Second Amendment alive and well in Plains

By CHUCK BANDEL

Valley Press

The Second Amendment to the Constitution is alive and well in Plains, Montana.

That was evident by the packed Veterans of Foreign Wars hall Saturday as more than 35 exhibitors and a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of customers and gun fanciers flocked to the Annual Plains Gun Show.

Organized by Plains resident Dan Rowan, the Gun Show is a yearly favorite of residents throughout Sanders County and beyond.

In conjunction with the impromptu parade of veterans, first responders and a host of other parade participants, a bigger than normal crowd was on hand.

A wide range of weapons, from small handguns to shotguns to semi-automatic rifles were on display and available for sale during the day-long event.

Paradise resident Ric Jones came to the show looking for a particular handgun for his brother, a Kel-Tech pistol with a high capacity magazine. He found what he was looking for among the vendors.

“I’m here looking for a pistol my brother wants to get,” Jones said. “I think they have them here.”

Sure enough, he found what he was looking for and sent some pictures to his brother.

Libby resident David Hartley said he tries to attend several gun shows a year, including the annual Plains sale. This year that has been a challenge more than in other years.

“I try to go to as many as I can,” he said from behind his display table on which he had several used rifles for sale. “The whole virus thing has made that more difficult this year. There’s always a group of good people here and at other shows.”

Jim Gillibrand and Richard Doughty, a pair of long-time local friends, echoed those sentiments.

“I come to talk with folks and enjoy the company,” Doughty said. “We see a lot of the same faces and friends at a lot of these shows. Doesn’t matter if we sell anything, it’s still a good place to come.”

Gillibrand and Doughty say another reason they participate is the worry over the political future of the country.

“There are people in this country that come right out and say they are socialists,” Gillibrand said. “The first thing socialists do is take away the citizens’ guns. They want to be in charge and only a few of them will have guns.”

That sentiment was repeated by most in attendance at this year’s show, where strong support for the Second Amendment was on full display.