Guus Bosman

Yesterday Jason and I visited the Dixie Gun and Knife Show at the fairgrounds in Raleigh.

A gun show is a traveling exhibition where firearms, knives and hunting materials are displayed and traded. The Dixie show was in town for two days and I was curious what it would be like.

There were many firearms of various kinds: guns, revolvers, rifles and shotguns in hundreds of different styles and types. To my surprise there were also much heavier weapons like shotguns and assault riffles such as AK-47s. I couldn't help but wonder -- what legitimate use can there be for citizens to carry such weapons? Anyway, by far the majority of the items on sale were handguns and single shot rifles.

Owning and trading firearms is legal in the United States, but there are background checks buyers need to go through. In North Carolina, like in many states, there are additional restrictions if you want to buy a smaller weapon that can be hidden ("concealed weapon permit"). Not that I want to, but no: I can't own or posses a gun.

Over-all the audience was very diverse, with the majority of the visitors being male. There were a lot of fathers-with-sons looking for guns and hunting gear. Jason was an excellent guide (thanks!) and we had a fun afternoon.

Disturbing was a booth in the back where a guy was selling various things including Nazi paraphernalia.