In three short months the NRA's 140thAnnual Meeting will be held in Pittsburgh, PA. For three days, firearm, ammunition, and accessory manufacturers will meet with other industry representatives, media types, gun bloggers, gun writers, and other freedom-minded folks from around the country. This will be my second convention in as many years, and I'll be driving out to Pittsburgh the day before the start and heading home the next day.
At last year's convention, and I expect at this year's as well, it was more about meeting folks and putting faces to the names I read every day that was the most exciting part. I met Alan! and Breda! And SayUncle, who walked the convention floor with me and then we all went out to dinner together! It was jokingly referred to as the gunnie prom, which I know wasn't true because I didn't break out in horrible acne before it... It's really amazing meeting folks that you feel like you've come to know over the years, finding out how they differ from their online persona (and how they're similar - Mike W. found this out when he drove with me...)
The exhibits are great too, don't get me wrong. All of the major manufacturers will be there, as well as all of the major accessory, ammunition, and other gear-related manufacturers as well - talk about kid-in-a-candy store! Not just that, but there's a bunch of historical exhibits - everything from wonderful old Colt 1911s to flintlocks to early pistol bayonets! I know I got weeks and weeks of Friday Gun pr0n out of my trip alone - and I took close to 400 pictures! It's a great time, you get to check out great guns & gear, and meet folks - what more could you want (well, besides free samples...)
So who's going this year besides me?
That is all.
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18 comments:
I can't leave my kids for that long in the middle of a school year. Maybe some day they'll hold the convention during summer months, when teachers can go.
What are the dates again? I know that its sometime in April....
It'd just be Friday, Carteach0... All the cool kids are going. Everyone's doing it! C'mon, you don't wanna be left out... ;)
Dragon,
The convention opens Friday, April 29th and closes Sunday, May 1st.
MrsZ and I will be there; along with Newbius and his CFO we'll be staying at the Embassy Airport.
Getting excited and it's still three months away!
I will be there!
Hmmm...April 29th to May 1st I can do.
Wonder if Pittsburgh is going to be banning OCing of sidearms that week-end, what with the Tuscon shooting still being rather fresh in the minds of politicians and police...
I'm planning on going, but I need some info on extracurricular activities before I submit my leave form and schedule my flight. Don't want to miss pub time with the cool kids!
I'm in, and I am bringing adult beverages.
I'll be there! Of course, since I live in Pittsburgh, that's not going to be difficult.
@Dragon - they can't ban it (state preemption) but they definitely could have some "willful ignorance" of the law. They certainly have in the past.
I've got a primer on PA gun laws on my site if you want/need more info:
http://blog.wymanhq.org/blog/post/2010/10/19/Pennsylvania-Carry-Laws.aspx
I'm planning to attend, and maybe some of us Northcoasters can form a Carpool. But 3 hours from my house? A chance to mess with the Anti-Gun Protesters? Boy, HowDee!
We're planning on being there!
Not me, this year. With the advent of widespread TSA-sanctioned molestation, I'm not going to be flying.
Driving is an option, but there's a whole lot of states with varying degrees of idiocy regarding carry for me to want to make that drive. At least this year the convention is being held in a place you can actually carry! Pennsylvania is landlocked reciprocity-wise for those of us with Texas CHLs, with WV, OH, MD, DC, and NJ not recognizing our licenses.
Next year is a possible, as St. Louis is only 2 states away, and all possible routes have relatively decent carry laws that are easy to adapt to. Missouri's laws themselves are quite decent as well, so there's that going for it.
WV: pinses - those pointy grabby things on crabs pulled out of Bahston Hahbah.
SHOTGUN!!! : )
I think I will be there. Pittsburgh is only about 1-1/2 drive from my house in WV.
P.S. Go eat at Primanti brothers, it is in the Strip and close to the convention center, it is a Pittsburg institution.
I'll be there...and no trip to Russia this time, so I can hang with the cool kids.
We're planning on making it.
Miss another entertaining event with the esteemed JayG?
NEVER!
I'll be there with bells on (figuratively, of course).
There shall be meeting and consuming of the beverages. Oh, yes, there shall.
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