Greybeard wrote:In my not-so-humble-opinion, it seems that it's often the same type of "mindsets" who believe they have an absolute right to carry anywhere they choose that are also inclined to think they have an absolute right to pull that LOADED "latest and greatest" piece out and SHOW IT OFF ...
Idiots tend to out themselves. And they will do so, often with tragic results, despite the law, property owners' rights, or common sense.
The history of NDs at gun shows, rare as they are, tends to reflect that licensed carriers are the least of your worries. Most happen when some passerby picks up a gun and pulls the trigger, and it happens to be loaded. How those loaded guns come to be out there on table is a separate issue from the unsafe handling. We've heard reports of ringers planting ammunition while the vendor is distracted, but nothing has been confirmed.
I've read two different reports of NDs at shows that involved concealed handguns, and both involved trying ill-fitting holsters on loaded guns. One was a customer, the other was a vendor. All other NDs I've heard reported involved guns from vendors' tables. I don't claim to know everything about every gunshow ND, only those I've encountered while reading several gun forums every day.
I've never seen a 30.06 at a gun show, but our Texarkana shows happen across the line at the fair grounds. I carry. I
never, ever, whether at a gun show or otherwise, pull my pistol from its holster while in public. I reserve that for those times when I might need to use it, and holster fitting (or selling/swapping, showing it off, comparing, etc.) does not constitute "need to use".
I respect private property rights and owners' wishes, but I'm one of those people you might classify as of a "mindset" that I have a right to carry anywhere and everywhere. And I do.
That doesn't make me at all likely to whip it out and show it off. Quite the opposite.
Kevin