Gun shows- Armed or Unarmed

Your post is not exactly correct about the Michigan Gun & Knife Shows. If you are a "table holder" and get permission from the show promoter you may be allowed to conceal carry if your permit is current. Walk ins are not allowed to conceal or open carry hand guns unless they are law enforcement officers. After the college campus shooting in VA the show promoter took time to rethink his policy about only having his limited security forces armed.

The reason that all firearms are to be tied or broken down is for the safety of all that attend the show. There have been accidental discharges from time to time at well known shows. It happened at Tulsa at least once. When this happens people can and do get hurt. These incidents only tend to fuel the political nightmare. We all know that guns shows in general are under attack.

I have maintained a table at every Grand Rapids Delta Plex Gun Show now for over six years. It is somewhat common for me to observe unsafe or less than safe gun handling such as seeing people pointing, sweeping, and even dryfiring fireams in an unsafe direction after they worked the band free. As you may know, hand guns are often displayed in glass showcases and are not required to be banded. People tend to improperly handle hand guns more often that they do rifles or shotguns.

I tend to remind people when I see unsafe gun handling.

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When you first walk into the show hall make a quick left then head down the row of tables going towards the back of the room. My table is the fourth or fifth table into the show. It will be on your right hand side. I have a very good location; it is easy to find, and I have a great view of everything that comes into the show.

If you have attended this show before you will recall that there has always been an end cap with a War between the States and Indian Wars theme. These are the first tables that you see when you enter the show. My table is usually three tables into the show from this location, same row, depending on how many tables that the end cap takes up.

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I don't know if there is a policy about having loaded magazines in the show hall. The question that is asked at the door is: "do you have any firearms on you today". My guess is that you are fine to enter with loaded magazines concealed on your person if you were lawfully carrying when you approached the door.

The rule about selling ammuntion is: no loose rounds on the table, all ammo must be in a factory original box, or in some kind of a sealed box or container. I think the logic is that they don't want to make it easy for people to load a firearm that they are handling as that could be unsafe.

At the last show an exhibitor at the table next to mine dryfired a pellet rifle. It made a loud report and there was some panic. I was in the back corner of the front room and it caused me some concern as well. The show promoter hustled over to that guys table to discuss the event and remedy.

The show in June was very slow and the one in August might be a slow one as well, most of the Summer shows are. I always share my table with one or two friends. After doing the shows for six years or more I find that I am running out of things to sell.

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