California shooting fair canceled because of ammo shortage

[ericire12]

http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_12216821

The Raahauge's Shooting Sports Fair, a hands-on gun show where you can shoot all the latest firearms on the market, has been cancelled for 2009. The Sports Fair is normally held the first weekend in June each year at Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises in Corona. Mike Raahauge said the fair was cancelled because it had become impossible for all the firearm makers to get enough ammunition for this event.

"I just spoke with all of the manufacturers and none of them can get ammo," said Raahauge late last week. "We could hold the fair, but we'd probably be out of ammunition by Friday afternoon."

"Whether the shortage is due to the election of President Barack Obama or the economic downturn or fear of an increase in crime, ammo sales have been like plywood and bottled-water sales before a hurricane in Florida," Raahauge said.

Since President Obama's election, gun and ammunition sales have skyrocketed. Most ammunition manufacturers are operating multiple shifts on their production lines and still can't produce enough ammunition in the major handgun and military-style rifle calibers to meet demand. Besides ammunition, there is also a shortage of semi-automatic handguns, semi-automatic rifles, and reloading components.

"Eight-five percent of gun sales are to first-time buyers. It's the fear factor - people are getting guns and ammunition now because they're not sure if they'll be able to get them tomorrow under this administration," said Andy

McCormick, vice president of Legacy Sports, a Reno-based firearm importer of Howa and Puma rifles, Verona and Escort shotguns and Citadel and Bul handguns.

A recent survey shows that 80 percent of Americans think firearms and ammunition will become harder to get under this administration, and sales of guns and ammunition reflect this fear.

The Sports Fair generally attracts more than 10,000 people over the three-day event, and over a half-million rounds of ammunition are fired by shooters trying out a variety of handguns, rifles and shotguns from all the major firearm makers and importers.

Tom Seward, the sales representative for Smith & Wesson and its affiliated brands in this region, said he was disappointed the fair had been cancelled. He had been working to make sure he had a source of ammunition since last year and was one of the few manufacturers who had secured enough ammo for the three-day event.

"This is a great event for our business and a great opportunity for our customers," said Seward. "We need to start working now to make sure this event comes back next year. It would be a shame if it just went away."

Firearm/ammo legislation

Los Angeles assemblyman Kevin De Leon's AB 962, a horrible bill that would drastically restrict ammunition sales, require thumb-printing when purchasing ammunition and ban all mail-order sales, is still moving through the California legislature, passing out of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on Tuesday. It now heads to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, where it awaits a hearing. The same committee, however, killed AB 357, sponsored by Assemblyman Steve Knight of Palmdale, which would have created a "shall issue" concealed handgun permit system in California, eliminating the need for anyone to "show cause" why they want to carry concealed, so long as they passed all other criteria. Go figure. ... Lastly and thankfully, SB 697 was slated to be heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee next week, but it was pulled from committee by its author, Sen. Mark DeSaulnier of Walnut Creek. This wacko bill would prohibit the sale of handguns other than "owner-authorized handguns." Called "smart" handguns, they supposedly have a feature that makes the firearm useless unless activated by the authorized user. A lot of good that gun would do your wife or children if an intruder broke into your home and your loved one needed to use your gun. Never mind that there's never been a gun made with this feature that was viable. This bill could and will return, but at least it's gone for now. To keep up with all the anti-gun legislation in California, go to www.NRAILA.org for updates.

[Abouttime]

My sister's church group has a smaller scale outing similar to this. A couple of police officers in their congregation take all that would like to shoot or be introduced to shooting to a private range. They usually do this in June. It is usually well attended. They also canceled this year due to lack of available ammo. Sad that the demand for ammo has kept new shooters from the sport.