Looking to pack some heat? The Florida Gun Show is back in town

Just two weeks after a nationwide gun control protest, the Florida Gun Show has returned to the Bradenton Area Convention Center.

Vendors have set up shop in the center and are offering all sorts of equipment, from ammunition and Army fatigues to laser sights and lock boxes. The gun show is strapped.

Visitors said they weren't concerned about gun control laws and whether or not they should be changed, but one shopper who chose to rename anonymous pointed out the size of the crowd — and she suspected that's why the event had such a huge turnout in its Saturday debut.

She said she came to the show looking to arm herself after a scare at her house a few days ago.

"I was at home a few nights ago and there was this guy sort of looking through my window. I know who it was now, but I still think I need to get a gun," said the woman, who is the widow of a sheriff's deputy and gave away his guns a couple years ago. "I see the sign every year and always tell myself I need to go. Now I have a reason."

Growing up in the Mississippi bayou, she said her classmates "rode around with guns strapped to the back of the truck and no one thought anything of it."

"When I was a kid, you just used them to go hunting and shooting and for self-defense. You'd never think of anyone using them to go out and shoot people like they do now."

Another gun show attendee said he visited to buy a new rifle and understands that the political climate around the gun control debate is all over the place.

"I just use my guns for recreation, and I don't think they need to be taken away," he said, shouldering a rifle and testing its iron sights. "But I get that a lot of people don't see eye-to-eye."

Gun prices range from about $150 for small handguns to nearly $10,000 for a light machine gun. There are also hunting rifles, shotguns and submachine guns for sale.

Those looking to purchase a gun will have to follow certain guidelines. You must be a Florida resident older than 21 years old, and you may only leave with your gun purchase if you already have a concealed weapons permit. If not, you'll be subjected to a background check and a three- to five-day waiting period.

Gun safety is also stressed at the convention. Lock boxes and gun locks are sold by vendors and there are firearm safety classes scheduled for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday. The classes take about two and a half hours, according to the Florida Gun Shows website.

The Palmetto Gun Show's Sunday hours are 10 a.m to 5 p.m. at the Bradenton Area Convention Center. Admission is $11.

This story was originally published April 7, 2018 at 8:26 PM with the headline "Looking to pack some heat? The Florida Gun Show is back in town."