The Houston Gun Collector’s Association held the first of their three gun shows this year on January 22-23 at the Reliant Center Complex (formally called the Astrodome Park Complex) in Houston, Texas. The HGCA, organized in 1950, has held three gun shows annually for the past 30 years at the same complex. It is the largest gun show in Texas.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program sent several staff members, along with 475 rifles, to Houston for the
January gun show. CMP South armorers Tom Boggs, Jack Prucha, and John McLean brought rifles from CMP South in Anniston, Alabama along with their expertise and armorer skills. Also on hand from the CMP were DeShay Brewer (CMP South), Lue Contreras (CMP North), Tamara Limestahl (CMP North) and several volunteers.
This was the 3rd 2004 gun show in which the CMP has made rifles available for purchase; the first two shows were in Louisville, KY and Harrisburg, PA.
The CMP brought all Greek-issue rifles to the Houston show. Selections included Springfield and H & R service, rack and collector grades. The Greek issue service and rack grade rifles were U.S. made, loaned to the Greek Government and later returned to the U.S. Army, thus making them a collector’s item to Garand enthusiasts. Service grades were the most popular items at the CMP tables with the rack grades a close runner-up. Collector grades moved a little slower; most people wanted to buy rifles to fire, not display.
The rifles were laid out on tables and could be handled and inspected by interested customers. CMP personnel were available to answer questions and check
muzzle and throat erosion with special gauges, which also can be purchased from the CMP E-Store. When a customer found a rifle he/she wanted to purchase, it was tagged with the customer’s name, address and phone number. A CMP employee noted the type of rifle, serial number and “Houston Gun Show” on a CMP Order Form. The customer took the form home to mail in with payment and other required documentation (IE: proof of citizenship, marksmanship and CMP membership). When the forms return to CMP South, they will be matched with
rifles, processed and the selected rifles will be shipped to the customer via FedEx. For customers who were not already members of a CMP affiliated club, the Texas State Rifle Association was at the show to enroll them and fulfill that requirement.
Over 400 of the 475 rifles brought to the show were spoken for by the time the show closed. The new customers were all eager to get their paperwork completed and sent to the CMP so they could be reunited with their hand-picked rifles. The CMP is scheduled to be at guns shows in Reno, NV (April
8-10) and Indianapolis, IN (October 28-30) later this year. It has not, however, been determined whether CMP will continue to attend gun shows in the future.
The CMP is grateful to have been part of the Houston show and thanks the Houston Gun Collector’s Association, the Texas State Rifle Association and all of the volunteers that helped to make the show a success. For more information on these organizations, check out the following links:
Houston Gun Collectors Association
Texas State Rifle Association |
