- Joined
- Mar 11, 2001
- Messages
- 70,011
- Reaction score
- 1,003
SHOOTING SPORTS FAIR CANCELLED -- matthews-ONS -- 22apr09
Raahauge's Shooting Sports Fair cancelled due to lack of ammunition
By JIM MATTHEWS
www.OutdoorNewsService.com
The Raahauge's Shooting Sports Fair, a hands-on gun show where you can shoot all of the latest firearms on the market, has been cancelled for 2009. The Sports Fair is normally held the first weekend in June each year at Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises in Corona. Mike Raahauge said the fair was cancelled because it had become impossible for all of the firearm makers to get enough ammunition for this event.
"I just spoke with all of the manufacturers and none of them can get ammo," said Raahauge late last week. "We could hold the Fair but we'd probably be out of ammunition by Friday afternoon.
"Whether the shortage is due to the election of President Barack Obama or the economic downturn or fear of an increase crime, ammo sales have been like plywood and bottled water sales before a hurricane in Florida," said Raahauge.
Since the election of President Obama, gun and ammunition sales have skyrocketed. Most ammunition manufacturers are operating multiple shifts on their production lines and still can't produce enough ammunition in the major handgun and military-style rifle calibers to meet demand. Besides ammunition, there is also a shortage of semi-automatic handguns, semi-automatic rifles, and reloading components.
"Eight-five percent of gun sales are to first-time buyers. It's the fear factor -- people are getting guns and ammunition now because they're not sure if they'll be able to get them tomorrow under this administration," said Andy McCormick, vice-president of Legacy Sports, a Reno-based firearm importer of Howa and Puma rifles, Verona and Escort shotguns, and Citidel and Bul handguns.
A recent survey shows that 80 percent of Americans think firearms and ammunition will become harder to get under this administration, and sales of guns and ammunition reflect this fear.
The Sports Fair generally attracts over 10,000 people over the three-day event, and over a half-million rounds of ammunition is fired by shooters trying out a variety of handguns, rifles, and shotgun from all of the major firearm makers and importers.
"How are we going to have a Sports Fair without ammo?" said McCormick of Legacy, one of the companies always at the Fair. "I called Mike this week and said, "What are we going to do?" We just weren't able to make the ammo thing happen, and I really hate skipping a year. This is a great event," said McCormick.
Tom Seward, the sales representative for Smith & Wesson and its affiliated brands in this region, said he was disappointed the Fair had been cancelled. He had been working to make sure he had a source of ammunition since last year and was one of the few manufacturers who had secured enough ammunition for the three-day event.
"This is a great event for our business and a great opportunity for our customers," said Seward. "We need to start working now to make sure this event comes back next year. It would be a shame if it just went away."
Raahauge's Shooting Sports Fair cancelled due to lack of ammunition
By JIM MATTHEWS
www.OutdoorNewsService.com
The Raahauge's Shooting Sports Fair, a hands-on gun show where you can shoot all of the latest firearms on the market, has been cancelled for 2009. The Sports Fair is normally held the first weekend in June each year at Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises in Corona. Mike Raahauge said the fair was cancelled because it had become impossible for all of the firearm makers to get enough ammunition for this event.
"I just spoke with all of the manufacturers and none of them can get ammo," said Raahauge late last week. "We could hold the Fair but we'd probably be out of ammunition by Friday afternoon.
"Whether the shortage is due to the election of President Barack Obama or the economic downturn or fear of an increase crime, ammo sales have been like plywood and bottled water sales before a hurricane in Florida," said Raahauge.
Since the election of President Obama, gun and ammunition sales have skyrocketed. Most ammunition manufacturers are operating multiple shifts on their production lines and still can't produce enough ammunition in the major handgun and military-style rifle calibers to meet demand. Besides ammunition, there is also a shortage of semi-automatic handguns, semi-automatic rifles, and reloading components.
"Eight-five percent of gun sales are to first-time buyers. It's the fear factor -- people are getting guns and ammunition now because they're not sure if they'll be able to get them tomorrow under this administration," said Andy McCormick, vice-president of Legacy Sports, a Reno-based firearm importer of Howa and Puma rifles, Verona and Escort shotguns, and Citidel and Bul handguns.
A recent survey shows that 80 percent of Americans think firearms and ammunition will become harder to get under this administration, and sales of guns and ammunition reflect this fear.
The Sports Fair generally attracts over 10,000 people over the three-day event, and over a half-million rounds of ammunition is fired by shooters trying out a variety of handguns, rifles, and shotgun from all of the major firearm makers and importers.
"How are we going to have a Sports Fair without ammo?" said McCormick of Legacy, one of the companies always at the Fair. "I called Mike this week and said, "What are we going to do?" We just weren't able to make the ammo thing happen, and I really hate skipping a year. This is a great event," said McCormick.
Tom Seward, the sales representative for Smith & Wesson and its affiliated brands in this region, said he was disappointed the Fair had been cancelled. He had been working to make sure he had a source of ammunition since last year and was one of the few manufacturers who had secured enough ammunition for the three-day event.
"This is a great event for our business and a great opportunity for our customers," said Seward. "We need to start working now to make sure this event comes back next year. It would be a shame if it just went away."
