NRA annual meeting reminded me of a mid-size or even larger con circa the late 90's. No shibboleth required, the fact that you showed up and got a badge was enough to prove you were as much a nerd as they were.
The kilt let me meet a gent who traced his Scottish roots back to mercenaries (for the British) at Yorktown. I talked shit about Homeland Security with a retired Navy chief, who was there when they merged immigration, customs, and border security, expecting people to do all three jobs for one check. I posed with the guys at Cold Steel and picked up a few new pieces for the training kit.
I was heartened by a distinct lack of booth babes (I saw a grand total of three, all working for Cabela's). Everyone who was in the event wanted to be there, whether they were working, doing business, shopping, or just meeting folks. The demographics did lend itself to middle-aged white dudes, but the atmosphere was definitely a "like guns? come on in!"
Concealed carry is definitely the growth sector. Hunting is there, but a lack of places to go and areas willing to let you is pricing a lot of people out of the market, and making it unwelcoming for newcomers. Sport shooting is slower, but still growing. I saw a lot of simulator rigs, newfangled targets and suchlike.
The tacticool market is completely oversaturated, with everyone and their mother having built AR platforms. I love 5.56 as much as anyone, but I think about half of these guys will be gone in five years.
I'd like to go tomorrow and see the new concealed carry curricula they're offering on their education & training track, but I'm already committed elsewhere (training, Ironically enough).
I was nowhere near 45's speech, and could care less.
Overall, not a bad way to spend a quiet Friday afternoon.
The kilt let me meet a gent who traced his Scottish roots back to mercenaries (for the British) at Yorktown. I talked shit about Homeland Security with a retired Navy chief, who was there when they merged immigration, customs, and border security, expecting people to do all three jobs for one check. I posed with the guys at Cold Steel and picked up a few new pieces for the training kit.
I was heartened by a distinct lack of booth babes (I saw a grand total of three, all working for Cabela's). Everyone who was in the event wanted to be there, whether they were working, doing business, shopping, or just meeting folks. The demographics did lend itself to middle-aged white dudes, but the atmosphere was definitely a "like guns? come on in!"
Concealed carry is definitely the growth sector. Hunting is there, but a lack of places to go and areas willing to let you is pricing a lot of people out of the market, and making it unwelcoming for newcomers. Sport shooting is slower, but still growing. I saw a lot of simulator rigs, newfangled targets and suchlike.
The tacticool market is completely oversaturated, with everyone and their mother having built AR platforms. I love 5.56 as much as anyone, but I think about half of these guys will be gone in five years.
I'd like to go tomorrow and see the new concealed carry curricula they're offering on their education & training track, but I'm already committed elsewhere (training, Ironically enough).
I was nowhere near 45's speech, and could care less.
Overall, not a bad way to spend a quiet Friday afternoon.
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