NRA AM Atlanta 2017

[alfsauve]

It's technically it's the NRA Annual Meeting, but everyone just says the NRA Show.   And the majority just go to the "show" and not the annual meeting.   And that was me.   Just the show.  5 hours of the show.  Every aisle, most every booth.  All 17 acres. 

My priorities were to meet up with Michael and Keven for a Zero-to-Hero reunion picture, and to measure every possible 9mm striker fired gun for grip circumference.   I've now got one good, nay great, eyeball and one very near sighted one, so part of time I just marveled at how well I could see everybody and everything.   And part of the time I cursed the "readers" and how they only worked on one side.

At the show:   Here's proof I was there.





By the by:  I got there not too soon before POTUS.  They literally closed streets on me as I tried to turn.  Waze couldn't understand what was happening and after the first closure just quit working.  No "recalculating" or nothing.   Only took an extra 5 min and I found a parking garage for $10 all day.  Just across the street and one block north from WCC!   Turns out, when I got ready to go, it was just, literally just outside the "secured zone."   Made the trip home eazy-peazy.

Here's the motorcycle escort lined up ready to go.  They were so touchy about access to these that as I walked down that side walk, they made me cross over the street, blocked off anyway, then cross the side street, then I could go back over to the far sidewalk.  Just couldn't get within 50' of them.




Meeting Michael: 

After getting my badge, it's a long trek to the "B" hall.   It's also 4 major floors down.  But foot traffic flows well and when I got to the hall the first place I went was Outdoor Channel.  Michael was talking to fans and there was a convenient high top table right by him so I sat and watched.   A handsome young man in baseball cap came up and shook my hand.  MARSHALL.  We'd never met in person so that was a treat.  We chatted for a while and then Michael saw me.   We greeted and chatted for a while until they had to go do a shoot at RIA. 

Kevin came by shortly afterwards.  We chatted, then went over to RIA (Armscor) and meet up with Michael and Marshall, AND Martin, Preisdent/CEO.   C-o-o-l.   Martin can talk. 







I spotted a hammerless semi-auto in the display of Armscor/RIA guns and I was curious.  Out of place it seemed.  It was a G17 that RIA had worked over the slide and converted to .22TCM.   Talked to the engineer and it wasn't an easy task.  But they have it working very reliably.  It's in the picture behind me.  I'm curious more people didn't pick it out as the only hammerless one in the line-up.



Kevin, Michael and  I went our ways.  They had work to do as members of the "press".  I was just there for pleasure.

Got a picture of Jerry working the crowd.



I did get a nod from a lot of other vips, Mark Keefe, Jim Scouten, etc.  as I walked around, but mainly because I was so busy scoping out everyone with my good eye.  Most of these people are very aware of their surroundings and when they see me looking square at them they nod back.   Most attendees are not tactically aware, btw.

GUNS:

I didn't get to every gun, but my quest for a under 5" circumference grip has ended.  Of all I measure, only the sub-sub compacts came in that small.   And I did get to bend the ear of a few about how neat that might be.   The Sig P320 "small" grip is, and I was previously mistaken, actually smaller in circumference, about 5.25.  I might buy one and see if I can sand it down some more. 

There was just much to see and do.   I played with the XD-E, and quite a few other guns.  Eh.  Talked with Honor Defense, VP about the tough, and down market, they're trying to crack.

Pendalton safes?   Turns out they're an Atlanta Area company.  Met the owner, Bruce Pendalton.  I may have to save my retirement checks for 10 months to get one, but I think I really will.

Curiously one of the most mobbed exhibit was the NRA GOLD IRA booth where they were selling everything gold, from coins to small bars to investments.   My feeling is when the EOTW happens you can't eat it, you can't use it as a weapon, and you can't even wipe your butt with it.

Here's the one picture most of the press used.   And I actually walked up it.

 


The POTUS was speaking at the Leadership meeting in the A hall while I was there.  Here's what it said if you tried to go to A hall:



Nice of the Knife Rights group to provide a check-in for knives.

A hall is as big as B hall but it is closer to the street, both horizontally and vertically.   When I went outside to the car they had large garbage truck blocking traffic across Marietta St.   All the LEO's on duty were quite polite and pleasant.  It wasn't hot and we're a friendly crowd.  No protesters in sight of WCC.
I saw uniforms for GA State Univ.  Ga Tech,  Fulton Sheriff, APB, APB Swat, and GBI.

So much to absorb is so little time.   45+ aisles each around 200yds long, 17 acres, plus the walk in and out.  My knees are tired.


I'll add more as I think of it.

[Big Frank]

Thanks for the update Alf. Do you think the XD-E will meet your grip circumference requirement?

[TAB]

so whats on the list too buy?


and whats on the list that you actually will?

 

[alfsauve]

XDE isn't what I'm looking far.  Not DAO, not striker fired  and it's a subcompact.


On my wish list.

I think the Pendelton safe is the biggest thing.  A PCC maybe.

[Rastus]

Nice Alf.  Thanks for sharing.

[Sponsor]