At Eight Bucks-A-Head to Get In, Augusta Gun Show on Saturday Looks Like a Success! [Today’s Hours 9am-2pm]

Mike (my gun guru who knows weapons like no one else I know) and I drove into the Augusta Civic Center parking lot and, on the way up the access road, he said, "all these cars can't be for the gun show, can they?" That question was soon answered when we drove past the front of the place at 10:30am, a full hour and a half after the show started, and saw the line of people stretching out the door, straight back about 100 yards to the sidewalk and then another 150 yards down the end of the building...about an hour just to get inside the lobby and another 30-40 minutes to the auditorium.

We kept driving and went to Dick's Sporting Goods to look at ammo (which was scarce in the popular calibers) then, before lunch, decided we would venture back up to see if the line had shortened. Not much. However, since we had come to poke around at the show we figured we might as well jump in line and wait our turn.

This is the most AMAZING part. Once we got inside the lobby, the reason it took so long to make it to the show itself is because the line didn't go straight back to the ticket table. It wound back and forth, in serpentine fashion, for about 8 rows before it went toward the entrance. This wouldn't have been amazing at all had posts and chains (like at fast food places) been used. The people coming in took it upon themselves to create these well formed lines by simply zig zagging the front of the lobby as they came in. A civic center employee said he was going to try to make an orderly line but when he went out to do it, he couldn't believe his eyes!

Not only was everyone orderly coming in but, once inside the lobby and in close quarters, people were chatting and jovial and polite. Nobody complained about the wait. If someone backed into you they said excuse me and once inside the packed auditorium, people patiently waited their turns to see what was at the tables. ATTENTION WAL*MART SHOPPERS: TAKE A LESSON IN COURTESY FROM PEOPLE AT GUN SHOWS!

Insofar as what was offered at the booths, there was a lot of what you'd expect. Handguns, rifles, shotguns, AR-15s (for now) and ammunition plus a ton of gunning/hunting accessories. Most of it was competitively priced (although there were no GREAT deals) and some stuff was way OVER priced. All in all, it was worth the time and money if you like guns OR just like being around people who know how to act in public.

There were lots of people there to make a purchase. There were noticeably more women at this one than the one last summer and they were there to buy guns!

I'm also glad to say that, unlike other gun shows around the country on "Gun Appreciation Day," there were NO accidental shootings. That's because, unlike other states, there were no idiots at this show. I believe there are some people who just shouldn't own guns. Luckily, nobody was killed...but not knowing a gun is loaded? Come on!

After the show, we kicked back for a nice meal with the great people over at Rooster's, a place I've been visiting more and more recently. How many restaurants can you go into and get a post-gun show photo-op with such lovely ladies!