OK folks - if you want to avoid a lengthy ramble, change channels now!! This is the whole skinny!
I did post this also on coupla other sites and so reference a few folks you will not know.
Backpedal to Thursday March 30th - Bonnie and I left home about 9.00am to see if we could get a flight from Reagan DC at 2.40pm to Denver, having to get there before a hop to Tulsa. Note - we were (thanks to Larry Ashcraft's son in law) - doing standby flying. Great drive down and got there into long stay parking about noon - I was planning to get in real early as I had a piece to declare in checked baggage.
Murphy thought otherwise and, as I went to close window prior to shutting off motor - window fell right down into door! Dealer had supposedly fixed this last fall but, well, it happened again. Panic! Main concern was to leave car secure as my earlier carry 226 was now disassembled and hidden inside car but had to remain so until we got back! With much sweating, and ingenuity on Bonnie's behalf we managed to get glass up and then jam it tight with stiff cardboard on inside. With crossed fingers we got shuttle to terminal.
Got booked in - gun was no prob' at all. Unfortunately the hoped-for plane was full so we had loads of time to kill before last chance at 6.10pm. Some beer, wings and fries (at vast expense!) helped pass some time, plus reading but it seemed ages. Come boarding time we waited with baited breath and then - three big cheers, we got on.
Good flight and Larry's daughter kindly fetched us from Denver airport to take us home to spend night there. This was a view of the Rockies from their house.
Next day, leisurely start - then off via some brunch to airport again - this time BTW TSA decided to do a total baggage check as well as firearm inspect!! They even ''wanded'' a bottle of whiskey LOL.. She and her hubby and their delightful little girl also were travelling, and we left about 1.30pm for the short hop to Tulsa, arriving about 4.00pm there (another time change). Bit warm at 82º !.
After long wait for shuttle made it to hotel and spent a great evening with Larry Ashcraft and Sandy his wife - his two brothers, our very own sm and other friends. Munched on many tasty things and had <cough> a few drinks!
Tried in morning to get off about 7.00am but left a bit later and stopped for a needed snack at BK and thence to Gun Show. Joined long queue but eventually in. Shucks that place is big - 11 acres I was told and tho hard to believe supposedly 4,000 tables these days. Here is the program/brochure -
We mosied round and tried to take it all in - but it is IMO an impossibility to see everything. Larry and sm were mostly looking as was I but I also was hoping to see if any Smith M29's were there, relatively early ones and hopefully P&R. Also hoped to meet with some board folks but that only worked for a couple .. fed_wif_a_sig on CombatCarry and Bratch from THR. My cell was not too helpful in achieving some other contacts.
After some while I spotted a 6" M29-3, not P&R but when checked out it seemed the gun had had very little use at all and being so tight tho pricey - I went for it! Hope it will arrive with my dealer here soon. Larry's brother Gary did find a dash 2 but turned out it was much more used but as he wanted something to use for hunting he bought it - good deal and Burris 2x scope included. Nice. Larry picked up a cute old Stevens .22 rifle which he hopes to redo over time.
By mid afternoon we were pooped and quit - retiring gracefully back to the hotel. What followed was some chill-out time, with much eating and <cough> a few more drinks! Here following are some pics in the show - I took them early on before it got real packed and was advised by a guy on one table to put the camera away, as reputedly, I could have had it thown into orbit by folks not keen on potential Fed snooping!!!! This was BTW the lower level only - the upper level was over twice the size!!
Flights for our hoped for Sunday return were pretty full so we opted to stay over. We got up at a crazy early hour Monday and got shuttled to airport. Got on early flight to Denver and then, heavens be praised, managed to get on flight an hour later to get us back to DC. After getting baggage we proceeded to see if we still had a car!!! We did, complete with my (sigh of relief) 226. Got rolling and headed home - stopping just inside PA so I could put 226 back on hip where it belonged (I just hate travelling thu MD!).
All in all - a great adventure - made most special by meeting with the Ashcrafts and others - perhaps in truth the biggest reason for the trip, tho I do look forward to getting my Smith! I hope to post a group pic soon with some of the reprobate team on!
