A commentary on this year’s show.
by Chick Blood

Starting right off, the first interesting bit were two new gun control actions that almost stole the show. At every The Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show most conversations get right down to business. Reems of orders are written, thousands of products and services are introduced, new partnerships are haggled, others are dissolved. When those matters are not top of mind there is always a common undercurrent of a subject, or subjects, discussed that soon come close to dominating communications on both exhibitor floors of the vast Sands Expo.

Last year, the big talk it was the simultaneous AVN Adult Entertainment Expo gathering going on – and coming off – over at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The primary sources for much of the secondary chatter this year spread outward from the Smith & Wesson and Ruger exhibits. And idle chatter it wasn’t.

Both companies have announced they will stop selling new semi-automatic handguns in The People’s Republic of California.

Read more in our May 2014 issue. Back issues are available.

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