Gun enthusiasts pack shows to buy assault weapons

Gun enthusiasts thronged to shows around the country on Saturday to buy assault weapons they fear will soon be outlawed after a massacre of school children in Connecticut prompted calls for tighter controls on firearms.

Reuters reporters went to gun shows in Pennsylvania, Missouri and Texas, and found long lines to get in the door, crowds around the dealer booths, a rush to buy assault weapons even at higher prices and some dealers selling out.

The busiest table at the R.K. Gun & Knife show at an exposition center near the Kansas City, Missouri airport was offering assault weapons near the entrance. Read more

A surge in the purchase of assault weapons followed the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. This typically happens when gun control advocates call for stricter regulation of assault weapons. The AR 15 Assault Rifle is not the only assault weapon available in the United States. AK 47s and Uzis are sold on the black market and are fully automatic. Tighter regulation will limit only the legal purchase of semi-automatic weapons by gun enthusiasts. It will not prevent criminals and terrorists from obtaining deadlier weapons. It will not put a stop to tragedies like the Sandy Hook massacre.