My wife and I will attend, our first to Reno. Interested in talking to the outfitters. We have one safari under out belts and look to book another for May '06. Let me know if there is an AR gathering place. Bob

My apologies Mark. I remembering speaking with about the ACGG show next year and your prior committment. I certainly enjoyed the show this past January, meeting you, Duane, Chic, Bob Snapp, Terry Weiland, Gary Goudy, Al Lind, Ralf Martini, and so many others that I am failing to mention.



Almost made up for having to meet Forrest B and loud-n-boomer!!!

I will have a table there. I should have three or four control round feeding guns. An officers modle 1875 Trapdoor repro, a left handed Ruger #1 Creedmoore, a Ruger #1 in 6.5x284 barreled action and a Mauser in .270. Stop by and say hello.

Michael

Seeing the ACGG convention has been high on my list for a couple of years now. Actually I just left Reno this morning.



Ive got an Elk hunt this January, (its always something). Hopefully Ill score quick in time to make it back to Reno and finally catch the show. If I do Ill certianly look for some of you guys. Too bad Chic wont be there, Ive been wanting to go there and thank him for his on-line tutelage and encouragment. Thanks Chic. Maybe next year.

Steven, I will bring my book for you to sign, just don't bite me for the abuse it has recieved over the years. Seems like I always get the urge to look at it when I have inletting black or cutting oil on my hands. And if any pages are stuck together, I promise, it's just epoxy.

Sounds like you will have some great guns to view. I am really looking forward to looking at the side lever 30-400.

Michael

Michael, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Burgess, Jim W., Bill S., Roger K., Chic, Mark, and all the rest of the guild members and other fine smiths, thanks so much for your efforts over the years in raising the state of the art. Maybe 20 years ago or so, the art of fine gunmaking was dying. Today the quality of engraving, stockmaking, metalsmithing, finishing, etc. is the highest ever. I feel lucky.

From the Gunmaker�s point of view, the Reno Guild show is kind of like preaching to the choir. Most of the people who attend already have an interest in custom guns, and a lot of then have already had some type of work done. The future of our industry is creating new customers. In the past years, besides doing the Guild show in Reno, I�ve had a booth at the Elk Foundation and NRA Conventions. The Mule Deer Foundation is in it�s early years of formation try to get established. I thought I�d give them a hand and maybe create a few customers for myself and the industry. I don�t think I have any kind of speaking engagement at the show, but I will if they want.

So it's not a "gunshow" as we all know them. It's more like an auction of extremely high-priced, vintage or unique cars in Hialeah where the buyers are generally anonymous and "if you have to ask [the price], you can't afford it." I can appreciate firearms as art, but I prefer the kind with which you take out and blast away. I'll take a $1500 AR-15 over a $50,000 Parker-Hale shotgun anyday. Call me a redneck; that's OK with me.