12/6/10
I wrote above, “The ladies whiled away their time in the attached coffee shop whilst my friend and I, post disarming, began the tour of the show.”
Let’s talk about that.
I’m sure this goes on around the state at all gun shows as it does at the gun shows in Tupelo. A number of attendees bring a gun, or guns, with them for whatever reason. And, as I’m sure most all gun shows do, at the Tupelo shows there is a security desk there manned by one of Tupelo’s finest, off-duty. His job is to ensure each gun is clear and then made “inoperable” using plastic cable ties in one fashion or another. The same clearance/disabling procedures apply if you are “carrying”
In the past what I have routinely done, as I vacate the vehicle and walk through the parking lot up to the exhibit hall door, is to discreetly slip my hand onto the pistol, release the magazine into my palm, and then slip it into a pocket. Then, when I’ve entered and presented myself at the security desk, I withdraw the pistol, lock back the slide and hand it to the security officer. He immobilizes it with the plastic cable tie (typically running through the barrel and out the ejection port), closes the slide (as far as it will go) and then returns it.
These security guys have been very courteous. In fact a show or two ago one asked about the Taurus and I had an opportunity to expound to no end on the relative merits of that pistol.
So that brings us to this past Friday evening. I followed my usual routine. When I got to the security desk (magazine resting now comfortably in my pocket) and handed it to the security office (my opinion – he was hired help, not an off-duty officer), he asked if I had a loaded magazine. I said that I did. He said I had to unload the magazine and leave the rounds with him. Under the circumstances here was no point in arguing with him so I did what he asked. He slid the empty magazine into the pistol and proceeded to “immobilize” the gun. Now get this....he took the plastic cable wrap ran it thorough the trigger guard and up over the slide, leaving beaucoup amounts of slack. The pistol was fully operable.
And get this also....while all this is going on and I’m dutifully thumbing out the Hornady Critical Defense rounds, my friend is there next to me with his S&W J-frame, unloading and pocketing the rounds. Nary a word was said. The security (I now use that term in the broadest sense) guy didn’t bat an eyelash. He just wrapped some cable tie around the J-frame and we were on our way.
Didn’t make a bit of sense to me. And I have such an angelic countenance!
After touring the show, I returned to the “security” guy, retrieved my Hornady Critical Defense rounds, had him snip the cable tie, and, as I walked out the door was reloading the magazine and slipping it back in the pistol.
Any thoughts on that.
An Aside: Can’t let this go by. As I wrote in the original post, we took the ladies to Logan’s for supper. As we were exiting my friend expropriated a handful or two of “souvenir” peanuts which he dutifully put in his pocket. That evenings as I was driving us all home I glanced over and he was reloading his J-frame. It was pretty dark in the vehicle and once or twice I asked, “You’re not putting peanuts in that cylinder, are you?” You see, he’s older’n I am and I gotta watch out he doesn’t mess up.
“POST DISARMING”
This has been going around in my mind since last Friday so I decided to just put it on paper (paper? Rather, put it into the ether) and see if I get any comments.I wrote above, “The ladies whiled away their time in the attached coffee shop whilst my friend and I, post disarming, began the tour of the show.”
Let’s talk about that.
I’m sure this goes on around the state at all gun shows as it does at the gun shows in Tupelo. A number of attendees bring a gun, or guns, with them for whatever reason. And, as I’m sure most all gun shows do, at the Tupelo shows there is a security desk there manned by one of Tupelo’s finest, off-duty. His job is to ensure each gun is clear and then made “inoperable” using plastic cable ties in one fashion or another. The same clearance/disabling procedures apply if you are “carrying”
In the past what I have routinely done, as I vacate the vehicle and walk through the parking lot up to the exhibit hall door, is to discreetly slip my hand onto the pistol, release the magazine into my palm, and then slip it into a pocket. Then, when I’ve entered and presented myself at the security desk, I withdraw the pistol, lock back the slide and hand it to the security officer. He immobilizes it with the plastic cable tie (typically running through the barrel and out the ejection port), closes the slide (as far as it will go) and then returns it.
These security guys have been very courteous. In fact a show or two ago one asked about the Taurus and I had an opportunity to expound to no end on the relative merits of that pistol.
So that brings us to this past Friday evening. I followed my usual routine. When I got to the security desk (magazine resting now comfortably in my pocket) and handed it to the security office (my opinion – he was hired help, not an off-duty officer), he asked if I had a loaded magazine. I said that I did. He said I had to unload the magazine and leave the rounds with him. Under the circumstances here was no point in arguing with him so I did what he asked. He slid the empty magazine into the pistol and proceeded to “immobilize” the gun. Now get this....he took the plastic cable wrap ran it thorough the trigger guard and up over the slide, leaving beaucoup amounts of slack. The pistol was fully operable.
And get this also....while all this is going on and I’m dutifully thumbing out the Hornady Critical Defense rounds, my friend is there next to me with his S&W J-frame, unloading and pocketing the rounds. Nary a word was said. The security (I now use that term in the broadest sense) guy didn’t bat an eyelash. He just wrapped some cable tie around the J-frame and we were on our way.
Didn’t make a bit of sense to me. And I have such an angelic countenance!
After touring the show, I returned to the “security” guy, retrieved my Hornady Critical Defense rounds, had him snip the cable tie, and, as I walked out the door was reloading the magazine and slipping it back in the pistol.
Any thoughts on that.
An Aside: Can’t let this go by. As I wrote in the original post, we took the ladies to Logan’s for supper. As we were exiting my friend expropriated a handful or two of “souvenir” peanuts which he dutifully put in his pocket. That evenings as I was driving us all home I glanced over and he was reloading his J-frame. It was pretty dark in the vehicle and once or twice I asked, “You’re not putting peanuts in that cylinder, are you?” You see, he’s older’n I am and I gotta watch out he doesn’t mess up.
