Gun show this past weekend March 21 and 22

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The RK Gunshow this past weekend was at a much smaller venue at the Inn Place Hotel & Convention Center. Most of the vendors were not very friendly whileothers were darn right rude. It seemedlike some of them hadnever seen a person of color or a gay person before when my gf had tagged alongwith meon Saturday. On Sunday, one of the vendor's older children was running around with a swastika bandon his arm and a rebel T-shirt.

Now I've lived in Louisville KY for 6 years and have always felt that this city was progressive. I never have fallen for stereotypes of the south. But that weekend I felt like every racist and homophobic redneck came out of the woodworkto the gun show. Maybe the close quarterswasn't helping the situation much.

Ihad really beendeadset on an S&W Model 60 or 66 2.5 inch barreled 357 and looked around at the gunshow. I found a Model 60 with those same specs that was used, in 90% condition, for$575.The guy absolutely did not budge on the price when I offered (it was honestly all the money I had) $520 bucks cash. While I was standing there he was trying to get a good deal for his buddy on another gun that one of his partners at the same vending table had for sale. Maybe I'm being a little sensitive but I kind of felt insulted. I came back Sunday and he still hadn't sold it and wasn't going to cut me any slack.

I'm glad I didn't give him my money because I did end up with a good deal on a Ruger SP101 2.25 inch barreled stainless 357 for$448 bucks. That guy has a shop in Bowling Green and really took the time to talk to me about different guns. He was very friendly and had the best price at the show.As a matter of fact, he had a better price than my local gunshop that hasone of the best prices in town. This is my 4th RK gunshow and I don't think I will be attending any RK Gunshowsat small venues for awhile.


This is a pic of my purchase. I have since ordered some really nice cocobolo inserts to replace the plastic stock ones pictured.

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Sadly, I've noticed that some vendor's at the gunshows are rude and plain old hateful! Some of those that even come out to shop the gunshows can be equally as bad but not as much so, usually. Overall, I've had a blast, pardon the pun, at the Lexington gunshows over the past year but there have been a few things that kind of bugged me, I've noticed the Nazi swastika present at everyone. Personally, I see no need in this, it does not set a good impression for those that are looking for ANY REASON to flag gun owners as "dangerous", nor does it set a good impression for those that have never been to a gunshow before. I can understand Nazi war collectibles such as weapons, knives, bayonets, etc but not swatika per se. I'd personally like to see them removed but I believe even greater in NO CENSORSHIP, this is America and like it or not, I believe in the freedoms that we live and die for!

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That is a good point Neuroblade. This was the second gunshow my gf had been to and she was not at all impressed with the vendor's attitudes or the giant swastika on display. However, that kid running around with a swastika armband and rebel t-shirt was really quite disturbing given the fact that no one said anything to him or his parents about it or that anyone else seemed bothered by it at all. I have had loads of fun at the other gunshows. Just not this one.

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Sadly, or maybe just foolishly, alot of people tend to forget or just not think or care what image they portray publicly. The rebel shirt, that I can over look to some extent, alot of folks have them and some feel strongly for one reason or another about that issue though it died hundreds of years ago with the end of the Civil War.

The swastika though, that's a different issue altogether! It does have a place in history and when being referenced for what it was and what it meant, that's one thing but to have anyone out there running around with it, that's a different matter altogether! I rank it up to parents not caring, not knowing, or just not understanding.

But as I said previously, this is America, and while I loathe seeing things such as that occur, I do believe in our freedoms and no censorship. We have to take the good and bad side by side.

BTW, thought I'm not much for wheelguns, I like your choice, keep looking for the S&W 60 & 66. There are ALOT of gun places online as well that might have that sidearm. If not, give my personal favorite shop a call: 606-928-6326. If they have it and the price is decent, it might be worth a drive for it, I don't know. *LOL*

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I won't stop looking for that S&W Model 66. I'm keeping my eyes peeled everywhere. Sherwood Guns is where I made my purchase at the show.

Can't wait to get those Cocbolo inserts for my SP 101!:celebrate

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I think oftentimes it's a matter of degree and intent. Does your exhibiting the Rebel flag merely help you to make a simple, legitimatepolitical statement, or is it meant to offend others?

And as to the swastika, what can be the intent in displaying it? Is it to espouse a plausiblepolitical position, or to offend?

And unfortunately, the same can be said for open carry. By carrying, am I trying to support a legal position? Or am I trying to intimidate and frighten (I know there is a multitude of reasons for carrying, and we all have our own, but I'm merely trying to illustrate a point here)?

My first experience with open carry was in Arizona in the early '90's. Some folks open carried with no fanfare, no chip on their shoulders, and no agenda beyond doing what the law dictated they could do, and that they wished to do.

But others, and here I'm reminded of a custom back then where someoutlaw bikers would wear .44 magnum revolvers on each hip, with crossed leather bandoleers of cartridges stretched across naked shoulders and chests....in effect, throwing open carry and intimidation into the faces of regular folks. That kind of attitude, I believe, was responsible for so doggoned many businesses in Arizona having signs on doors and windows refusing to allow guns inside.

Julabee Jones

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The show was alright. Best part was the BBQ from the parking lot!

Sometimes I wonder why people even bother getting a booth at the shows. On one table you've got a box of Wolf x39 priced at $8.50. Two rows down another vendor has the same exact stuff for $5.25. I managed to get some Yugo for $3.99, the cheapest I've seen in about 3 years.

They seem to have the 'museum' mentality. Set up, price everything absurdly high, and go take a nap.

I miss the huge show back in VA. Took all day to get through.

BTW do yourself a favor and get the lighter hammer spring for that SP101. I had the 3", trigger pull was quite hard.

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chris in va wrote:

The show was alright. Best part was the BBQ from the parking lot!

Sometimes I wonder why people even bother getting a booth at the shows. On one table you've got a box of Wolf x39 priced at $8.50. Two rows down another vendor has the same exact stuff for $5.25. I managed to get some Yugo for $3.99, the cheapest I've seen in about 3 years.

They seem to have the 'museum' mentality. Set up, price everything absurdly high, and go take a nap.

I miss the huge show back in VA. Took all day to get through.

BTW do yourself a favor and get the lighter hammer spring for that SP101. I had the 3", trigger pull was quite hard.

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As for the trigger pull, it all depends upon what they're going to do with the gun. If it's meant for self-defense at all, and if the trigger is around 4lb. is SA and 8lbs. in DA, then better to leave it alone. Changing the pounds on the trigger pull can be a literal prison sentence if its lessened and you HAVE to actually shoot someone with said gun. The court system and DA will have a hayday with the case and claiming the shooter had a "hair trigger" modification on their gun.

I've been reading about these types cases lately from Massad Ayoob. Better to get cheap new ammo and burn througha few boxes and get the trigger finger conditioned to the trigger, if it's more pull than she's used to.

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The trigger pull is perfect for me! My Taurus M85 .38 Spl has an awful trigger pull and makes this gun feel like butter. When shooting .38 rounds in my SP 101 it's like shooting .22's. Now 357 ammo is another story. Still working on gettung used to that kick and my wrist is still hurting 3 days later after after 2 days on the range. Here's my SP101 with those Cocobolo inserts that arrived today:

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Love the new grips you put on your sidearm!

The basic rule rule as per any gun and caliber is the large the caliber as in 38/357. The larger the caliber, the large the weapon should be. For instant, it you have an Airweight wheel gun 357 in painful yo even shot, let alone to have chambered in a lightweight gun for self-defense. lightweights work great up to about 38 or so. Now when you get into standard metal frame wheel guns, then the caliber chambered for self-defense can be a bit larger. The actual weight of the gun helps with controlling your gun in a life and death situation. Granted, there's a trade off in size and weight of sidearm as to what caliber you have chambered.

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My SP101 has a 2.25 inch barrel and weighs about 25 ounces unloaded. It's pretty darn sturdy. When I'm shooting .357 ammo it kicks but it is controllable. It's not all over the place but it is a noticablekick that makes me have to clamp down on it harder to keep it steady which creates tension on my wrist and probably caused my injury.I noticed that .357 150gr generic wadcutters feel better in my gun than 125gr Remington Golden Saber ammo. Also, Fiocchi 125gr .38 spl ammo shoots just perfect in it.

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ToniDaTyga wrote:

My SP101 has a 2.25 inch barrel and weighs about 25 ounces unloaded. It's pretty darn sturdy. When I'm shooting .357 ammo it kicks but it is controllable. It's not all over the place but it is a noticablekick that makes me have to clamp down on it harder to keep it steady which creates tension on my wrist and probably caused my injury.I noticed that .357 150gr generic wadcutters feel better in my gun than 125gr Remington Golden Saber ammo. Also, Fiocchi 125gr .38 spl ammo shoots just perfect in it.

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In Massad Ayoob's book on concealed carry, he STRONGLY suggests practicing and using which ever ammo loadout that you can best easily handle and control over a continual fire situation, such as in an actual shootout situation with an attacker. He notes that while a large caliber round is always better, it is NOT better if you can not rapidly put all or most of your shots on target to end the fight as quickly as possible.

Basically, you can use a 357 round and while its a large caliber, if you can not shoot, re-aquire target rapidly, and put each following shot on target then it's futile to utilize the 357 round. If on the other hand you can more easily shoot, re-aquire target, and put each following shot on target with a 38 caliber round, then you're far better off utilizing the 38 caliber round.

As he states, it's NOT the caliber that really matters, it's the ability to put all or as many rounds on target and end the fight as quickly as possible.

If you're concealed carrying or interested in CC, then I'd strongly suggest EVERYONE read this amazingly insightly book.

The Gun Digest Book Of Concealed Carry

http://www.amazon.com/Gun-Digest-Book-Concealed-Carry/dp/0896896110

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Thanks for the recommendation. I will definetely check it out!

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I have a Taurus 605 in .38/.357 and keep it loaded with .38 wadcutters. I do that because of a tendency to flinch whenever I come to the second shot of .357. And I think Aooyb is right....if that second shot goes wild and misses the target, it doesn't matter a whit what caliber it happens to be....unless of course, it could hit some innocent bystander after missing the target.

I don't read much about flinching on the various gun forums. And it may be, that I'm the only guy in the country who has trouble with it. I've practiced hard for years, and with due diligence I can shoot without flinching, but after that first hard-kicking .357 magnum recoil, I'm just not sure I can tamp down a natural response to flinch, in a high pressure self-defense situation.

And, "When I'm shooting .357 ammo it kicks but it is controllable. It's not all over the place but it is a noticablekick that makes me have to clamp down on it harder to keep it steady which creates tension on my wrist and probably caused my injury"...the harder I have to hold to a gun, the less accurate I am, since muscle tension makes me pull off.

In my opinion, when it's all said and done, I need to shoot the gun that is least apt to make me miss my target, either through pull off with tension, or flinching.

JJ

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Julabee Jones wrote:

I have a Taurus 605 in .38/.357 and keep it loaded with .38 wadcutters. I do that because of a tendency to flinch whenever I come to the second shot of .357. And I think Aooyb is right....if that second shot goes wild and misses the target, it doesn't matter a whit what caliber it happens to be....unless of course, it could hit some innocent bystander after missing the target.

I don't read much about flinching on the various gun forums. And it may be, that I'm the only guy in the country who has trouble with it. I've practiced hard for years, and with due diligence I can shoot without flinching, but after that first hard-kicking .357 magnum recoil, I'm just not sure I can tamp down a natural response to flinch, in a high pressure self-defense situation.

And, "When I'm shooting .357 ammo it kicks but it is controllable. It's not all over the place but it is a noticablekick that makes me have to clamp down on it harder to keep it steady which creates tension on my wrist and probably caused my injury"...the harder I have to hold to a gun, the less accurate I am, since muscle tension makes me pull off.

In my opinion, when it's all said and done, I need to shoot the gun that is least apt to make me miss my target, either through pull off with tension, or flinching.

JJ

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I agree with you JJ about using the gun that is least likely to induce flinch. That flinch reaction could be just enough to cause all following rapid shots to not likely be on target and that could end up meaning you life or the life of an innocent by-stander. If you can practice with 357 and overcome thast flinch reaction and bring up your rapid fire spedd then that weapon and caliber would be a good one.

As for trying to overcome that flinch reaction, I've for familiar with wheel guns that much I use automatics. But if you're gun utilizes an inertial hammer, I think it's called, then you can safely "dry fire" without damaging your firing pin, research your weapon and see if this is safe to do with the one you're using. If not, just purcahse "snap caps" to use. The end result being that you can safely dry fire your weapon. Aytoob recommends that people who encounter that flinch reaction to just practice pulling that trigger and keeping the eyes open to see where your aim is when the trigger breaks. He contends that the flinch reaction is caused by the human reaction to the noise. This might not be your case granted, especially if it only happens when firing 357 rounds. But it's worth a shot, pardon the pun. *LOL*

As for the ammo, to avoid over-penetration or shoot-through. It's far better to utilize hollowpoints that are of current law enforcement grade. A good example are Speer Golden Dot, Federal Hydra-Shok, or my personal self-defense carry Hornady Critical Defense. These ammos are designed expressly to "open up" upon firing and to cause maximum damage and thereby ending an attackers attempt on your life whether by inducing fear in them from blood lose or possible death. There are other such ammunitions out there as well other than the 3 I referenced here, just do your research and DO NOT use FMJ ball ammo! FMJ ball ammo will cause over-penetration and you'll end up accidentially killing an innocent by-stander.

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It is possible to be flinching, and not even know it. The best way to find out, is to have someone surprise load your weapon for you. That is, if in a revolver, load all but one cyclinder with live rounds. The remaining cyclinder should have a previously fired, 'dead' round put in it, or a Snap Cap.

For an auto, should the magazine hold 10 rounds, have a friend load any number but ten.

You'll know for sure you're flinching if you fire that 'dead' round, and find yourself drawing back or jerking.

And a sincere thanks on the brands to use if over-penetration could be an issue. I'll buy them and test them out, seeing which one ends up being my gun's 'favorite'.

And just as an observation....isn't it incredible how high the prices of some of the better ammo runs? Shucks, even 'cheap' ammo is no longer cheap, or in some senses, even reasonable.

Again, my thanks!

JJ

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I just ordered three good books off of Amazon: "George Tooley's Beginner's Book on How to Handle Firearms" by Darleen Tooley, "The Gun Digest Book Of Concealed Carry" by Massad Ayoob, and "In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection" by Massad F. Ayoob. The latter was highly reccommended by a good friend of mine.

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Julabee Jones wrote:

It is possible to be flinching, and not even know it. The best way to find out, is to have someone surprise load your weapon for you. That is, if in a revolver, load all but one cyclinder with live rounds. The remaining cyclinder should have a previously fired, 'dead' round put in it, or a Snap Cap.

For an auto, should the magazine hold 10 rounds, have a friend load any number but ten.

You'll know for sure you're flinching if you fire that 'dead' round, and find yourself drawing back or jerking.

And a sincere thanks on the brands to use if over-penetration could be an issue. I'll buy them and test them out, seeing which one ends up being my gun's 'favorite'.

And just as an observation....isn't it incredible how high the prices of some of the better ammo runs? Shucks, even 'cheap' ammo is no longer cheap, or in some senses, even reasonable.

Again, my thanks!

JJ

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I never really thought about it but that's a great idea.

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ToniDaTyga wrote:

I just ordered three good books off of Amazon: "George Tooley's Beginner's Book on How to Handle Firearms" by Darleen Tooley, "The Gun Digest Book Of Concealed Carry" by
Massad Ayoob, and "In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection" by Massad F. Ayoob. The latter was highly reccommended by a good friend of mine.

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I've not heard of the first book but the other two I have. The latter one covers the use of your sidearm in self-defense. I vaugely remember Ayoob mentioning it in the concealed carry book you've ordered. Basically any of his books are well worth the purchase. If you're not familiar with his stuff, he writes ALOT of articles for many gun magazines on the topic of legal cases pertaining to gun use in real life as well as conceled carry. You won't be bored by his books, I promise!