by James C. Fulmer
Past President, NMLRA
Feb. 1-9, a great event returned to Pennsylvania and not only to Pennsylvania, but to our country.
The nation’s largest hunting and outdoor show had been held at the PA Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg since 1955. In 2013 the show owners decided not to allow modern tactical firearms. Exhibitors, vendors, and many guest speakers showed their displeasure in that decision by boycotting the event. Enough boycotted the show that it was cancelled for 2013.
I have attended this show for 34 years, and many of those years were spent working a booth for the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. The NMLRA had already made the decision not to attend the 2013 event at the end of the 2012 show. The NMLRA felt the show had changed so much over the years that it was no longer a show that the NMLRA needed to attend. It was a tough decision for us, but it was essentially a moot decision as the 2013 show was ultimately cancelled.
Then the National Rifle Association decided to host the NRA’s “Great American Outdoor Show” at the Harrisburg Farm Complex in 2014. The NMLRA jumped at the opportunity to attend. The new show was nine days of non-stop, like-minded people, who came to see the new “Show.” I’m betting that nobody was disappointed. The Harrisburg Farm Complex is huge with over 650,000 square feet of exhibit space. The show featured over 1,000 exhibitors ranging from shooting manufacturers (many for the first time at this event) to guides, outfitters, boats, RV’s, and lots of archery.
The NMLRA’s booth was heavily visited. A big thanks goes out to all of the volunteers and to our president, Rebecca Waterman, for being at the event. She was kept busy answering questions about the Association and meeting with various people in the shooting industry.
Also a big thanks to Jerry Heister, chairman of the National Rendezvous and Living History Foundation (NRLHF). He manned the NMLRA booth many days during the week. The NMLRA runs on volunteers and if it wasn’t for the many volunteers that help at these shows, the NMLRA could never afford to do all that they do.
At Harrisburg, due to our limited space, we demonstrated 18th century rifling with a pistol rifling machine that was made by Paul and Mel Hartraft. These two men know more about rifling the old way than anybody I know. They have a collection of rifling machines that would make most museums envious. The pistol rifling machine was set to cut a .38 cal., 1 in 20″ twist. The pistol machine is only 4 feet long and fits perfectly on a 6 foot table. I discovered I have long enough arms that I didn’t need to walk back and forth pulling the cutter. The rifling machine was a crowd pleaser judging by the great questions about rifling the “old time” way.
The NMLRA also had a Blue Mountain Flintlock Bench Gun on display which was made by Bob Heister and Wilmer Riehl of Strausstown. It weighed 38 pounds and was a great topic of interest. Between seeing the rifling machine in operation and seeing the massive bench gun, people where easy to engage when they visited our booth.
There were many new vendors at the show. Some I recognized and others I didn’t. Some of them have been advertisers in Muzzle Blasts magazine over the years. One was Patrick Palumbo, national sales manager for Ballistol.
Over the years I have used Ballistol to oil my firearms for long term storage and it works great. It cleans, lubricates, and protects and comes in a spray or liquid format. I didn’t know until this show that they sell it in 4 oz. and 16 oz. cans as a liquid. I have always bought their aerosol spray in the stores. Ballistol mixes with water and is a watersoluble oil. From the time I started shooting, the recipe I learned was 4 oz. water-soluble oil and 2 oz. of Lestoil mixed in a quart bottle of water. Being a machinist all of my life, I never had a problem finding water soluble oil, but many of my friends have. I have tried it, but I didn’t add anything else to the Ballistol. It worked great, but I haven’t used it all that much yet. At the end of a long day at the range, cleaning with three wet patches and two dry, more than cleaned my muzzleloader, but I still follow with oil. There are dozens of recipes for “Moose Milk”– all of them are based on water soluble oil and some detergent. The amount of water also varies. I put this up on Facebook and was surprised—it seems like I am the only one who had never tried Ballistol to clean up black powder!
Another vendor at the event was Kevin Murphy from MGM Targets. MGM Targets are some of the best steel targets made. They are made out of AR heat treated steel. I bought a dueling tree to use for practice and loved it. I have loaned it out to many clubs to shoot and there still isn’t a mark anywhere on it. It was made to handle modern firearms—a patched round ball just turns the target grey.
At the Harrisburg show, MGM was running many show specials on their targets. I came home with nine more of their targets. They will be added to my collection of steel to shoot at. I know MGM Targets will be at the NRA convention in Indianapolis and I am sure he will have more specials.
The full size Ron Greene rifling machine will be a prominent feature in our booth at the 143rd NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, April 25-27. We will have a double booth and will be demonstrating the 18th century style rifling machine, so stop by and visit with us. Also, because this year’s NRA convention is in Indiana, the home state of the NMLRA, there will be plenty of chances to help the Association by purchasing, what else—raffle “chances.” We can always use your support.
Be sure to look for the NMLRA booth at the NRA show. We look forward to visiting with you. Remember, the exhibit hall admission is free to all current NRA members, uniformed military, law enforcement personnel, and organized youth groups.
Membership is the life blood of any Association, so when you see an NMLRA membership booth don’t just sign up or renew, get your friend to sign up, too.
I hope to see you in Indianapolis.
