I've been going to the gun show for 8 years now and I've seen a few changes in the last 2 years. Due to the drastic changes to the IRR governing the new firearms laws, many of the small players have closed shop. The big players from the Association of Firearms and Ammunitions Dealers of the Philippines, Inc. (
AFAD) are hanging on despite the lowest sales figures the industry has ever seen. It has mostly to do with the new permit all firearm owners must obtain before purchasing new firearms or renewing their permits, the much-maligned LTOP or License to Own and Possess a Firearm.
The sale of Airguns (pcp, airsoft, and CO2) have also increased in
popularity. Two years ago, before the IRR issue I purchased my
Gamo Silent Stalker IGT.
Willi Hahn Enterprises and
P.B. Dionisio were the only companies selling airguns at the time.
Last
year's gun show had the lowest number of attendees ever recorded. The
large venue at the SMX Convention Center didn't help since I believe it
is harder to get to compared to the SM Megamall despite ample parking
space.
This year saw a much larger attendance. A major contributor
was the all in one processing booth for LTOP applications within the Gun
Show. Lots of people showed up in the hopes of completing their
requirements instead of visiting Camp Crame which has very limited
parking space and separate buildings for the various requirements such
as the Neurological Exam, Drug Test, Directorate of Intelligence
Clearance, etc.
Well, I sure hope that things improve
in the following months. It is my dearest wish that this blog entry for 2014's gun show
would merely be a short period that we would look back on and thank our
stars that things got much better soon afterward.
Check out the ammo prices... Divide the Peso value by the exchange rate of 44.5 as of this date.
Here's something. Optics and anything firearm related are really expensive over here. Usually they cost up to 3x the prices in the USA. Import taxes and a little price fixing are the culprit. So take a look at this Aimpoint PRO.
It costs $808 over here. Count your blessings my American readers.
The bolt-action TCM Rifle makes its debut... Below is the match-grade MIG 22 .22lr
I actually started stocking up on .22 and .25 cal ammo for my new PCP rifle project...
FX Airguns cost an arm and a leg but are not classified as firearms. No need for an LTOP.
High-powered flashlights are becoming more popular thanks to the prepper movement.
A fine carry pistol from Metroarms
The "American Classic" made by the famous gunsmiths of Danao, Cebu.
Spike Speigel's pistol...
Stronghand is the top seller of Dillon Precision reloaders in the country.
A top-level Standard/Limited Division pistol would cost $7,820 from Grayman, Inc. by top-shot Mary Grace Tan. Buy once, cry once!
There were a good number of women at the show. Many were actually inquiring about the right pistol for them. A lot were interested in home defense and carry.
I hope this continues to be the trend, its always refreshing to see potential female shooters in our sport.
A lot of male firearm owners in the Philippines try their best to get their wives into the sport. You'll also see them at the range practicing with children. With the proper training and attitude, having competently armed mothers, sisters, and daughters would make the world a safer place!
Pretty ammo
I take a lot of photos of handguns that I find appealing. I don't really find myself attracted to this pistol however I have not come across the Kimber Solo in past shows. Its small, has a polymer frame, and is in 9mm. I wonder how it compares to the SIG P938?
Well, my dream pocket pistol is still the SIG P238...
This Walther .22 is pretty nice, its got a built-in laser. Great for training young shooters.
Now check out the Armscor TCM 22 G10. This full size pistol has all the bells and whistles you'll need. I love the lines and feel of this pistol. Interesting that the logo is now smaller and on the right side of the slide. I personally don't mind the logo in the middle of the slide.
This is an STI OFF DUTY. They make the lower-end STI pistols in the Philippines, and they're known for high quality products.
A Tanfoglio that Armscor is selling...
An interesting 12 Gauge Shotgun that uses box magazines by Shooters Arms Manufacturing. Looks promising, I wonder if there are tests done on this shotgun...
I heard that PARA will be purchased by Remington sometime soon. In this display cabinet you'll see that there are PARA and REMINGTON pistols sitting together. That would be the end of a significant era for me. PARA-Ordnance from Canada made the double-stack 1911 popular.
Its so popular, many Armscor owners a few years ago used to remove the
Armscor logo on their slides and put "P16.40" to make their pistols
"look better". Typical colonial mentality. Thank goodness their
attitudes have changed!
I've owned a P16.40 since 1997 and its ran flawlessly. I've run it dirty for up to 1000 rounds without cleaning nor headache. It was my first competition pistol and I'll never sell it.
An Open Division race gun from True Weight, Inc. Perhaps it was built by master gunsmith Jay Pecson.
The famous KSG Shotgun from Kel-Tec Php 89,000 / 44.5 (USD exchange rate) = $2k
I had a lot of fun meeting old friends from the various shops and didn't realize that I skipped lunch! I got there at 11AM and finished at 3:30PM.
After getting a fair amount of loot in the form of ammunition, cleaning supplies, a Fenix flashlight, and more pellet ammo, I rewarded myself with a delightful bowl of noodles from a nearby Chinese restaurant. Yum!
Stay vigilant!
This is quite a bold move since the company is putting the bullet in the hands of folks using a a brand known as its nemesis and the subject of fanboy wars across the internet.
