Ventura County Gun Show

The national gun debate appears to have have kicked off a run on guns and ammunition across the country and here at home.This weekend people flocked to the gun show in Ventura County to stock up on guns and ammunition. The recent shootings and deaths in Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary have sparked a national debate over assault weapons. Gun enthusiasts in Ventura County, like those throughout most of the country, fear they may lose their right to buy firearms and ammunition so it has created a surge in sales and prices. Ironically, many gun collectors say the discussion of new gun laws can actually set the stage for illegal activity. As one collector reveals, “in the black market somebody who has bought something previously legally now has something that is illegal so he’s holding that somebody else wants it he can sell it to him under the table now that it’s against the law but that’s why they call it the black market.” Meanwhile there’s a demand for automatic high powered weapons. Military assault weapons such as the R-15s M-14s are still available but gun experts say the purchaser, if a civilian, would require extensive use and safety training. Gun enthusiasts say thanks to the U.S. Constitution they have the right to bear arms. Though the White House proposal to ban assault weapons isn’t expected to pass, local gun enthusiasts are seizing the moment to buy more guns and ammunition just in case.