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More Residents Called To Bear Arms

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By LAURA FRAZIER

lfrazier@tampatrib.com

Published: December 17, 2008

TAMPA - Mark and Connie Thomas went to their first gun show Dec. 6 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, where throngs of people packed the parking lot and swamped the Charles M. Davis Special Events Center.

At the two-day Tampa Gun Show, gun dealers and private collectors displayed an imposing cache of handguns, rifles, ammunition and accessories for sale or trade.

"The crowds are just unbelievable. It's really busy in there," Connie Thomas said. "And when you walk through, you keep hearing one word over and over again: Obama."
Stephen Lyons of Sarasota said traffic at Central Florida gun shows has skyrocketed.

"It's unbelievable since the presidential election," said Lyons, an National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor who came to help a friend buy a gun for protection.

Many people at the gun show said they think the Obama administration will try to push through legislation introduced by Congress in 2007 banning the manufacture, sale and possession of semiautomatic rifles and ammunition. Many also fear Obama will broaden the ban to include other types of weapons and ammunition.

"People are hedging their bets against the possibility that law-abiding citizens won't be able to buy guns or ammunition to protect themselves," Lyons said.

Scott Patrick, general manager of Shoot Straight, a gun shop and shooting range across from the fairgrounds, said gun sales at his store have increased dramatically since the election, and enrollment has doubled in the concealed weapons classes he offers.

Demand for AK-47 and AR-15 semiautomatic rifles has been overwhelming, and the store's stock of the assault weapons is about half what it was in November, he said. It's next to impossible to find the guns for customers who use them for hunting, target practice and gun competitions.

Patrick likened the demand for high-powered firearms to car buffs' love of high-end sports cars.

"Why do you need a Corvette 206? You don't need it, and you'll never max out its horsepower, but it's sexy and high-powered," he said. "Same thing with the semiautomatics."

He agrees with many of his customers who fear federal legislation will only serve to restrict law-abiding citizens from engaging in sporting fun or protecting themselves.

"Criminals will get guns someplace," Patrick said. "They import cocaine by container. Maybe they'll do the same thing with AK-57s."

Reporter Laura Frazier can be reached at (813) 657-4523.

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