: boat shows, Ham radio equipment flea markets, motorcycle rallies and the like.
Why? perhaps it’s because these folks are used to being treated as pariahs and when someone enters with a rifle over his shoulder, they see a comrade – even if I’m not. Of course, I’m not going to talk politics, but I can talk guns all day and my liberal opinions aren’t visible. Where else am I going to find people interested in collecting antique and ancient weapons? Not at Democratic headquarters.
So I got rid of $425 worth of unwanted iron, gave a donation to a group that provides for retired police dogs, found a gunsmith and made a friend who has an antique store that handles antique weapons. I talked to a nice kid who does competitive small caliber shooting who was manning a children’s charity booth and came away in a good mood. And why not? Most people who are at each other’s throats these days have nearly everything in common, something our political process hides for their own gain. –
What didn’t I find? Racks full of AR-15s. Interest seems to be waning I’m told, perhaps because we have a nominal Republican in office. I did find what I expected, that modern firearms including shotguns and small caliber plinking rifles all look “tactical” and with some add-ons like 75 round drum magazines actually have greater firepower than “assault rifles”
So many rifles and pistols are mostly plastic nowadays and if the stock in trade means anything, the big sellers are 9MM and .380 pistols and small revolvers. Like to dress up like a cowboy or civil war soldier and shoot old guns? You came to the right place and it’s a different place than you thought.
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I haven’t been to a range in a while. I had been teaching my wife but most ranges are at least a hour away and outdoors. In Summer it’s too hot and none of them allow muzzle loaders anyway and that’s been my real interest since I was a kid. I have a couple of .22 rimfire pistols for target shooting but I’m steadily getting rid of guns and this autumn a lot of the antiques are going to auction. Sad, because some have been in the family for a lifetime, but my kids don’t want them and it’s time.
But my point is that we radicalize anyone we disagree with when we could really get along if we would realize how much we all have in common. It’s the narcissism of small differences at work.
I haven’t been to a gun show in many years, and while not a “gun nut” I do own several handguns, both semi-auto and revolver. Those, however, were primarily used during the course of my employment. I no longer own any rifles or shotguns.