ZOMG, the Knoxville gun show yesterday was packed. As in the-line-was-all-the-way-around-the-corner-of-the-expo-center-to-get-in packed.
And holy crap, people, could we please pay attention to where we are pointing our firearms? Yes, they are probably unloaded inside of the gun show, but standing around outside, I have absolutely no guarantee that Cletus over there took the time to download his bambi-whacking boomer, and I would very much prefer not finding out first-hand. Granted, inside the show, it is sometimes hard to find a safe direction, but, damnit, make the effort.
Really, do they expect that “no cameras allowed” sign to actually work? I would be willing to bet good money that 90% of the adults in attendance had phones with cameras on them – what about those? Of course, the same could be said for “No Loaded Concealed Carry”. Uh, dudes, “concealed” means “concealed”.
Saw a Saiga 12 for all of $700, and a MOE-bedecked Bushmaster AR-15 for $1000. Fair to say the firearm bubble has burst as much as it is going to.
The ammunition bubble is still tenuously holding on, though.
On the other hand, there are some damned optimistic folks out there – someone was offering a barebones, run-of-the-mill Mosin-Nagant for $200. Yeah. Ok.
There was a gentleman there with an entire table full of old Geiger counters of some type. Bright yellow, $60 a unit, did not catch brand. Are people really getting worried about nukes again?
The funny little old dude with the awesome hat was there again with his table full of $3,000+ Mausers, along with the Confederacy and Nazi memorabilia tables… all of which the anti-rights cultists would have us bar from the gun show because they are such tolerant individuals, and so very respectful of and knowledgeable about history. On a related note, there was a table just slam-packed full of suppressors, integrally-suppressed firearms, and threaded barrels; however, the seller (and barrel threader, and possibly suppressor fabricator) made it explicitly clear that the products (except the barrels, of course) were not cash-and-carry, and required the full background check and tax stamp of the NFA process. So much for that piece of anti-rights hysteria.
I really hate guns with grips so small that neither my ring finger nor my pinkie finger can get a good grip… That is going to make finding a pocket gun difficult.
And while it may be one of the more ludicrous firearms out there, the Rossi/Taurus Circuit Judge points and handles remarkably well, and seems like it would be a hoot to shoot.
Unfortunately, I had no luck finding a spare bolt for my Mosin-Nagant, but otherwise I managed to restrain myself to a $9 ammo can, two $5 no-name wicking t-shirts, and three $15 windowed P-Mags… and an enjoyably spent few hours.
Those Geiger counters may have been old Civil Defense surplus. Those were bright yellow. I had one about 20 years ago. You used to see them occasionally at ham radio flea markets. (That’s another hobby that provides a ready market for surplus, not to mention a lot of WTSHTF preparedness plans.) Some of them used some pretty weird batteries, so stockpiling them is problematic.
Are people really getting worried about nukes again?
More likely worried about Fukushima. RadiationNetwork.com reports that modern geiger counters are sold out and backordered, and their monitoring network has detected a few spikes that could have been blown over from Japan. (Click the messages link at the top of the page and read back a couple of months.)
When I bought my ’43 Izzy from Gander Mountain last year, it was a touch under $200. I probably overpaid for the rifle itself, but I got with it a one-year service contract and a gunsmith guarantee that it wouldn’t blow up in my face the first time I shot it. Dunno about you, but peace of mind goes a long way with me.
Oh, and I also got the sling, bayonet, flask etc. Standard M-N goodie bag.
PS: Once again, Chrome won’t let me post. Are you having a squabble with Teh Googlez?
Those “yellow geiger counters” are Civil defense surplys. Likely made in the 60′s or 70′s. EMP proof, most use either 2 or 4 “D” cells. You can’t see or feel or smell or taste radiation (unless it gets really high, and then yer toast). Likely they are not geiger counters, but ion chamber survey meters. Meant to be used after a nuclear bombing to find areas contaminated by high rate fallout, they measure fairly high levels of radiation
Radiation meters are a part of some folks prep, just like yours likely include firearms and ammo.
Most of them work, but are not in current calibration. THey are, actually, a god deal if you are prepping for TSHTF.
On the pocket gun front, I carry a Kel-tec PF-9, and I don’t find the lack of pinkie room to be much of an issue in terms of useability or accuracy. I do understand the need to be 100% comfortable with your carry piece; Kel-tec and most makers also supply a little add-on for the magazine to give Pinkie a place of be if you need it.
@ Dave H: That would track, since the same guy had all manner of old-school fallout shelter / rad warning signs too. Kinda wanted one of those, just for the fun of it
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@ Scott_K: Fukushima seems to be erratically affecting the country, if at all, and certainly not out here in Eastern Tennessee… Of course, by the same token, my area of the country has been glowing in the dark for the past 60 years, so it may just be an outgrowth of that.
@ Erin Palette: I paid about $120 for a hex-received Izzy and then paid another $35 to have its headspace checked, so the total price for you probably was not that bad.
Buying from SomeDude at a gunshow? Erp.
And just tested Chrome on the site – that does not seem to be the root cause. OS?
@ Mr. B: The calibration/condition is/was one of the reasons why I generally do not pay attention to them… I would imagine technicians for those are few and far between, and they probably have not been maintained in decades.
And, hey, if people want to buy them, more power to them, but it definitely falls rather low on my priority list.
@ The Freeholder: I think it was the new S&W Bodyguard semi-auto, but, gawd, I hated the grip. The good news, though, is that options and choices are increasing on a damned-near daily basis
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Oh good. I was afraid I’d be told “You got taken.” Glad to know my common sense is actually sensical!
Let’s see… last night I was on the desktop running XP Media Edition. Right now I’m on my laptop with Win 7. Let’s see if Chrome lets me post…
I missed the show, unfortunately, but intend to visit the autumn shows. As far as the Circuit Judge, some guns are just for fun, and nothing wrong with that. Acutally, my thinking has changed somewhat — I believe the .45/410 long guns, at least, might be useful after all. They handle remarkably well, & I can picture them being handy for close-range snap shots at rabbits and squirrels. In the East TN woods, such shots are usu. the only kind you get.
It definitely seems like a good “toy” gun – balances well, but the weight still seems sufficient to probably absorb the kick of .410 and .45LC easily. The only catch is that the barrels are all rifled (at least that is my understanding), so shot patterns will be… erratic and wide.
On the flip side, I understand there is a .22LR unit coming out, with a swap-out-able .22 Win Mag cylinder – that seems like it could be a lot of fun
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