The crowd ‘seems’ to be down, compared to last year’s Friday. Probably due to the president being here, but a couple of other things play into that, IMHO, one is Atlanta traffic itself…

People don’t want to fight it, getting in and out can take an hour or more, just from Atlanta metro itself. You move out to a 50 mile radius, now you’re talking two hours or more.

Another is the ‘relaxation’ of the pressure on gun owners with the election of President Trump.

And honestly, the third is probably cost.  When you figure in gas, food, etc. not counting hotels, you’re talking easily a couple of hundred dollars for three or four people. If you add in hotel, now you’re talking three-four hundred dollars a night.

Talking with various LEOs, service people, and event staff, the common response is how polite every one is (Armed society is a polite society), and how many veterans are attending. Everything from WWII to the ongoing Afghan/Iraq/Yemen/??? Dust ups.

One thing I’ve noticed, is the number of people with prosthetics who are not hiding them, wearing shorts, or short sleeved shirts. And no one comments, or shies away. I saw one little boy fist bump a vet with a hook, smile, and then say, in a high piping voice, “Thank you for keeping me safe.”

And speaking of safety… Ladies carry options…

Hiding Hilda caught my attention…

They had the largest selection of purses/carry options for women that I saw at the entire show. She is also manufacturing some of her own designs, like the quilted purse (shown front and back), with the zipper carry pouch on the back. She’s proud of the fact that all the lines she carries are American made too!