New Gun Show Location

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I got in with my ammo in a mag pouch on my belt (but I did have a jacket on overtop so I doubt they even saw it).

I liked that it was cleaner and brighter than RIR or the Showplace, but I'm not sure if I'll return. Trader Jerry's had several Ruger double action revolvers out that made me drool.

The closest thing I could find to a loophole was a keychain I got:



BUT I didn't check the table with all the "As Seen on TV" crap so I can't be too sure if he was selling one on an installment plan or not. I doubt it though.

One thing I noticed a lot of at this show were ShamWow rags and imitators. What the...

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This week-end 10/31 and 11/1 a new Richmond/Fredericksburg area gun show premiered.

Good points to this venue: new and clean, excellent lighting, wide isles, plenty of parking.

Negative points: very poor signage coming in, very expensive food, no ammo can be carried in mags or pockets - apparently doesn't apply to vendors as many seemed to be carrying hot and not secured.

Observation: lightly attended - show is new, but will have to do much better to last. Prices on AR15s seems to be coming down from some of the ridiculous highs I saw earlier.

Read more comments: http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=33461&forum_id=54&jump_to=565822#p565822

Yata hey

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curtiswr wrote:

I got in with my ammo in a mag pouch on my belt (but I did have a jacket on overtop so I doubt they even saw it).

I liked that it was cleaner and brighter than RIR or the Showplace, but I'm not sure if I'll return. Trader Jerry's had several Ruger double action revolvers out that made me drool.

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The deputy asked me if I had any.
Should have just gone completely deaf.

New Meadow Farms show thread.
http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/33545.html

Yata hey

Edited to fix link.

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No problem here for the afternoon shift. Maybe the LEO still had not had his morning coffee. I used one of my RED Tie wraps and he was satisfied with it and my mag was on the holster so I know he saw it.. I did enjoy though where they put the VCDL Table watched Football games all afternoon.

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Opps - ended up with 3 threads on new show.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/33545.html

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/33461.html

Yata hey

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Either the two threads you guys reference have disappeared or there is a problem with the server. I keep getting messages saying "Not Found".

Opps - ended up with 3 threads on new show.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/33545.html

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/33461.html

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So where did you put them?

stay safe.

skidmark

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skidmark wrote:

Either the two threads you guys reference have disappeared or there is a problem with the server. I keep getting messages saying "Not Found".

Opps - ended up with 3 threads on new show.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/33545.html

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/33461.html

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So where did you put them?

stay safe.

skidmark

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Guess that John or Mike must be batting clean-up. :?

One was a new thread I started devoted to the show, trying to "centralize" relate comments. Truth be, I missed this thread on my search.

The other was our breakfast thread that had slide into a gun show commentary. Those posts have been lost to future generations now. :?

Oh well. Ya want to complain, take a number.

Yata hey

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Attended the show earlier today to staff the VCDL table. This show has potential but the timing and other factors hurt the show. The weekend was probably bad since there were shows in Fredericksburg (30 minutes north) last weekend and Richmond (30 minutes south) two weekends ago, yesterday being Halloween and the first day of muzzleloader season, and the heavy rain.

The Meadow Event Park needs better signage. You're practically past the entrance off VA-30 before there was the first sign. But the show was very well light and had nice, wide aisle. It will be nice to see what the next show (Jan 16-17) will be like.

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I didn't make it up there, but I wanted to ask those who attended, "Where was the handicapped parking area located?" My wife and I attended the Celtic festival and Highland games the previous weekend, and the handicapped parking area left us with nearly 1/4 mile to walk in order to get to the festival. I have arthritis in my knees and my wife has COPD. I took enough Ibuprofen to make it without too much pain, but my wife was so exhausted that she was unable to make it back to the parking lot after the festival, on Saturday, and was unable to attend on Sunday. They did allow me to go get my car and pick her up at the main gate Saturday. As I drove in, the lot they allowed me to enter through was totally empty and was located at about half the distance we had to walk in the morning. This is a totally unacceptable situation, and they should have at the very least provided a shuttle service. Unless things change, I won't attend any event at that venue again.

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celticredneck wrote:

I didn't make it up there, but I wanted to ask those who attended, "Where was the handicapped parking area located?" My wife and I attended the Celtic festival and Highland games the previous weekend, and the handicapped parking area left us with nearly 1/4 mile to walk in order to get to the festival. I have arthritis in my knees and my wife has COPD. I took enough Ibuprofen to make it without too much pain, but my wife was so exhausted that she was unable to make it back to the parking lot after the festival, on Saturday, and was unable to attend on Sunday. They did allow me to go get my car and pick her up at the main gate Saturday. As I drove in, the lot they allowed me to enter through was totally empty and was located at about half the distance we had to walk in the morning. This is a totally unacceptable situation, and they should have at the very least provided a shuttle service. Unless things change, I won't attend any event at that venue again.

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Lots of handicapped parking, but all full, even with light attendance on Sat. - didn't go Sunday.

Seems to be the same at all shows locally - lots of spaces but all full. Best bet is to get there very early.

Yata hey

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If you were facing the building, the main lot was to the left. The handicapped spaces were in the first row.

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ProShooter wrote:

If you were facing the building, the main lot was to the left. The handicapped spaces were in the first row.

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That is better. For the Celtic festival, all of that lot was reserved for vendors and entertainers. They put handicap on the other side of the road from the exhibit building. From that building, you had to walk200 yards or so, go down through a tunnel, up a hill, another 200 yards, through another tunnel then about 150 yards up a hill to the parking lot. Like I said, I was able to deal with it, but my wife just couldn't make it. I'm not sure that they weren't violating the law the way they did things. I sent them an email and one to my state representative also. State Fair of Virginia has not responded to my email, sent over a week ago. Since you say the parking is better, I may try and make the next gun show. It sounds like they had a good show in spite of a few problems with open carry and ammo.

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When entering the gun show, I too was asked to unload my firearms. I unloaded my 4" 357mag I was OCing and gave them a speed loader, then I waited for them to wave me on before I pulled my p238(.380) from concealment and started to unload it. (I waited just to see the look on their faces that they were waving me in armed) One of them asked if I was LEO while I was clearing it and I said no. He said "don't ever bring a loaded gun to a gun show." I laughed a little bit at him slightly in a friendly-but-not-taking you seriously way. Then I pulled out two spare magazines and handed them to him. At that point he laughed, smiled, and asked if I had anything else in "my armory." He looked genuinely surprised because I was wearing a button down shirt of light weight and only my revolver was OC'd. I smiled and patted myself down like I was checking my pockets and said 'nope, thats it.' Was it wrong of me to keep two speed loaders for my 357 mag? My rational was there are already people with guns in the show, and people selling ammo, so I didn't want to be at a disadvantage. I broke the tab on the zip lock so It looked intact but could be pulled off. I didn't load it because I was looking for grips. Am I crazy?

also they didn't even ask if I had permit to CC when I took out the sig.

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The show promoter sets the rule for no loaded weapons inside the show facility. Unfortunately they do not provide a safe unloading area (sand barrel, bullet trap, etc.) for folks who do not want to unload until the last minute.

If the cops sitting at the zip-tie stand are uncomfortable they should speak to the show promoter and request a safe unloading area.

The holding of unloaded ammo at the front seems to be a NoVa thing, as I have not encountered it south of Fredericksburg.

Asking (demanding) to hold all reloads (speedloaders, magazines) carried in by patrons is simplistic, as everyone has mentioned, as they sell those things + ammo. You could go from paperweight to "ready carry" in just a few minutes, but I guess they feel better.

No matter how you feel about the rules the promoter sets up, we need to remember two things: 1) getting caught breaking the rules will get you thrown out, and 2) getting caught may make the promoter and politicians decide it's not worth the riusk to have another gun show.

Play nice, or you may not be allowed to play at all!

stay safe.

skidmark

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skidmark wrote:

The holding of unloaded ammo at the front seems to be a NoVa thing, as I have not encountered it south of Fredericksburg.

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It's not just a NOVA thing. It happens each time I go to the Hampton Gun Show. Of course, it bothers them when I unload everything at the front desk. If I'm going to the gun show for stuff, I tend to bring everything I'm looking for stuff for. This means I'll have an OC firearm and a CC firearm at minimum.

The first time I went, the officer sitting at the table raised an eyebrow at me when I unloaded 5 magazines for two firearms. My wife had 3 magazines for her two firearms. All 8 magazines had PD ammunition.

Would be nice if they'd just give us a safe spot to clear our firearms to make them safe for compliance with the promoter's requirements.

Though when we left, we had every police officer's attention as we reloaded everything and put it all away. They even watched us walk all the way out to the van. Not sure what that was about. Hampton Police are a little strange.

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Even better, don't have the officers ask anyone anything.

Next time a gun show comes up in your area, local VCDL members
should supply a clearing barrel. It should also have a sign like:
THIS BARREL IS BEING PROVIDED FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY.
PLEASE USE WHEN CLEARING YOUR WEAPON FOR THE OFFICERS

and really big on the lid, around the top
VIRGINIA CITIZENS DEFENSE LEAGUE

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simmonsjoe wrote:

Even better, don't have the officers ask anyone anything.

Next time a gun show comes up in your area, local VCDL members
should supply a clearing barrel. It should also have a sign like:
THIS BARREL IS BEING PROVIDED FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY.
PLEASE USE WHEN CLEARING YOUR WEAPON FOR THE OFFICERS

and really big on the lid, around the top
VIRGINIA CITIZENS DEFENSE LEAGUE

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Interesting thought.

I suspect this would require the promoter's blessing/authorization and that there might be some liability issues (not all people use such safely) and set up problems.

Then again why does the show sponsor not provide an unloading station?

Yata hey

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Grapeshot wrote:

simmonsjoe wrote:

Even better, don't have the officers ask anyone anything.

Next time a gun show comes up in your area, local VCDL members
should supply a clearing barrel. It should also have a sign like:
THIS BARREL IS BEING PROVIDED FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY.
PLEASE USE WHEN CLEARING YOUR WEAPON FOR THE OFFICERS

and really big on the lid, around the top
VIRGINIA CITIZENS DEFENSE LEAGUE

Click to expand...

Interesting thought.

I suspect this would require the promoter's blessing/authorization and that there might be some liability issues (not all people use such safely) and set up problems.

Then again why does the show sponsor not provide an unloading station?

Yata hey

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Because, as you noted, any misuse or non-use of the clearing barrel exposes the promoter to liability.

Or they just never thought of it.

Take your pick.

stay safe.

skidmark

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skidmark wrote:

The show promoter sets the rule for no loaded weapons inside the show facility. Unfortunately they do not provide a safe unloading area (sand barrel, bullet trap, etc.) for folks who do not want to unload until the last minute.

If the cops sitting at the zip-tie stand are uncomfortable they should speak to the show promoter and request a safe unloading area.

The holding of unloaded ammo at the front seems to be a NoVa thing, as I have not encountered it south of Fredericksburg.

Asking (demanding) to hold all reloads (speedloaders, magazines) carried in by patrons is simplistic, as everyone has mentioned, as they sell those things + ammo. You could go from paperweight to "ready carry" in just a few minutes, but I guess they feel better.

No matter how you feel about the rules the promoter sets up, we need to remember two things: 1) getting caught breaking the rules will get you thrown out, and 2) getting caught may make the promoter and politicians decide it's not worth the riusk to have another gun show.

Play nice, or you may not be allowed to play at all!

stay safe.

skidmark

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It would be so much fun to have them put magazines and ammo in a ziploc baggie to hold for me.

Then go in to the show, buy a magazine and a box of ammo, and come out and ask them put put it in my baggie.

Then go in and buy another magazine and box of ammo, and come out and ask them to put it in my baggie.

Repeat as necessary.

With bulldog running the video camera, and nakedshoplifter seconding video and audio.

Would make a great infomercial -- for inanity.

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Tess wrote:

It would be so much fun to have them put magazines and ammo in a ziploc baggie to hold for me.

Then go in to the show, buy a magazine and a box of ammo, and come out and ask them put put it in my baggie.

Then go in and buy another magazine and box of ammo, and come out and ask them to put it in my baggie.

Repeat as necessary.

With bulldog running the video camera, and nakedshoplifter seconding video and audio.

Would make a great infomercial -- for inanity.

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You stayed up nights thinking that one up didn't you.

My concern is who is going to be responsible when my magazines and ammo come up missing or damaged? I have no receipt itemizing the items. Anybody can read my name on the baggie and ask for it.

The promoter needs to look at this again and ask him/herself just what they are accomplishing. The only reasonable answer is nothing good/effective.

Yata hey