There are a couple of notable exceptions: S&W is making some very nice MA-compliant small revolvers, under 12-13 ounces, for personal defense. Really nice little guns. Seecamp makes an MA-compliant .32, and very, very recently Kahr Arms (!!) redesigned the PM-9 to finally convince the State to let it be sold here. That required adding a loaded chamber indicator, external safety lever, and a few other things to a very cleanly-designed gun, but I’ll take it. This gun is going to sell for nearly $1,000 but it will (to my knowledge) be the first really state-of-the-art 9mm CCW you can buy here.

If you’d like to see how limited the choices are here in MA, click here. The list of guns you cannot buy in Massachusetts is very long. Even New Jersey is better in that respect. Of course, since the law was passed effectively banning all these guns (or discouraging their manufacturers from certifying them) crime has gone up here in the Commonwealth — in many areas quite dramatically.

I bought my 4040PD because it was a good compromise at a good price, even thoguh it was used.

The upshot at the show was that most of the small guns that would really be useful for concealed carry and personal defense, particularly for women, were not NIB. There are absolutely ** no ** Kel-Tec handguns to be had in this state, and Ruger hasn’t even tried to homologate its new .380, which I would really like to have.

I will save my pennies, nickels and dimes and buy an MA-compliant Kahr PM9 when they become available. (YES — MSRP is over $900, dealer price will probably match or exceed that for a while, compared to a new Ruger .380 ACP anywhere in the world except MA at about $350-400 — it’s sickening).

This last show was very similar to the one you went to in MA – - lots of used stuff for which there may only be one customer and very little in the way of new guns. The exception also seemed to be that there were a fair number of new rifles and shotguns. There was only one dealer that had much variety in handguns and even his offerings are way down from past shows. If you needed a part for an AR or an AK and couldn’t find it there it probably doesn’t exist (or isn’t legal). One good sign – - I stopped at the NRA table and the guy there said he’d signed up about 35 new members that day (a Saturday).

So, just like yours, pretty boring and not much new to write home about (although even if I had $4,000 extra I don’t think I could hide the .50 BMG rifle from my wife). When I stop to wonder why I keep going I guess it’s because I feel that if the attendance drops too far the promoter will quit bringing the shows in. If I can help stall that day it’s worth it.

P.S. – - If you can, get the SIG 556. I just love mine.