rburg
Member
Big day. This year the uncontrollable Ron Dixon moved his National Gun Day show to the same weekend as Court days. So my wife and I took in both shows!
Court days is nearly as old as the country, and probably as old as Kentucky (1792). Its a tradition in farming country. The harvest is in so all the farmers brought their excess livestock and harvest to the county seat. All the buyers from around the area show up. They buy the farm produce and the farmer go around to those who extended them credit, and to the Courthouse to pay their county taxes. The tradition extended on to all kinds of hawkers, probably ladies of ill repute, and surely the gamblers and con men. But the farm families all came to town. It was a huge celebration, where new cookware, clothing, tools, and yes, guns.
Its such an interesting show because of the traditions of everyone coming in to buy and sell guns. Well, food and housewares, too. Its not at all unusual to see a family where the mother is carrying a long gun or two, and maybe has a handgun tucked in her belt, just like dad and the older kids. Enough to make a liberal panic!
This is the first year I've ever visited on Friday. Always before I was working so we just went downstate on Saturday, the big day. Its easily the biggest open air, disorganized gun show I've ever seen. Guns were being sold right alongside socks and belts.
You see a real assortment of guns, with long guns being more prevalent than handguns, but there sure are a lot of handguns, too. Its pretty normal for me to buy a gun at these things. I see guns that may have never been out of the hills before. Today's score was a pretty common 629. Its a no dash gun, P&R, and better than the -1 gun I have. That will go on sale tomorrow morning at 0800.
It will probably shock those living behind enemy lines, but I didn't see even a single FFL selling guns there. All were casual sales. As always I offer to show them my KY drivers license and CCW (so there's a fair chance I'm not a criminal.) The seller just showed me his, too. Neither of us really want any paperwork, just an added burden.
We only spent a few hours there. Loaded down like a rented mule, I trudged back to the car and stowed all of our other goodies. My wife wanted a bunch of kids books and I bought 3 dozen socks. Another tradition - half for my oldest son.
Then we headed west on I-64 to Louisville to catch the opening of the setup time for NGD. Its not fair to say we helped David Carroll set up his tables. He pulled the vanishing act, and the rest of us set up his tables! Its not all hard work. He brings in some pretty spectacular guns, and we get to handle them. There are times when I wish I was still working so I could justify buying some of them....
I did score a set of N gold medallions. I've got a nice little 4" Triple Lock that needed them. They fit pretty good, not perfect, but they look nicer than the pearlies that were on it. Those will also be for sale at the same time as the now obsolete 44.
It'll be a long weekend. One of my son's is coming to my house at 5:50 to drive me down and back tomorrow. It'll be a good time, as always. With any luck I'll sell enough to cover the table rent.
Saw and visited with GF and Doublesharp for a while. Tomorrow I expect to see Dave Keith. And probably a host of other notables. I assume we'll miss a few regulars.
Court days is nearly as old as the country, and probably as old as Kentucky (1792). Its a tradition in farming country. The harvest is in so all the farmers brought their excess livestock and harvest to the county seat. All the buyers from around the area show up. They buy the farm produce and the farmer go around to those who extended them credit, and to the Courthouse to pay their county taxes. The tradition extended on to all kinds of hawkers, probably ladies of ill repute, and surely the gamblers and con men. But the farm families all came to town. It was a huge celebration, where new cookware, clothing, tools, and yes, guns.
Its such an interesting show because of the traditions of everyone coming in to buy and sell guns. Well, food and housewares, too. Its not at all unusual to see a family where the mother is carrying a long gun or two, and maybe has a handgun tucked in her belt, just like dad and the older kids. Enough to make a liberal panic!
This is the first year I've ever visited on Friday. Always before I was working so we just went downstate on Saturday, the big day. Its easily the biggest open air, disorganized gun show I've ever seen. Guns were being sold right alongside socks and belts.
You see a real assortment of guns, with long guns being more prevalent than handguns, but there sure are a lot of handguns, too. Its pretty normal for me to buy a gun at these things. I see guns that may have never been out of the hills before. Today's score was a pretty common 629. Its a no dash gun, P&R, and better than the -1 gun I have. That will go on sale tomorrow morning at 0800.
It will probably shock those living behind enemy lines, but I didn't see even a single FFL selling guns there. All were casual sales. As always I offer to show them my KY drivers license and CCW (so there's a fair chance I'm not a criminal.) The seller just showed me his, too. Neither of us really want any paperwork, just an added burden.
We only spent a few hours there. Loaded down like a rented mule, I trudged back to the car and stowed all of our other goodies. My wife wanted a bunch of kids books and I bought 3 dozen socks. Another tradition - half for my oldest son.
Then we headed west on I-64 to Louisville to catch the opening of the setup time for NGD. Its not fair to say we helped David Carroll set up his tables. He pulled the vanishing act, and the rest of us set up his tables!
Its not all hard work. He brings in some pretty spectacular guns, and we get to handle them. There are times when I wish I was still working so I could justify buying some of them....I did score a set of N gold medallions. I've got a nice little 4" Triple Lock that needed them. They fit pretty good, not perfect, but they look nicer than the pearlies that were on it. Those will also be for sale at the same time as the now obsolete 44.
It'll be a long weekend. One of my son's is coming to my house at 5:50 to drive me down and back tomorrow. It'll be a good time, as always. With any luck I'll sell enough to cover the table rent.
Saw and visited with GF and Doublesharp for a while. Tomorrow I expect to see Dave Keith. And probably a host of other notables. I assume we'll miss a few regulars.
And it wasn't even his own wedding! Me, I'm never going to a wedding again. Never. I don't enjoy the events, my sons are married. I don't plan on living long enough to see my granddaughters married. With any luck, my grandsons will elope.
