thedrifter
04-18-07, 07:55 AM
Last modified: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 6:49 AM CDT
Shooting enthusiasts pack NRA convention in St. Louis
By Scott Cousins
Brandon Hood of Marissa just got out of the U.S. Marines after serving seven years.
For much of that time, he carried a .50 caliber sniper rifle.
On Friday, he got to meet the man who invented it - Ronnie Barrett of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Co.
The two were among more than 60,000 people attending the annual National Rifle Association Annual Meetings and Exhibits, held last weekend in St. Louis.
The convention gave hunters, target shooters and other like-minded people a chance to meet and mingle, as well as check out exhibits ranging from the latest guns and other gear to historical displays.
Most of the product displays were very hands-on, giving people a chance to hold, sight and dry-fire guns ranging from small .22 handguns to Barrett's top-of-the-line model - topping 32 pounds and costing of more than $8,000.
On Friday afternoon, Barrett was sitting on a stool at his company's display, signing copies of posters for fans when another company official brought Hood up.
"I didn't think he would actually be here," said Hood, who left the Marines as a sergeant. "It's pretty cool.
"It's a great weapon," Hood added. "All I can say is it's served us great and probably saved a few lives."
Barrett said such meetings were common.
"There's been a lot of service people in here today," he said. "It's a touching thing and a rewarding thing, to be able to know you've helped the defense of the nation and provided equipment to the sons and daughters of our republic."
Barrett acknowledged that his product was controversial, but said his rifles have never been used in a crime.
"First they tried to get rid of Saturday Night Specials, which are just affordable guns," he said. "Then they said sniper rifles, and that ended up being any deer rifle. Then they said what about if we just start with the biggest rifle? It's just more frivolous gun control."
The convention included plenty of politics, from workshops on lobbying, legislation and the media to a speech by the controversial former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, who is credited by the NRA with derailing efforts last year to create an international small-arms treaty that the group said would have infringed on gun-owners' rights.
The convention also included Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, who signed a bill prohibiting the state from confiscating legally-owned firearms during emergencies. The NRA has been promoting such bills in the wake of confiscations in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
But for most of those attending, it was a chance to see and handle guns and other accessories, ranging from clothes to all-terrain vehicles.
Many of the booths were very busy.
"We like to get face-to-face with our customers to answer their questions and find out any problems they may be having with our product," said Mike Doy of Springfield Armory Inc., a maker of military-style rifles and handguns. "We're very big on customer service."
While people were crowding around, he said this was a "lull."
"Tomorrow we expect to be even busier," he said with a chuckle. "I don't know how, but I think we might be."
Nearby, Stephen Bierbaum of Alton was looking over an exhibit by Henry Repeating Arms Inc.
"I came because I'm a believer in the NRA. I believe in gun freedom and I think people should take advantage of this and educate themselves," he said.
The fact that he could look over and handle so many guns was "a bonus."
He was especially fond of one of the Henry company's lever-action rifles.
"They are a wonderful little gun," he said.
While talking about it with friends, he was so convincing that one of the company reps asked him to come work for them.
"You get an opportunity to look at all of them," Bierbaum said about the convention.
He added that there were many reasons people liked firearms, ranging from their engineering to the practical use, adding that he was a "casual" shooter and hunter.
"The appreciation for firearms is multifaceted," he said. "There are collectors that never shoot guns, there are ballistics experts that wouldn't care what kind of a gun they had in their hands. It's extremely varied in what people's interests can be that bring them to these functions."
Walt DeLaney and Jessie Wright of Collinsville were also "casual shooters."
The two were looking at handguns at the Sigarms booth.
"We just wanted to look at all the different guns and everything they have here. It's a good opportunity," DeLaney said, adding that he wasn't looking for anything in particular, but had bought a "good" pair of shooting gloves.
"It's a great chance to really take a look at all the different guns. You can compare one manufacturer to another," Wright said. "You can see so much that you can only look at in books normally, because your gun stores can't carry all the inventory."
E-mail: scousins@yourjournal.com
Ellie
Shooting enthusiasts pack NRA convention in St. Louis
By Scott Cousins
Brandon Hood of Marissa just got out of the U.S. Marines after serving seven years.
For much of that time, he carried a .50 caliber sniper rifle.
On Friday, he got to meet the man who invented it - Ronnie Barrett of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Co.
The two were among more than 60,000 people attending the annual National Rifle Association Annual Meetings and Exhibits, held last weekend in St. Louis.
The convention gave hunters, target shooters and other like-minded people a chance to meet and mingle, as well as check out exhibits ranging from the latest guns and other gear to historical displays.
Most of the product displays were very hands-on, giving people a chance to hold, sight and dry-fire guns ranging from small .22 handguns to Barrett's top-of-the-line model - topping 32 pounds and costing of more than $8,000.
On Friday afternoon, Barrett was sitting on a stool at his company's display, signing copies of posters for fans when another company official brought Hood up.
"I didn't think he would actually be here," said Hood, who left the Marines as a sergeant. "It's pretty cool.
"It's a great weapon," Hood added. "All I can say is it's served us great and probably saved a few lives."
Barrett said such meetings were common.
"There's been a lot of service people in here today," he said. "It's a touching thing and a rewarding thing, to be able to know you've helped the defense of the nation and provided equipment to the sons and daughters of our republic."
Barrett acknowledged that his product was controversial, but said his rifles have never been used in a crime.
"First they tried to get rid of Saturday Night Specials, which are just affordable guns," he said. "Then they said sniper rifles, and that ended up being any deer rifle. Then they said what about if we just start with the biggest rifle? It's just more frivolous gun control."
The convention included plenty of politics, from workshops on lobbying, legislation and the media to a speech by the controversial former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, who is credited by the NRA with derailing efforts last year to create an international small-arms treaty that the group said would have infringed on gun-owners' rights.
The convention also included Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, who signed a bill prohibiting the state from confiscating legally-owned firearms during emergencies. The NRA has been promoting such bills in the wake of confiscations in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
But for most of those attending, it was a chance to see and handle guns and other accessories, ranging from clothes to all-terrain vehicles.
Many of the booths were very busy.
"We like to get face-to-face with our customers to answer their questions and find out any problems they may be having with our product," said Mike Doy of Springfield Armory Inc., a maker of military-style rifles and handguns. "We're very big on customer service."
While people were crowding around, he said this was a "lull."
"Tomorrow we expect to be even busier," he said with a chuckle. "I don't know how, but I think we might be."
Nearby, Stephen Bierbaum of Alton was looking over an exhibit by Henry Repeating Arms Inc.
"I came because I'm a believer in the NRA. I believe in gun freedom and I think people should take advantage of this and educate themselves," he said.
The fact that he could look over and handle so many guns was "a bonus."
He was especially fond of one of the Henry company's lever-action rifles.
"They are a wonderful little gun," he said.
While talking about it with friends, he was so convincing that one of the company reps asked him to come work for them.
"You get an opportunity to look at all of them," Bierbaum said about the convention.
He added that there were many reasons people liked firearms, ranging from their engineering to the practical use, adding that he was a "casual" shooter and hunter.
"The appreciation for firearms is multifaceted," he said. "There are collectors that never shoot guns, there are ballistics experts that wouldn't care what kind of a gun they had in their hands. It's extremely varied in what people's interests can be that bring them to these functions."
Walt DeLaney and Jessie Wright of Collinsville were also "casual shooters."
The two were looking at handguns at the Sigarms booth.
"We just wanted to look at all the different guns and everything they have here. It's a good opportunity," DeLaney said, adding that he wasn't looking for anything in particular, but had bought a "good" pair of shooting gloves.
"It's a great chance to really take a look at all the different guns. You can compare one manufacturer to another," Wright said. "You can see so much that you can only look at in books normally, because your gun stores can't carry all the inventory."
E-mail: scousins@yourjournal.com
Ellie