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Posted: 10/21/2001 11:03:00 PM EDT
The Tulsa Gun Show made it into a Washington Post story!

See:[url]http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30940-2001Oct21.html[/url]

[size=4]At Tulsa Gun Show, Searching for Safety
U.S. Sales on the Rise Since Sept. 11 Attacks[/size=4]
[i]By Lois Romano
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 22, 2001; Page A03[/i]

TULSA, Oct. 21 -- Here, at what is billed as the largest gun show in the world, amid the antique Colts and John Wayne memorabilia, Bryce Howe searches for the perfect little handgun for his wife and teenage daughter. He has already signed them up for shooting lessons, and now he is canvassing 11 acres of display tables for something trim and light -- perhaps a .38 caliber -- that will fit nicely into their palms.

Call this phase two of Howe's home protection plan. Shortly after four hijacked jets forever shattered the nation's sense of complacency, this systems engineer who never before thought of owning a gun went out and laid down $800 for an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

"I am not panicked, but I am concerned that things are going to get out of hand in time," said Howe, who lives in Edmond, just north of Oklahoma City.

"I'm a little embarrassed talking about it, but in case I have to move quickly and defend my family, I want to be ready. I told my wife, 'I hope this turns out to be a big waste of money.' None of us want to do this, but we see the need to be prepared."

It was indeed a very busy weekend at the annual Wanenmacher's Tulsa Arms Show, where 3,800 vendors came to peddle their guns and knives and ammunition, and thousands more packed the cavernous flea market of weaponry at the Tulsa fairgrounds. They came for hunting rifles and target-range pistols. They came to collect and to trade, and simply to show their young sons around.

And they came to buy security and safety because today, more than ever, they believe there is a need -- and an absolute right -- to do so.

"The police cannot protect us," said an angry man from Kansas who refused to give his name, but who indicated he and his family are well armed for any terrorist attack. "If someone comes to blow up my block, sure, the police will be there to clean up. Well, that's a little too late. What are we supposed to do -- sit back and relax?"

Both government and industry figures indicate a significant rise in gun sales following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which conducts federally required background checks on those who buy from licensed gun dealers, reports that in the month following the attack, requests for checks increased about 20 percent over the same period last year.

*See remainder of story at website!

Eric The(Yeah,ButIsThisJustAFad?)Hun[>]:)]
Link Posted: 10/22/2001 3:36:17 AM EDT
[#1]
Boy, good thing no one got shot at the show this year. Howevwer, on guy did fall and crack his head open on the floor.
Link Posted: 10/22/2001 4:28:59 AM EDT
[#2]
I noticed that the remainder of the article is filled with thinly disguised anti-gun rhetoric. Doesn't surprise me, though. The media tends to focus on this show on a regular basis. The first time that I attended several years ago, there were a few television stations recording pieces for the news there. Could be why there's a big "[b]NO CAMERAS[/b]" sign at the door now. It sure didn't help at the show in October of last year when some jackass managed to get a loaded gun inside and shot someone while fooling around trying to sell his gun. I'm still unclear as to what an "unlicensed dealer" is.
Link Posted: 10/22/2001 6:58:29 AM EDT
[#3]
455SD did you see that?  Holy crap!  He had some kind of seizure, that skull sounded like a shotgun going off when it hit the floor!  I did see one news crew with a camera Saturday afternoon, but that was about it for the media.  Some off duty cop came by our table and was looking at a Galco holster, one of the guys I was with told him to take his gun out and try it in the holster, he refused to said it was cocked and locked WTF?  I thought there was a "no loaded weapons" rule in effect?
Link Posted: 10/22/2001 8:00:00 AM EDT
[#4]
CIB, were was your table at?
I didn't see or hear anything about the cracked head and I was there all day for both days.
You may know who I'm talking about but did anyone encounter that BIG ASSHOLE selling minuture gun replica's? If you did, you would know who I'm talking about.
My wife was going to buy one from him for a Christmas gift to me but he was a royal jerk to her and wouldn't tell her the price on anything except that they were too expensive.
I later encountered him not knowing my wife had seen him and he threatened to jump all over me if I touched one of his toy guns.
I took it as a physical threat and nearly took him up on the challenge, but instead I gritted my teeth and walked away because I didn't want to go to jail. When I later heard he was a jerk to my wife, I was going to go back and cuss him out but they convinced me he wasn't worth it.

REPORT: Lots of AR stuff, saw some postbans for as low as $700. Not many AK's. AK's were mostly prebans. Lots of high prices, most people wouldn't come down on their items.
What few 10/22's I saw were high. Used going for $175-250.
Lots of antique guns and high end show case shot guns, saw some 5 figure priced shotguns. Saturday was extremely crowded not much room to move around.
Tons of M-1 stuff, about everywere I looked, it was there, didn't price any.
Big show, saw a few dealers that didn't want anyone even touching their stuff unless you showed them your money.
Other than that, it was great and no one got shot.
Link Posted: 10/22/2001 7:55:36 PM EDT
[#5]
No, I didn't get to see it. I walked up as they were getting him on the stretcher thing. I thought for sure someone had goten shot again.

For those who hadn't heard two years ago some dumbass brought a 10mm glock into the show. It was checked and tied like always but after he entered the show he cut off the tie, inserted a loaded magazine, racked the slide and inserted into his holster. Then later as he pulled it out of the holster to show someone it ADed and shot a guy in the leg.

Last year on friday as everyone was setting up, two guys had ADs and left holes in the ceiling.

You can imagine how panicked I was this year when I got in the door and while waiting in the firearms check line discovered a loaded 20 rounder I'd forgoten to remove from my range bag. Ooops.[:I]



Edited cause me no spel good.
Link Posted: 10/22/2001 8:07:06 PM EDT
[#6]
sid, lower level row 16.  We did'nt have just a whole lot of stuff this time, in fact the lower I sold was the only thing I took.  The other guys I go with are into Mausers so that's about all that was on the table.
455SD, the guy that cracked his head let out a couple of war hoops, went crashing backwards into 3-4 chairs before he cracked his noggin', and his eyes were doing some crazy slot machine like stuff.  The people he was with were trying to cram his medicine down his throat, as if it would do any good after that episode.  
I was there the Friday that the guys had the AD's, all of them were preventable, I just don't get the mentality that you've got to have it loaded at a gunshow and risk makeing us all look bad.
Link Posted: 10/22/2001 8:37:45 PM EDT
[#7]
Post from CIB -
I was there the Friday that the guys had the AD's, all of them were preventable, I just don't get the mentality that you've got to have it loaded at a gunshow and risk makeing us all look bad.
View Quote

I can't imagine anyone going in a gunshow to sit around some tables or walk through a crowd with a loaded weapon in the first place! WTK does he think's going to happen?

And the idea of letting someone f-f with your weapon is just as incredible!

Eric The(SeenAFewADsMyself,ISay[u]Negligent[/u]Discharge!)Hun[>]:)]  
Link Posted: 10/23/2001 3:55:10 AM EDT
[#8]
CIB--

I think it is the same mentality as the guys who bring their Miami Vice shoulder rig to the show and wear it around all day. Their gun is never for sale. They just enjoy packing heat for a few hours at the gunshow.

There is a guy here locally who totes a genuine MP-5 around to all the shows. It is never for sale. I ask him every show just to be annoying. He sure does look cool walking around with it though.
Link Posted: 10/23/2001 6:00:07 AM EDT
[#9]
I understand that the people that do these kinds of things are a very, very small percentage of the gunshow crowd.  I also understand that as long as you have people your going to have accidents/incidents.  Hell, it's not just spectators here, it's exhibitors as well, and you know good and damn well that we all know not to bring a loaded gun in.  What are ya gonna do though?[>:/]
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