If you've never considered attending a firearms convention, tradeshow, or expo, I will encourage you to reconsider.
These events offer much more than the obvious fare of guns and weapons. While there is much truth in the proverb, "Birds of a feather flock together," if you take a deeper look at the folks who attend these conferences, you'll notice these birds don't all have the same feathers.
Sure, you'll find the celebrities of the 2A Space, yes, absolutely. We have our media talents and historians who were there at the first leather slap matches (as Michael Bane said, you can smell the dust).
Providing a contrast to our discussion just over Michael's shoulder in our booth was Lena Miculek (Instagram - @lena_miculek [truly no intro needed]) and Oliva Albertson (Instagram - @livieliveshot) a couple of feet away dry firing with our software on a Steel Challenge Smoke & Hope stage using laser SIRT trainers.
But, if the instruction is more your bailiwick, you can also find firearms instruction or training on post-firefight medical care from guys like Riley Bowman (Instagram - @rileyconcealedcarry) and Doc Brian McLaughlin (Instagram - @Mountianmanmedical).
Then you have the folks like me, only seriously getting into the firearms space and as a business after being laid off from the corporate world. So I'm still drinking it in. (But, believe it or not, at this USCCA Expo, I ran into the guy (Doc Beech) I met at a gun range 7 years ago while he was testing projectiles. I remember telling my oldest son how cool it could be to do gun stuff for a job!) You just never know who you'll run into!
You'll find yourselves among everyday gun owners passionate about their Second Amendment
rights and law-abiding citizens from all walks of life who believe in the right to bear arms. And you'll find people from all over the world interested in a broad range of topics and, yes, guns!
Still apprehensive about whether you'll fit in or doubt we have anything in common? Well, there is this one feather common to all of us. Each of us had to learn to use a gun; none of us were born knowing how to shoot. So don't let anyone make you think otherwise.
If you have questions, give us a call or reach out to one of these instructors near you, who you can find on our firearms instructor's list.
Hope to see you at the next show or on the range!