More from the floor…

Talking to folks from various booths, everybody is crowded, the perception is that ‘this’ show folks seem especially knowledgeable…

My comment, “Well, this IS Texas!”

FNH, Leupold, Colt, pretty much everybody I talked to echoed that sentiment..

And those new Leupold Mk8 scopes are ‘sweet’… Sigh…

And thanks to Lars and Kyle from the NRA media, last year’s show had 340,000 square feet of show floor, this year the floor is 440,000 square feet, so this IS the largest NRA show floor to this point!  And over 600 exhibitors.

Looks like the coverage just got a little more international…
Just met a crew from the BBC, who are apparently getting a LOT of questions/requests from their bosses about the show.
Also, NTV from Japan is here, should be this really interesting!
And conversation in the media room elicited that apparently two of the Sandy Hook ‘family victims showed up (location unknown) but apparently long enough to get on the 5pm news here in Houston…

Chatting with the NTV folks (Japanese TV), they are covering the show straight, their ‘hook’ is the 2nd Amendment, because Japan doesn’t have one (and very few guns). They are interested in the self protection aspect, and the lady commentator mentioned women being able to protect themselves…

The German reporter is covering the show for the “gun public” in Germany and Europe.

And more media… NRA Convention

Looks like the coverage just got a little more international…

Just met a crew from the BBC, who are apparently getting a LOT of questions/requests from their bosses about the show.

Also, NTV from Japan is here, should be this really interesting!

And conversation in the media room elicited that apparently two of the Sandy Hook ‘family victims showed up (location unknown) but apparently long enough to get on the 5pm news here in Houston…

Off to the floor, lots to see and folks to talk to.

And more media… NRA Convention

Looks like the coverage just got a little more international…

Just met a crew from the BBC, who are apparently getting a LOT of questions/requests from their bosses about the show.

Also, NTN from Japan is here, should be this really interesting!

And conversation in the media room elicited that apparently two of the Sandy Hook ‘family victims showed up (location unknown) but apparently long enough to get on the 5pm news here in Houston…

Off to the floor, lots to see and folks to talk to.

Quick hit…

Now granted ‘everything’ is bigger in Texas, but…

“I” don’t ever remember seeing a ‘school bus’ like this…

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For a HS girls soccer or lacrosse team apparently… A/C, reclining seats, video, etc…

And for Paul, no I did not see a single Colorado hunting outfitter, and the folks that I talked to were NOT booking any hunting in Colorado for the rest of this year, or going forward…

Extremes at the NRA Convention…

From this…

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Complete Colt Gatling gun found in St. Louis WITH carriage…

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Note the proof marks, smiths mark and barrel numbers… According to the RIA rep, they only had to do minimal cleaning, and the gun went together “seamlessly”…IMG_1187And when I asked him if they’d ‘test fired’ it… Well, he just smiled…

To this…

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Yes, that IS a pink overmould for the grip on the Ruger…

And pretty much everything in between!!!

For Frito, YES of course there were horses… And apparently only ONE single protester reading names, but we never found her…

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Gearing back up for more of the show!

Blog meet at NRA…

Well, we’ve proven yet again we can’t count…

What was ‘hoped’ to be around 20 folks getting together at Ginger Man (BEER), like 4 pages worth… of BEERS…

Well, we ended up at 26, 28, 32, 36, and finally 38 folks!!!

IMG_1194And of course ‘somebody’… Jay I think, said “What’s in your pocket?”  And this was the throwdown from six folks if I remember correctly… Including at least two of the ladies… The ‘other’ things in the pockets, well they stayed there!

And the conversations ran the gamut from bullet design, to ‘stories’, to a comment about nipples, and a back comment about a nice rack (laughter and a LOT of looks), movies,  strange things seen in the sky, strange things seen at the NRA Convention today; which promptly segued into comments about strange instructors, etc…

In other words the ‘standard’ blog meet conversations… 🙂

And for PE, the food was decent, AND THERE WAS BEER!

Oh yeah, and on the way back to the hotel, I pull up at a stoplight behind a white Bentley with 20’s on it and a PINK Texas plate that says PAY2PLA! Dunno who it was, but I’m betting a pro at ‘something’…

NRA Convention, Day 1…

Various thoughts from the day…

Thanks to Kevin at Smallest Minority for the dinner list from last night!!!

Lots of overseas coverage compared to what I remember from last year!  I met Danes, Aussies, and one German this morning covering for various media in their countries.

Dayum, my dogs are BARKING… That is a BIG damn floor!!! It’s at least 200 yards long by probably 50 yards deep!!!

This is the emblem for the year, and pretty appropriate (IMHO)…

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As usual, MAGPUL has a nice vehicle featured, and apparently this one was actually at St. Louis last year but I missed it… Sigh…

IMG_1188One wag’s comment was normally you only see these with “Peace” stickers, but not THIS one…

JayG came up with a ‘version’ that would be appropriate- “Peace through FIREPOWER”!

And for Murph- One booth babe…

IMG_1190And that is Ammo to Go’s truck!

And for Joe P., the word on your Sig P229/.357 Sig is they’ll get to it… They know they’re backed up, and are working full shifts.  When a run is done, they will ship according to order dates received at the factory.

IMG_1192And yes that really is a purple slide on this P290RS…  FROM THE FACTORY!!!

Geez…

Interesting juxtaposition of ‘ideas’…

Sitting in the press room taking a break, and listening to Rick Perry and Ted Cruz speak about freedom and the Second Amendment; guess what pops in on email…

Bradshaw plans to use the extra $1 million to launch “prevention intervention” units featuring specially trained deputies, mental health professionals and caseworkers. The teams will respond to citizen phone calls to a 24-hour hotline with a knock on the door and a referral to services, if needed.

The goal will be avoiding crime — and making sure law enforcement knows about potential powder kegs before tragedies occur, Bradshaw said

You can read the whole thing HERE.

Ummm… WTFO???

Let the games begin…

Folks are in line and waiting for the exhibition floor to open, excitement is in the air, and folks are “Happy to be here”.

The NRA media folks are as efficient as always, so folks have everything they need at checkin, which takes all of 5 minutes!

Sitting here with a cup of coffee, program and trying to figure out the plan of attack, so to speak; as the usual suspects wander in… Looks like over 620 exhibitors, running the gamut from old to new to futuristic!

I’m hearing show estimates ranging from 70,000-100,000 and it will be interesting to track this over the weekend, considering the ‘politics’ of the last few months.

A little humor for your Friday…

Bringing Home a Buddy for Dinner
A man brings his best buddy home for dinner. His wife screams at him. “My hair & makeup are not done, the house is a mess, the dishes are not done, I’m still in my pajamas and I can’t be bothered with cooking tonight! What the hell did you bring him home for?”
“Because he’s thinking of getting married….”
Bada bing…
Blonde opens a box of Cheerios, “Oh look Daddy- Donut seeds!”
….
The Jewish Tie Salesman

A fleeing Taliban terrorist, desperate for water, was plodding through the Afghan desert when he saw something far off in the distance.

Hoping to find water, he hurried toward the mirage, only to find a very frail little old Jewish man standing at a small makeshift display rack – selling ties.

The Taliban terrorist asked, “Do you have water?”

The Jewish man replied, “I have no water.  Would you like to buy a tie?  They are only $5.”

The Taliban shouted hysterically, “Idiot Infidel!  I do not need such an over-priced western adornment – I spit on your ties. I need water!”

“Sorry, I have   none – just ties – pure silk – and only $5.”

“Pahh!  A curse on your ties, I should wrap one around your scrawny little neck and choke the life out of you, but I must conserve my energy and find water!”

“Okay,” said the little old Jewish man, “It does not matter that you do not want to buy a tie from me, or that you hate me, threaten my life, and call me infidel.  I will show you that I am bigger than any of that.  If you continue over that hill to the east for about two miles, you will find a restaurant.  It has the finest food and all the ice-cold water you need.  Go in peace.”

Cursing him again, the desperate Taliban staggered away over the hill.

Several hours later he crawled back, almost dead and gasped, “They won’t let me in without a tie!”

….

An old country preacher……had a teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession. Like many young Men his age, the boy didn’t really know what he wanted to do, and he didn’t seem too concerned about it. One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy’s room and placed on his study table four objects..

1. A Bible…

2. A silver dollar…

3. A bottle of whisky…

4. And a Playboy magazine…

‘I’ll just hide behind the door,’ the old preacher said to himself. ‘When he comes home from school today, I’ll see which object he picks up.

If it’s the Bible, he’s going to be a preacher like me, and what a

Blessing that would be!

If he picks up the dollar, he’s going to be a business man, and that would be okay, too.

But if he picks up the bottle, he’s going to be a no-good drunken bum, and Lord, what a shame that would be.

And worst of all if he picks up that magazine he’s going to be a Skirt-chasing womanizer.’

The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son’s foot-steps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room.

The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table..

With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them. Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink, while he admired this month’s centerfold.

‘Lord have mercy,’ the old preacher disgustedly whispered.

‘He’s gonna run for Congress.’