Guns and ammo draw big crowds to Ontario Gun Show

<!-- missing image http://blogs.kcrw.com/whichwayla/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gunsandflags-226x300.jpg -->Southern California’s first gun show since the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut last month drew a huge crowd to the Ontario Convention Center over the weekend. On Saturday alone, about 6,000 people attended the Crossroads of the West show. Typically, the event attracts about that many in an entire

weekend. I was there Saturday, and many of the attendees I spoke to said they were stocking up on ammunition and shopping for weapons out of concern that new federal and statewide gun control measures are in the pipeline and could make it harder to buy firearms in the near future, like Dane McQuarrie:

Sellers also said they’re concerned about new regulations in California, which already has some of the toughest gun control measures in the nation. Here’s Jerry Wehunt of JW Guns in Riverside:

While ammunition was the big seller at the gun show, there was also a plethora of items that had nothing to do with firearms or their accessories. Many of the goods on display had a survivalist bent, like freeze-dried food, storage safes, solar generators and first aid kits.

Alexis Nagel of 4EverLights, which makes glow-in-the-dark keychains, sticks and other items, said she frequents gun shows because she finds a clientele concerned about emergency preparedness for everything from earthquakes to end-of-the-world scenarios. There were also stuffed animals, jewelry, T-shirts and Kung Fu DVDs for sale — truly something for everyone.