Will I have seen several signs for different gun shows while driving I am a Bus Mechanic for local transit authority and do a lot of road calls I never have seen some many sings around before It seemed like right after nov 5 I noticed at least 20 signs advertising guns did it maybe have something to do with the Election . And no I am not big into guns I do like target practise but do not like shooting animals .But am not against hunting I just have had a lot of pets and even rabbits I once knocked the gun out of my dads hands when he was trying to shoot a rabbit .The only gun I have now Is a real large rifle pellet gun It is very old my Uncle bought it in Germany when he was in the Army and It and His old Army hat were the only things I wanted when he died so I just have them hanging around in my bedroom .

I couldn't find anything about a sudden increase in gun shows since the elections but did find something about an increase since the rules on gun shows were relaxed some years ago. I think there were claims that the relaxed rules were allowing more guns and, therefore, shootings and claims that the increase in gun shows did not increase shootings. One stat from at least 10 years ago said there was an average of 100 gun shows per weekend throughout the U.S. Perhaps Florida sees it's share plus a little on an average weekend.

I'm thinking gun shows are one of those events that are somewhat recession resistant so if there are more since Nov. 4, 9:00pm Eastern, it could be that more are being organized to both buy a new gun or sell one for some cash. I've noticed gold buyers are seemingly more active lately, too.

Perhaps, if you happen by one that's currently in session you can stop in and get a better idea of the mood of the event.

Do you have any particular suspicion as to why there would be more?

Some time ago, instant back ground checks were put into place at gun shows. This way, you could take your gun home the day you bought it. It's good business sense.

An FFL may be from out of town or out of state. If you have to wait X days for a background check before you can take your gun home, you may not buy from a vendor who is too far from your home. Maybe it isn't worth driving 10 hours and all that gas to 'save' $50 on that .45.

Maybe you can arrange for pickup at a local FFL. Maybe for a fee. Without the instant background check, the out the door price of your gun could increase.

In either case, the good deal you could have had ain't so good now and maybe you won't buy from that FFL. You loose a good deal and he looses a potential sale. The gun show may loose a vendor if he isn't selling at their show and thereby they don't get a booth rental from him next year. Less vendors means less people will come, that's money not made.

I think that was the whole the point of all this, Aint...make sales as difficult as possible so as to make them as rare as possible. Gun shows bug the hell out of the anti-gun crowd because they do in fact make sales simpler. The extension of instant background checks to the shows runs counter to that effort and it riles the anti-2nd Amendment zealots to no end.

Guns shows probably do bug the hell out of the anti-gun crowd and anti-2nd Amendment zealots. They seem to attract people away from thier anti-gun shows and make repeal of the 2nd Amendment just that much harder for them. Is this a big crowd?

Not all gun shows have the instant check set up and at many you don't need an FFL to set up a booth and try and get rid of your collection.

As the law stands now, you're allowed to do face to face sales with people when selling a rifle or shotgun. What this means is that there doesn't need to be any paperwork filled out and as long as the buyer is from the same state as the seller, then things are legit. This also means non FFL holders can set up shop at a gun show and sell their wares without subjecting the buyer to a background check.

The problem with gun shows are that it's insanely easy to conduct a straw purchase. This is where a person will go to a seller, buy a gun essentially for another person, then once in their possession turn around and sell it right away. So the original buyer acts as a proxy for another buyer who's most likely ineligible to own the weapon. This, obviously, is illegal.

Stone...what stops such a straw purchase from taking place at a regular gun store? If I am willing to make a purchase on behalf of someone who is ineligible to buy a gun does it really matter if I do it at a gun show in the local convention center or at the counter in the local WalMart? Is this a problem with gun shows per se and therefor a reason to more tightly regulate them or is it a problem with a criminal element willing to break th law?

Because, even when buying a rifle at a gun store, you're still subjected to the background check along with filling out the appropriate forms.

Face to face sales and many sales at many gun shows eliminate this step.

Here is the thing, Stone...You wrote: What distinguishes the gun show from a WalMart in that regard? I can easily walk into a WalMart and purchase a gun and turn around and resell that gun. Similarly, I can purchase a gun at a gunshow and then resell that gun. At Walmart and at many gun shows, I had to do some paperwork and submit to a background check before I made the original purchase. The face to face sale does not require that paperwork or background check...regardless of whether or not the original purchase did.

So, I guess what I am asking you is why do you say its a "problem" with gun shows and by implication suggest it is not a problem at Walmart?

Can I walk into Walmart with my gun and walk out with a sale? I can't even bring my own popcorn to the movies.