2026 WACA Show July 10-11-12, 2026 In Cody

Above, yours truly at the 2025 WACA show. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Last July, Mitch Geriminsky and I attended the Winchester Arms Collectors Association Show in Cody, Wyoming. 

We spent several hours browsing through over 300 tables of firearms, mainly Winchesters. It was the first day of show open to the public. 

Above, some Winchester lever-actions on display. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While everyone was friendly and there were some interesting guns, I found that most seemed to be a bit overpriced. Perhaps if we went on the last day, sellers may be amenable to lower their prices so not to have to pack up their guns and make enough moolah to cover the cost of their tables. 

Above, the 2025 WACA show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I may go back to the show next year. I haven't yet decided. It will be held on July 10-11-12, 2026 at Riley Arena, 1400 Heart Mountain Street, Cody, WY.

If I do go, I may just fly to Cody (it is a long drive from home) and just get a hotel room. 

For more information, go here.

WACA Stuff

When I posted about the Winchester Arms Collectors Association's 50th Cody show, I said, "I drove 900 miles to attend the gun show and all I got was this t-shirt."

Well, that's not entirely correct. 

I also did get a commemorative 50th anniversary button and an association pin. 

Here they are:

For those who might've missed my t-shirt post, here's the photo:

The 50th WACA Gun Show In Cody

Above, yours truly at the WACA show in Cody. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Today, Mitch Geriminsky and I attended the Winchester Arms Collectors Show in Cody, Wyoming.

We took a taxi to and from the show. 

Above, the gun show was held at Cody's Riley Arena. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There were plenty of guns to look at, primarily Winchesters, along with art, knives, ammo and antiques. I was disappointed that there wasn't much of Winchester advertising memorabilia there. But I enjoyed the show anyway, which was the 50th anniversary show. 

If one were attending with the intent on buying, they would be shocked at the prices if they don't have deep pockets. I am sure some deals could be made, but most were overpriced. They were definitely not priced to sell.

Above, some Winchester lever-action rifles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I did come away with a t-shirt. I enjoyed looking at the guns, though.

Above, I drove 900 miles to attend the gun show and
 all I got was this t-shirt. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

5 Things To Never Buy at a Gun Show

Since I first went to the Great Western Gun Show in the Great Western Exhibit Center in the city of Commerce with my parents as a kid, I have always enjoyed going to them.

I have never bought a gun at one. I always bought at a reputable dealer such as Turner's Outdoorsman. But I have bought other items such as ammunition, flags, collectibles (books, magazines, etc.). 

MSN has a slideshow article on the five things to NEVER buy at a gun show. 

They begin it with:

Gun shows are packed with an array of items that can intrigue new buyers and seasoned collectors alike. However, these events are also ripe for deals that might seem too good to pass up but come with pitfalls that many don’t expect. Here are five things you should think twice about before buying at a gun show.

To read and see the photos, go here. 

SCOTUS Asked To Review California Gun Show Ban

Years ago, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors banned gun shows on county property, i.e., the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds (or Fairplex) in Pomona. This effectively killed the Great Western Gun show, which was the biggest gun show in California.

This ban did not come without a fight as citizens (including myself) attended the Board of Supervisors meetings to oppose this ban. Liberals on the Board passed it.

Since then, the state of California has also banned gun shows on state property. The fight may be heading to the U.S. Supreme Court as it was asked to hear the challenge to the state law.

The Washington Times reported:

A group that organizes gun shows at county fairgrounds in California has asked the Supreme Court to hear a challenge against laws restricting the buying and selling of guns on state property.

One of the laws prohibits anyone to “contract for, author or ally the sale of any firearm or ammunition on the property or in the buildings that comprise the Del Mar Fairgrounds.” Another regulation does the same at the Orange County Fair and Event Center.

The state later expanded its legislation to cover all state-owned land.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the challengers, reasoning the law did not meaningfully burden their constitutional rights.

The pro-gun challengers, including the Second Amendment Foundation, argue that the laws intend to ban gun shows and infringe on the speech that takes place at the events.

If the pro-gun show people prevail in their fight against the state ban, it could conceivably end Los Angeles County's similar ban. We shall see.

To read more, go here.

White House Cracks Down On ‘Gun Show Loophole’

Above, the Gallup Gun Show of November 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Biden Administration is trying to close the so-called "gun show loophole" by forcing gun dealers to get a Federal Firearms License (FFL) and run background check on all firearm purchases.

My experience in gun purchases have been in Arizona, California and New Mexico with licensed gun dealers who always ran background checks. I have never purchased a firearm at a gun show. But I have seen others buy firearms at gun shows and the dealers ran background checks on them. 

Apparently, not all gun dealers have FFLs and Biden is trying to circumvent Congress in enacting new rules. There's no statutes for this.

The article below indicates that Biden is trying put the cart before the horse since there is currently is no legal authority to do so.

According to the Washington Examiner:

President Joe Biden’s administration announced new rules targeting unlicensed firearm dealers on Thursday in an attempt to close the “gun show loophole.”

The new regulations, which are aimed at implementing changes outlined in a provision of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, will require dealers to obtain a license and conduct background checks regardless of location. The White House also demanded action from Congress toward requiring universal background checks to complement the new guidelines.

“Today, my Administration is taking action to make sure fewer guns are sold without background checks,” Biden said in a statement. “This is going to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and felons.” 

Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), along with other Republican senators, plan to introduce a joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act to attempt to overturn the “engaged in the business” rule, according to a Cornyn spokesperson. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) will lead a review in the House.

Cornyn’s office was adamant that Congress has rejected the provisions “repeatedly,” adding that the policies are not included in the BSCA.

To read the full article, go here. 

Today Was A Dud

Above, the Gallup Gun Show of November 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The snow this morning was a bit of an omen that today would be a bit of a dud.

Instead of going to Grandpa's Grill in Gallup, we went instead to Denny's at the Flying J. We decided to go to the Gallup Gun Show while we were at Denny's. The snow was pretty much melted away from the area roads.

We (I rode with Greg and Larry Lucier) headed to the Gallup Community Center after breakfast. When we got there, there were no cars and the Community Center was all locked up.

I called the sponsor of the show, Blue Maverick Guns and left a message. Minutes later they called back and said the show was canceled. The reason: only three vendors signed on. You can't have much of gun show with only three vendors. They said even the local gun dealers didn't participate. 

Oh, well. Like Greg and Larry said, we saved some money.  

Gallup Gun Show April 6-7

Above, the 2023 Gallup Gun Show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Gallup Gun Show returns next month.

Blue Maverick Guns has posted that it will take place at the Community Service Center on April 6-7. A group of us went to the 2023 show and bought a few items. 

It will be worth going to before the New Mexico 7-day waiting period law for buying firearms goes into effect in July.

From GunShows-USA website: 

Buy, Sell, or Trade Guns, Knives, Ammunition, Optics, Collectibles, Jewelry, and Other Handcrafts Arts.

Judge Overturns California State Ban On Gun Shows

Above, a recent gun show in Gallup, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Years ago (around 30 years ago), the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors banned gun shows at county-owned facilities. This ban directly affected the popular Great Western Gun Show that was held at the Fairplex (Los Angeles County Fairgrounds) in Pomona.

We fought this ban, but were unsuccessful.

The state of California enacted a similar law. Now, a judge overturned this ban. 

From the Los Angeles Times:

It’s been two years since the Orange County fairgrounds hosted a gun show — due to a law prohibiting firearm and ammunition sales on the state-owned property that opened the door to a statewide ban — but that could soon change.

A federal judge this week granted a preliminary injunction overturning Senate Bill 264, which prohibited gun shows at the Costa Mesa fairgrounds beginning in 2022, and Senate Bill 915, which extended the prohibitions to all state-owned lands this January.

The order halts the statewide ban and calls upon operators of the county fairgrounds to immediately resume scheduling legal gun shows at the site.

To read more, go here. 

Four Corners Gun Show

Above, the Four Corners Gun Show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For the first time in four years, the Four Corners Gun Show was held in Gallup, New Mexico yesterday (it continues today).

Thanks to the pandemic, there were no gun shows held during 2019 through 2022.

Above, at Grandpa's Grill in Gallup. 

We started today with our usual Saturday coffee/breakfast gathering. This time it was at Grandpa's Grill. We figured that we could eat there and then migrate over to the gun show on the other side of Interstate 40 at the Gallup Community Center.

Above, yours truly at the gun show. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

I ended up buying a new Gadsden flag, a pair of tactical gloves and ammunition (30-30 Winchester and ,357 Magnum). None of us left the show empty-handed.

The gun show was well promoted with billboards, small signs and throughout the Internet.

Alhough a small show, we still managed to browse around for over two hours.  

Four Corners Gun Show Next Weekend In Gallup

Above, the last gun show held in Gallup in November 2019. Photo

There will be a hot air balloon ascension at Red Rock Park in the morning (weather permitting) of August  26 called the Hot Air Affair.

Then, next weekend, there will be a gun show in Gallup, the Four Corners Gun Show by Blue Maverick Guns at the Gallup Community Center. This, I am definitely going to. It has been four years since the last gun show in Gallup. 

For more gun show information, go here.

Four Corners Gun Show In Gallup

The last gun show in Gallup was back in 2019.

But, there's good news!  There will be two gun shows in Gallup this year. They are promoted by Blue Maverick Guns. There will also be two gun shows next year.

Gun Show Trader reported:

The Four Corners Gun Show will be held next on Aug 26th-27th, 2023 with additional shows on Oct 21st-22nd, 2023, Apr 6th-7th, 2024, and Sep 7th-8th, 2024 in Gallup, NM. This Gallup gun show is held at Gallup Community Service Center and hosted by Blue Maverick Guns. All federal and local firearm laws and ordinances must be obeyed.

For more information, go here. 

2nd Amendment Foundation Sues California Over Gun Show Ban

California, that state that is under total control by left-wing Democrats, has been trying to chip away at citizens' Second Amendment rights. This includes the right to assemble at gun shows.

A federal lawsuit has been filed against a senate bill banning gun shows in public property. 

AmmoLand reported:

BELLEVUE, WA – -(AmmoLand.com)-The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit challenging California’s Senate Bill 264, a ban on gun shows held on public property that was passed and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Joining SAF are the California Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. B&L Productions, Inc., d/b/a Crossroads of the West; Gerald Clark; Eric Johnson; Chad Littrell; Jan Steven Merson; Inc; Asian Pacific American Gun Owners Association; and the Second Amendment Law Center, Inc. The case is known as B&L Productions v. Newsom.

SAF is represented by noted civil rights attorney Donald Kilmer, who successfully represented SAF in overturning the ban on gun shows at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego County, where the defendants were ordered to pay plaintiffs close to half-million dollars in combined damages and attorney fees

Named as defendants in this case are California Gov. Gavin Newsom in his official capacity as Governor of the State of California, Attorney General Robert Bonta in his official capacity as Attorney General of the State of California, Karen Ross, in her official capacity as Secretary of California Department of Food & Agriculture, and Todd Spitzer, in his personal and official capacity as District Attorney of Orange County. The 55-page federal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

To read the full article, go here.

Gun Show This Weekend

I may just go to this, since I'll be in the area.

New Mexico Quietly Bans Gun Shows From State-Owned Property

Above, the Gallup Gun Show at the Gallup Community Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

About 22 years ago, I joined in the battle against the liberal majority on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors who wanted to ban gun shows on county-owned property such as the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona (known as the Fairplex).

Unfortunately, we were unable to defeat the ordinance and after it passed, it killed the Great Western Gun Show.

Now, the state of New Mexico is pulling the same stunt in banning gun shows on state-owned property.

From Bearing Arms:

Two years ago, the Democrats in control of the state legislature and governor’s mansion in New Mexico rammed through a universal background check bill over the objections of most of the state’s county sheriffs and tens of thousands of law-abiding gun owners, but the anti-gun politicians haven’t stopped there. Last year they imposed a red-flag law on the state, and now it appears that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has set her sights on gun shows.

According to NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, the New Mexico Gun Collectors Association and the Rocky Mountain Gun Shows have both been told that upcoming shows scheduled to take place at EXPO New Mexico at the State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque have been cancelled because the state is no longer allowing gun shows to take place on state-owned property; a decision that was apparently made without any public input or knowledge. 

EXPO New Mexico is a state agency that, according to its website, works closely with the State Fair Commission to carry out day-to-day operations and host and produce events at the facility.  Governor Lujan Grisham appointed all seven members of the State Fair Commission back in September of 2019.  From the Commission’s website, it appears that the last time the Commission gave notice about a meeting, when it actually met, and the last meeting for which minutes are available, was January of 2020.  Nothing in those minutes mentions EXPO staff or the Commission taking action to end gun shows at the State Fairgrounds.  Further, the New Mexico Legislature has not adopted legislation prohibiting such events on state property.  So where does this sudden misguided policy change come from?

All signs point to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.  Not to be outdone by her Left Coast recall colleague Gavin Newsom and anti-gun extremist lawmakers in the California Legislature who are considering a similar ban, she appears to have wildly wielded her executive power to use a state agency to target gun owners and throw a pre-election year bone to radical gun control activists.  This is in spite of the fact that just two years ago, she signed into law NRA-opposed Senate Bill 8, the so-called “universal background check” bill, which supposedly closed the non-existent “gun show loophole” and required criminal records checks on private firearms sales at such events.

If other shows are allowed on state-owned property, it would seem to be a violation of the equal protection clause of the Constitution to have gun shows targeted for banning, especially since guns are protected in the Constitution and are legal products. Hopefully, there are some pro-Second Amendment attorneys around who are willing to fight this.

To read more, go here.

CA Senate Bill Seeks To Kill Gun Shows

Where do they find these idiots?

A freshman Democrat California state senator is targeting gun shows held on public property.

California Globe reported:

Earlier this week, a new bill that would end all guns shows on public property received committee assignment, ensuring that it would be heard before the Senate Public Safety Committee this year.

Senate Bill 264, authored by freshman Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine), would specifically prohibit state officers or employees, as well as any operator or licensee of state property, from allowing the sale of firearms or ammunition on state property. Law enforcement agencies would get a an exemption to SB 264 in the form of gun buyback events.

While the bill did not give any specifics to fines or other punishments should there be a violation, SB 264 did note that there would consequences of sorts.

Senator Min authored the bill largely to stop a “tragic cycle of gun violence” that comes from deadly shooting in the US each year, and specifically targeted to end the Crossroads of the West Gun Show held several times each year at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. Min claims that the shows offer a “gun show loophole” that allows the sale of illegal firearms, such as those without serial numbers.

There is no "gun show loophole". In order to buy a gun at a gun show legally, people have to submit to a background check there, just as they do when purchasing at a gun store and pick it later if they pass. If Senator Min thinks otherwise, then he's an idiot. (I've told him so.)

To read more, go here.

The Great Ammunition Shortage of 2020

Above, Cabela's in Albuquerque had plenty of ammo. But that was last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I bought my Winchester 94 last year, I also bought a couple of boxes of .30-30 ammunition for it. Three months later, I stopped in Cabela's in Albuquerque and bought some more there. I also bought some 9mm ammunition as well.

Then came the ammunition shortage. Some dealers are out of ammunition. Some shooting enthusiasts are finding ammunition, but they have been marked up in price. Ammo that normally sells for $15-20/box now sells for double those amounts at least.

When I was in Lake Havasu City at the end of October, a gun show was being held at the time and I managed to find a dealer selling 9mm ammo for $20/box. So I bought some more.

So, right now, I am in good shape in my ammunition supply. I also have plenty of boxes of .22LR ammo.

According to Frontier Justice, the shortage is being caused by several factors:

What is causing this supply chain shortage?

There are many factors contributing to this shortage-

• COVID-19: The corona virus pandemic seemed to be when this shortage began. This is multi-layered.
• -First, people all over the country “stocked up” once a potential lockdown was announced. Much like toilet paper, people bought large quantities of guns and ammo very quickly. This eliminated available supply at distribution and at manufacturers. Once the distributors ran out, most of them placed several multi-million dollar purchase orders with manufacturers which put the manufacturers in a bind. Large dealers and big box locations also placed large purchase orders with these manufacturers which strained the supply chain almost overnight. 
• -Second, COVID-19 restrictions at manufacturing facilities drastically reduced the number of employees supplying materials such as gun powder, casings, primers, bullets, etc. This has occurred in the United States as well as overseas. 
• -Third, COVID-19 restrictions at the ports slowed the supply of materials such as gun powder. A shortage in primers also started around this time. Currently, primers seem to be the most difficult to get.
• -Fourth, another domino-effect of the DMV’s being closed is that freight companies cannot get their driver’s certified with their commercial driver’s licenses they need. A shortage in freight company employees is further slowing the supply chain.
• Rioting: Nationwide riots are causing more and more people to purchase firearms and ammo. Many new first time gun owners are buying. Current gun owners are buying more. There were a record number 10.3 million NICS transactions the first half of 2020. Remember- not all states require a NICS check if you have a CCW, and a single NICS check can be for the purchase of multiple firearms. NSSF states that most retailers claim their firearm sales are up 96% and ammo sales are up 139% year over year. The supply is gone.
• Defunding of the police: Increase in first-time gun buyers.
• Election year: Historically, there is a spike in gun sales every four years. This year is no different.

To read more, go here. 

What's Fueling The Surge In Gun Sales?

Above, a Gallup, New Mexico gun show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some in the media are wondering what's fueling the big surge in gun sales.

In this case, it is CNBC who took a look on the cause.

They begin with:

The 2020 election. Unrest in the streets. A crippling pandemic. This trifecta of events made people worry about the future of America. And when people are worried in America, they buy guns.

Gun sales in 2020 have surged, and the market for gun parts and ammunition has gone up with it. Federal background checks have passed an all-time high of 32 million for the year in October, with more than a month and a half to go in 2020.

“You always have sort of your usual suspects — your middle-age, what people consider like the stereotypical gun owner,” said Amy Swearer, a legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. “But you’re also seeing very large increases in percentages that are either minorities or women.”

In early November, President-elect Joe Biden tweeted support for a new assault weapons ban.

 A video accompanies the article.

To see it and read more, go here. 

Lake Havasu Trump Parade

Above, long after we were done with the parade and en route to the gun show,
 parade cars were still coming down McCulloch Blvd. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At least 2,000 participants assembled today for the Lake Havasu Trump parade.

All kinds of vehicles (and some boats) assembled at Gallagher's Dining & Pub and the Lake Havasu Elks Lodge for the parade. The parade was lead by many motorcycles.

Before heading onto the streets of Lake Havasu, there were several speakers, including Congressman Paul Gosar (4th District).

Above, Congressman Paul Gosar addresses the participants. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Once all the speakers were done and final instructions given, the vehicles lined up for the drive down McCulloch Blvd. to a park near the lake.

During the parade drive, many people along the sidewalks cheered us on.

Unfortunately, parking at the park was already taken up and we ended up going to a gun show. We found some good deals on ammunition ($20/box of 9mm ammo).

Later, that evening, we migrated to Mitch Geriminsky's house for his 67th birthday party.

It was a busy, but fun, day.

Some photos:

During the opening ceremonies, it was announced that President Trump will hold a rally this coming Wednesday at the Bullhead City Airport.

Busy Day

Above, Lake Havasu this morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today is going to be a busy one.

This morning, I will be at/in the Lake Havasu Trump parade in the streets of the city. It is going to start at 10:00.

Next, if time permits, we'll be going to a gun show. Hopefully, there will be plenty of ammo to buy, since many gun dealers are in short supply.

Later, this evening, it will be Mitch's birthday party at his place. 

So there's much to do today.