California has some of the strictest gun regulations in the country — and a booming gun industry. More than 1 million firearms were purchased in the state in in 2016, or roughly one gun for every 30 residents.
This past weekend, the Crossroads of the West Gun Show — billed as the largest gun show in the West Coast — made a stop at the Cow Palace in Daly City.
A small number of student protestors stood outside, hoping to engage the buyers in conversation.
Inside, gun fans browsed through tables of holsters, samurai swords, recycled ammunition, beef jerky, t-shirts, schwag, assault rifles, and handguns.
"It's incorrect to think that everyone at this scene is a mouth-breathing, tiki torch-carrying maniac. Liberals buy guns. Smart, empathetic conservatives buy guns."
This story was originally published in April 2018. Since then, the governing board for Cow Palace voted to ban gun shows at the venue by 2020.