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See how that works? Even before I touch down in Las Vegas, I’m busy winning friends and influencing people. Slave to the brand baby! Anyway, while I’m winging my way to the firearms industry confab, I’m wondering why the SHOT show is a gun-free zone. As was last year’s NRA confab. The single largest growth area for the firearms industry? Concealed carry. So, if the biz depends on CCW for future growth and development, on the right to bear arms in public, how can they justify disarming their own peeps? Is that a sign of cowardice, capitulation and/or a lack of conviction? Should the SHOT show walk the talk?

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18 COMMENTS

  1. May I borrow that image? I don’t really want to say anything with it, I just like the way it looks. It’s got that aesthetic, pleasing-to-the-eye thing goin’ on. Know what I mean?

  2. When I began reading this I thought you were kidding. I found it hard to believe that the people trying to sell you their product were scared to death of the own merchandise. They are truely “WIMPS or WUSSIES”, or both. They are doing a greater harm to their own industry than they realize. Now all the gun “DISLIKERS” will question why someone should carry a gun near them while the very people who distribute these same guns are afraid of their own product. This can’t be good for any of us.

  3. The NRA Convention last year was a gun free zone because of North Carolina State law. Louisville in 2008, Phoenix in 2009 and Pittsburgh this year do not prohibit concealed carry. Why the SHOT show is a sheep pen is a good question.

  4. I attended the NRA Convention in Charlotte, in May 2010. The reason it was a gun free zone, is the Charlotte Conv. Center, is owned by the City. Ergo Gov’t property. NC law excludes concealed carry on Gov’t property. Although, there was no metal detectors, or pat downs, one “could” have carried concealed, but there was a visible Law Enforcement presence also and if you “printed”, or were caught, you would be in violation of the law.

    Don’t know about SHOT venue in Vegas, perhaps its an insurance issue, promoter, exhibitor, local ordinance.
    Why don’t you find out and let us know.

    • A talk with many gun show organizers here in Virginia revealed that it is an insurance issue.

  5. I wonder if it’s the Sands Expo Center rules because Nevada permits CC in public buildings unless the owner has a sign posted. You’d think the people running the show would want to have it in a CC friendly place though.

  6. If I may. One of the reasons to consider is the fact that this is going to be a hall of people handling firearms and the promoters do not want the chance of a live loaded firearm being mixed in on accident. Many moons ago I visited a firearms manufacturers plant to pickup matching his and hers as wedding presents (gotta love my wife) This was in texas where CHL is legal and I was carrying. Big 30.06 sign on the door so I degunned and then went in. The owner of the business had seen me in the parking lot and thanked me for sanitizing before entry and explained the reason they post is to prevent possible mixups when people visit and go through the place. I then toured the entire facility and got to test fire our new guns and a few others.

  7. Had the same issue at my local range. Changed the rule but had some “insurance” excuse that could not be justified by any policy language just antigun official who backed down when asked if he still wanted our money.
    Just an antigun PR opportunity: “if gun owners are so safe why doesn’t NRA allow carry?” NRA convention is huge event they have the clout esp. in bad economy to insist that the venue change it’s rules. A real disgrace for THE progun organization. I’m a member btw but it annoys me when convention tells me to disarm. What about the parking garage at night after the event and the trip home? Leave a gun in the car to be stolen?

    NRA needs some stones to stand up for what is right.

  8. It’s an utter capitulation. I’m sure that some venues have gun-free policies. Fine. Those venues should be out of consideration to hold the SHOT show. One of the first questions the organizers should ask of any venue is whether they’ll allow concealed carry.

    I understand that they don’t want an ND or something worse at their show (of all shows). However, if they can’t manage to trust their attendees to carry responsibly, why should anyone else?

  9. When Phillip Morris has a convention they will rent the entire hotel and temporarily claim that it is a “club” so that people can smoke there.

  10. A lot of run-of-the-mill gun shows have the same indoor no-carry rule, probably as a means of preventing ADs. I don’t think it’s a big deal. How would it look if some yahoo accidentally shot himself in the leg at a gun show?

  11. Liability and insurance. Although I’m sure the show organizers are fine with that. ‘Cause then they can say ‘Sorry. But if it was up to us…’.

  12. The Sands Expo and Convention Center has a no firearms rule and like others have said before, they don’t want a mix up to lead to negligent discharge. I believe all of the guns on the show floor have their firing pins removed as an extra precaution.

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