The AirGun Guild

A friendly place to share one's interest in all things airguns.

The 2019 Pacific Airgun Expo in 3 months: April 13-14 2019 at the Eldorado County Fairgrounds
The web site is up and running (https://www.pacificairgunexpo.com) with this year's flyers linked for printing and the site is ready to take your table reservations and attendee ticket sales.  As before, the free shopping cart software is a bit clunky, seems like after every entry you have to hit 'go to cart' again, but if you stick with it through a few screens you'll come to the credit card or Paypal screen.  If you have any trouble give me a call 707-337-9410

As in previous years please keep in mind this is your show, not 'mine'.  By 'your' I mean western states airgunners.  I am not a professional show promoter.  I am an airgun enthusiast, web developer, and gunstock carver and I do this out of love and support of my favorite sport.  And, our market is small, there's no big money for me to make at this.  What I do is secure the facility, pay for it, see that all the legal elements are in place, provide the web site, and run an ad in the Sacramento Bee (which is far and away the best advertising I do...but your efforts online bring good results too).  I also make several driving trips around the greater Sacramento area and the I-80 corridor delivering flyers to gun shops and shooting ranges.

If you have a vested interest in the growth of our hobby/sport in decidedly un-gun friendly California, and if you want a full show to meet new friends and buy cool new stuff, you must be pro-active.  I can not by myself and with limited funding do some kind of spectacular marketing blitz.  It's up to all of you to post on your social media, chat forums, and put flyers up at your local gun club or sporting goods store.  We're a small community, and we're in this together.

There is lots of new information on the web site; I encourage you to peruse it, but the most important things to remember are: 1) we can not shoot at the fairgrounds.  The police have made that very clear.  It is against city ordinance and fairground policy.  There is a shooting range just five miles away (about a 12 minute drive) if you must shoot.  And 2) the other important thing is we will once again have a State of the Industry meeting (ok call it a party) at the Placerville Brewery right across the street from the fairgrounds Saturday evening.  It's a no-host everything :-)  Food and drink are on you. Not that I'd turn down a free beer :-)

There will be a few more notices coming your way as we get closer.  Call or write with questions.  See you at the Pacific Airgun Expo!  I can't wait!
Michael McKeown
info@pacificairgunexpo.com
707-337-9410

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2019 Pacific Airgun Expo

I saw a few friends and acquaintances from that year. Didn't see any pics of my ugly mug tho. None of Oprah either.
Might just go again this year, I'll pick you up Frank.

Just got this Email from Michael:

Pacific Airgun Expo Updates

The bi-annual PAE is this Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14.  9:00-5:00 Saturday, 9:00-1:00 Sunday.  Location: El Dorado County Fairgrounds, 100 Placerville Drive
Placerville, CA.  Turn at the Shell station on Armory Drive just past the main entrance.

Food
There will not be a food vendor.  There are a wide variety of food options near the fairgrounds, including the Placerville Brewing Company across the street.

Gun Safety
If you are bringing a gun to try to sell/trade, be prepared with some way of demonstrating it is in a safe condition.  Breach flags/zip ties, triggers tied back, magazines removed, etc.  Each type of airgun is different in how it can be displayed as being in a safe condition.  I will be checking guns at the door but it would make it a lot faster and easier if you make absolutely sure that each gun is unloaded, unpressurized if appropriate, and no forgotten pellets stuck in the breach or barrel.  Look down the barrel.  Pull the trigger to make sure it's released.  Make sure your guns are safe.  Do not let anyone cock a gun that can't be un-cocked without shooting!  (You really shouldn't let anyone cock a gun for any reason anyway).  If the gun is not in a bag or box, even though it is in a demonstrated safe condition, please carry it vertically up or vertically down.  No cross arm carry or over the crook of your elbow like you're in the field.  NO ACCIDENTS!

You might prepare a sign to attach to the gun so that as you are walking around the show it is obvious to everyone that it is something you want to sell/trade.

Shooting
Discharge of an airgun, pellet gun or bb gun is illegal by city ordinance and the fairgrounds rules.  At the last show I had arranged for the nearby gun range to be open for us, but it turns out only a few people availed themselves of the opportunity.  I am still trying to have the gun range opened for our use this year, but they're a small operation and I'd say at this point don't count on it.   Remember, this is a gun show swap meet and trade show type event, not a fun shoot.

Proof that your gun functions in order to make a sale
We can not discharge air in the hall.  We can not shoot into a bucket of sand in the hall.  We can not shoot a gun into the dirt at the edge of the parking lot.  Nor should you discharge an airgun into a box of duct seal (available in the electrical department of hardware stores) inside your truck with the doors and windows closed where no one can see you to prove to a prospective buyer that a gun works.  I am not endorsing this idea but I figure my oversight ends at your closed up car.

A better idea is to take a cell phone video of the gun being shot over a chronograph.  Have your videos lined up in your phone with good labels so you can find them quick to show a prospective customer.

Marketing for the show
I distributed stacks of flyers to 21 gun shops and gun ranges along the I80 corridor and throughout the greater Sacramento area and I spent a grand on advertising in the Sacramento Bee, which is a step up from the last show's expenditure.

Hopefully you have all been mentioning your attendance at the show on the chat forums.  "See you at the PAE" goes a long way to attract people.

Hotel
If you haven't made your hotel reservations, you better do so.  I waited 'till the last minute (today) and they're filling up.  There is a list of some hotels in the area (there are probably more) here: https://www.pacificairgunexpo.com/lodging-suggestions.html  A couple of the places have broken websites, but the rest of the links work.  Also there is free car camping/RV camping at the nearby Redhawk Casino.

After Party RSVP
Please RSVP at info@pacificairgunexpo.com or text to 707-337-9410 how many of your group will be attending the Pacific Airgun Expo After Party at the Placerville Brewing Company (located across the street from the show).  This is Saturday evening right after we close up for the day.  I already have a goodly size space reserved, but I promised them I would come up with a better number than "a bunch".  If the noise level in the place allows we'll hear comments from the vendors on what they might be doing that is new and any observations they might have on where our industry is heading.  Separate tabs please for your food and beer, this is a no host everything :-)

Questions or problems call, text, or email anytime: info@pacificairgunexpo.com 707-337-9410

Michael McKeown
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See you there shooters, and bring plenty of cash , Cani.

 

DITTO

some more images:

Awesome job on the photos, Steve. Great to see so many people whom I associate with an avatar/online name on the forums. Amazing group of men and women and it was truly a brotherhood/sisterhood of hobbyists enjoying the environment. As I hunter I had to laugh at the amount of Eurasian doves that were constantly landing on the wires and fences surrounding the building. Everyone showed great restraint.

Today was pretty cool. I had set up my BWSC with the FX Streamline mounted on it for customers to try out. As luck would have it, my booth was situated right by a window and it allowed for long distance viewing through the scope. As I was making the last little adjustments, a herd of mule deer walked out at about 300 yards while I was looking through the scope. The customers/vendors close by took turns setting up and taking 'mock' shots. Great for me as all were impressed by how still they could hold.

Not as many attendees (and thus less vendor business) as I had hoped, but still a nice showing and it was great to be ingratiated into the network of pros who help all of us in our airgun pursuits. Thank you to all who attended and stopped to say hello, it was a privilege to be around such a great group of people. On that same note, I met a few locals from this area who accepted an invite to come over to the 'home range' and shoot.

The tails were white with a black tip. I've never seen BT's with that and the first thing I noticed was the size. Don't really care either way. They probably cross-range/migrate up and down in that area. My freezer doesn't know the difference (and I DO please)