Something really sick at a gun show...

[Southern_guy]

I went to a gun show recently for the first time in years, and it was mostly what you'd expect: the Class III dealer booth, National Guard recruiter, the odd Black-Helicopter/NWO table, oldster selling homemade holsters, 1911 shrine p), etc.

However, I saw something that I hadn't seen before. A table was selling miscellaneaus books, milsurps, etc, but also some rather questionable items- what looked like pieces of human flesh.

Usually, it would be dusty, dried up fingers,ears or scalps nailed to a board. Attached would be the name of some Pacific/Vietnam battleground and a price tag. 99% likely to be fake, but still disturbing.

There was also a lovely bust of a melted Japanese head with the consistency of overcooked bacon. It was a replica of a famous photograph showing a soldier who had been BBQ'd by a flamethrower in the Pacific. The head was attached to a stake, which was mounted on a wooden plaque with a copy of the original photograph and a commemorative number.

Now, what on Earth were the "hosts" thinking when they let that guy in? Imagine what a Japanese tourist might think of that, let alone the average gun hobbyist.

Has anyone else seen that sort of garbage, or was this an anomaly?

 

[Yung.gunr]

Oh my goodness! That does sound horrible. If I were there with my wife she would likely want to leave and it would ruin the show for us. Was his table only that nasty kind of stuff or did he have guns too? I personally think that the show are getting a little away from their original point with how many different kinds of tables they have. The only reason I agree to have the jerky table there is because a guy gets hungry doing all that walking. And who doesn't love jerky (even if it is overpriced)?

And no. I have never seen that at a show before. Make me want to lose my appetite for the jerky I just bought.

 

[Auto426]

Sounds like the people putting on the show are some really bad decision makers. Who would even want to buy such a thing?

But I have to say that your shows are certainly more interesting than the ones in my neck of the woods. The small local show I went to today had one dealer with a nice setup and a good selection on new guns (albeit at very high prices). Everything else was mostly just junk. A table of overpriced terrible condition milsurps, a lot of guys selling junk knives and "surplus" gear, and quite a few racks full of used 870's and other all to common sporting guns. The shows in New Orleans aren't much to look at either. Just a bunch of dealers all selling the same plastic fantastics and cheap saturday night specials.

 

[Webleymkv]

I thought I'd seen some distasteful items at gun shows (signs, bumper stickers, etc. with "colorful" phrases on them) but the items you describe takes the cake. What promoter in his right mind would let that guy in?

 

[hardworker]

I can't quote laws but I think that is illegal. Someone prove me wrong

 

[CajunBass]

Letting him in is one thing. Letting him STAY in, is another.

I suppose it's possible they didn't know exactly what he was going to bring in, but once he set up, the big boot should have come into play.

 

[gyvel]

Sounds like the people putting on the show are some really bad decision makers. Who would even want to buy such a thing?

I think you would be surprised at the number of sickos out there that would buy something like that. And, unfortunately, they own guns, too...

 

[8shot357]

Remember we celebrated as the USA, whole, of one man's death? He was 6'4" from Saudi Arabia.
Is that different?

Death is death, nailed to a board, or nailed to the media!

Either way it's wrong.

Trophy no more, or less.

Shame on us.

 

[Lunicy]

They sell nazi and white pride garb at gun shows. Most of that would be somewhat offensive to Jews.

They play pornography and violence on TV

If it bothers you, don't browse that booth.

 

[vito]

Almost every gun show that I have been to has at least one table selling real or fake Nazi materials. I don't understand the fascination of Americans with this type of junk and symbolism of evil and it does make me wonder about the character of the sellers and buyers of such material. Unfortunately there seems to be more than a casual connection between some in the gun community and this material, because it is so common. I also am a motorcyclist, and I see similar materials at some bike swap meets or motorcycle shows, but not with the frequency and volume of what is brought to gun shows. I sure hope that you expressed your displeasure at the exhibit being discussed with the operators of the show. Silence on the subject is akin to agreement with the propriety of such displays.

 

[Dino.]

I don't know why people freak out over Nazi memorabilia.
Same goes for Confederate memorabilia.

To me, it simply signifies history.
Nothing more, nothing less.

It has been said "Those who ignore history are bound (or doomed) to repeat it"

 

[kraigwy]

I agree with Dino on the Nazi stuff at gun shows. A lot of us are into collection military firearms and equipment, on both sides, not because we support the Nazi or Japanese ideals, but because we love history.

I'm a Vietnam Vet yet I love seeing NVA/VC military items, That doesn't mean I support the communist cause.

Why is it different then having 98 Mauser's, SKS's, AK's etc. that doesn't make them NAZI's or Communist.

I like my Mosin Rifle and Nagant Revolver, that doesn't mean I'm out to shoot Czars.

Even the CMP allows the use of the weapons of our past enemies in the CMP GSM matches. All it means is we love vantage military rifles.

As for body parts, I help our club with their gun show, we wouldn't allow that in, and if they snuck in, they'd be told to leave.

I do encourage the NG and Military Recruiters. Its a good recruiting tool and it helps draw spectators to the show. Some show up with a Weaponier, A M16 qualification simulator. Its a great device not only for recruiting but for attracting young people into our shooting sports.

 

[taurus4life]

Remember we celebrated as the USA, whole, of one man's death? He was 6'4" from Saudi Arabia.
Is that different?

media reporting news of the death of the most well known terrorist and selling peices of humans body part at a gun show. i would say there is a big difference.

 

[Spats McGee]

I can't quote laws but I think that is illegal. Someone prove me wrong

I think hardworker has nailed it. I haven't done any legal research on this issue, but I cannot imagine that any sale of real human body parts is legal.

 

[meatgrinder42]

The Nazi stuff at gun shows is one of the biggest eye catchers for me. I collect German WW2 items and don't see any harm in collecting historic items. Think of how many people collect Imperial Japanese items, or study Roman history. Neither group was known to have 'clean hands'.

But I've seen labor camp uniforms from Dachau, and Auschwitz at shows. That kid of stuff creeps me out and just makes me think 'Who would buy that?'. I mean I have some pretty 'dark' items in my collection but something like that would just scar me.

 

[zucchi]

You could always move to Kalifornia

There are no Class III vendors and one can maybe fine one Nazi Memorabilia guy out of four buildings. The moral of this story, "be careful what you wish for". And, as the bible states, "If thine eye offend thee, pluck them out"

We may not like what the guy is selling and we certainly won't buy it but generations of American blood have been spilled for him to exercise his right to offer that crap for sale.

 

[candr44]

I don't know why people freak out over Nazi memorabilia.
Same goes for Confederate memorabilia.

To me, it simply signifies history.
Nothing more, nothing less.

I can see your point if its history that the seller and buyer are interested in. However, some of the WW2 memorabilia vendors I have seen sell nothing but Nazi stuff with proud and prominent displays of Adolph Hitler's photo and Nazi flags. That's when it starts to look a little sick.

It looked very much like this guy idolized the Nazis. I think everyone else there also got that impression since no one would come near his tables. Things like that make gun owners look like radical nut cases.

Back on the topic, the strangest thing I have seen at a gun show was a complete and real human skeleton for sale. It was put together like one hanging in a medical office.

I asked the owner where he got it and he said he found it hanging in a closet of a house he just bought. The previous owner really did have a skeleton in the closet.

This was at a Florida gun show where its illegal for a private citizen to own a real human skeleton. I don't know if he got into trouble or sold it but I don't think he knew he was breaking the law and I didn't know it either at the time.

A few years later I heard a news story about a couple that bought a house in Florida and found a real skeleton hanging in the closet. I always wondered if it was the same skeleton. They turned it over to the police and it ended up in a medical school.

 

[B. Lahey]

Eeeew. Reminds me of when I was bumming around europe; a lot of churches over there have a jerky-bodypart of some saint or bigshot on display. I guess back in the old days death was a bigger part of life, and people were not as creeped out by corpses. Or maybe they were and it appealed to a sideshow crowd. Either way, I guess it appeals to some dark part of our nature.

Never seen it at a gunshow, though.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

This only tangentially related to firearms. Yes, the crap is sold at a gun show but it could be sold at a flea market also.

It also has the potential for going bad quickly. Nazis, etc. - you know.

Thus, closed.