SHOT Show 2011

RECAP

Ok, so it seems like this year was the best for SHOT show coverage by the Airsoft media.

You can find extensive reports all over the web,

information and pictures that even on my best day I could not have achieved.

Check out Thumpys site for some great video.

http://thumpmaster6.wordpress.com/

I got to meet a lot of the guys in the new airsoft world, Tim from Airsoft GI, the coolest media guys in the podcast market (of course I am talking about Airsoftolgy),

Dr Airsoft and many more than I can name.

(give me a break, there was free Budweiser in the Media room!)

It is always great to see old faces too, Wallace and Andy from Ares and Pantac respectively, Alex from NAM magazine, John Steele with CyberGun, Sam from X Caliber Tactical and many others.

After so many years in the Firearms and Tactical field, SHOT show is like old home week, a 20 minute trip away from the booth can turn into 2 hours if you try and catch up with everyone you run into.

The trip out was better than I hoped for, of course any time you put me in an airline seat it is like trying to stuff 10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag, but I made it.

 

Got to stay at my favorite hotel in LV, the Treasure Island.

Not the most flashy, but it's right across from the show and you don't have to walk a mile to get to your room.

Rooms were great, clean, beds did what they were supposed to and the shower was hot.

I don't ask for much.

I did find that on Tuesday night my room had a infestation.

 

Let set up this story,

Here is the backstory from a blog post years ago

Everyone asks, what's with the Flying Monkeys 

Why I carry a gun

Ok, everyone always asks, " so, why do you feel the need to carry a gun with you?"
After they get up off the ground, after falling there from the head smack I gave them, I tell them, "it is because I read the newspaper every day.'

 But............ That is not the whole truth
Now, here is the the real truth, you ready

Flying Monkeys,
that's right, I saw the Wizard of OZ when I was very young and saw what those Godd#$@! things can do, they are hideous, and real damn scary.

So that's it, I carry a gun because of those Flying Fuc%&!# Monkeys. ( FFM's for short)
I also carry a backup gun, just in case I get some monkey juice on my primary one.

 

Ok, so the guys I have run the shows with over the years always seem to have found humor in this, 

I get stuffed FFM's, plastic FFM's and such whenever we cross each others path at a show.

 

So, Tuesday night I celebrated my 50th birthday, 

small group at the TI, lots of fun.

 

As the evening wore down my great pal Doug announced he was heading to the room we shared to grab some shuteye.

 

About an hour later Co-conspirator Sam asked if he could retrieve a bag he had left in my room.

 

Not wanting to leave, but knowing that after 10 beers that were bought for me I should, 8 or 10 of us trucked up to the 30th floor to get said bag.

 

When I reached the door, I noticed in in my inebriated state that it was cracked open. 

 

Now I have traveled with Doug before, He stayed unshot as a cop for 24 years and a more ardent disciple of Jeff Cooper and Massad Ayoob you will not find.

 

So I knew something was up!

As I carefully pressed the door open,

my hand on the strong side carry holster thumbreak that I wasn't wearing, 

out of the door boiled this frighting visage that proceed to chase me down the hall,

 Re-staged for the photos, when it happened my drunk ass was stumble running backwards tactically moving rearward to a more advantageous position down the hall.

 Notice lack of bullet holes, 

they knew I flew in and the J Frame I shipped ahead was in the room,

 as I don't "drink and carry".. 

The wings were molting also.

I have seen it all now, a Tactical FFM!!!!!!!

The amount of work Sam and Doug went though to pull this off, getting in early to find the costume and rent it, clearing with TI security on their VIP floor so that the SWAT team and a zoo recovery unit were not dispatched, warms my heart. 

It is great to have good friends.

Of course I was not thinking those thoughts as I was laying on the floor in the hall having a massive stroke, but they did come later.

So, That's my story from Tuesday night, come back tomorrow and I will have some pics from the show.

Till Tomorrow,

stay thirsty my friends