The 2009 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits kicked off on Friday Phoenix. The theme of the NRA convention is a “Celebration of American Values“ and the concept really shines through. The crowds were huge, but polite, and included people from all walks of life. The lines to get into the hall were long, with turnout appearing to be much higher than expected. If you plan on going, be prepared to wait in line, I can assure you its worth it. Although grumbling about waiting in line could be heard from some in the crowd, my fellow gun owners were polite and courteous to each other. I’m sure that anyone who hasn’t been around gun culture would be shocked to find out that law abiding gun owners treat each other with a great deal of respect, far more than you get walking through a mall, stadium, or airport.
Once inside the exhibit hall, the massive scale of the convention becomes apparent. The vendor exhibits and various shooting association displays covered a full six acres of floor space. The guns on display ranged from antique muzzle loading flintlocks to the latest in tactical firearms. The NRA Store features an extensive range of NRA merchandise that is far too long to list here. DPMS brought a semi-trailer inside the convention center, the walls covered with various calibers and configurations of AR-15 based rifles. If fact, virtually all AR-15 manufacturers were represented at the show. Ruger officially joined the AR-15 market with their introduction a piston driven AR, the Ruger SR-556. Checkout NUGUNS site for photos, videos, and additional information about the Ruger SR-556.
My time walking around the exhibit hall was cut short by the need to get to the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum at U.S. Airways Arena. The Leadership Forum will be covered in greater detail in another post, until then, check out the Snowflakes in Hell live blogging of the NRA Leadership Forum to get a feel for what the speakers had to say.
The day was capped off by mixer at Majerley’s in downtown Phoenix with The Outdoor Channel’s star of the popular show the Shooting Gallery, Mr. Michael Bane (he is a hoot to hang out with). A big thank you to Tactical Solutions and Insight Tech Gear for providing attendees with some great swag.
