HECK, WHY NOT? I mean what's wrong about having a gun at a gun show?
If it is a personal protection weapon and it is holstered and only to be accessed in the extreme moment of need, there is NOTHING wrong with having a loaded gun at a gun show. Or a theater, church, school, bar, stadium, port-a-john, ...whatever. (Except in some states some of those places may be illegal -- "
malum prohibitum".)
The issue is with loaded guns is when they just won't stay in the holster for whatever reason. If you've ever watched the gun-handling that goes on in a gun show (or a gun shop, or a lot of public ranges, etc) you REALLY don't want loaded firearms "in play." There are enough horror stories around of negligent discharges at gun shows, restaurants, etc. that gun show promotors really have to try pretty hard not to be a magnet for such disasters. Requiring that every gun
which will be handled, passed around, checked for holster fit, etc. at the show has been unloaded and shown clear before entry is just a good safety practice.
Think about it this way: If you go to a shooting competition, everyone attending is armed and lots of guns will be handled throughout the day. However, the rules of every competition I've heard of dictate that no weapons be loaded except on the firing line, at the command of the range/safety officer(s). No one complains that this is somehow "anti-RKBA." Now they aren't patting you down to check that you unloaded the j-frame in your pocket. But if you draw it out, expect IMMEDIATE attention. You've brought your "private" gun into public, and now it is EVERYONE's concern.
Carrying loaded firearms is a very safe activity. HANDLING loaded firearms in inherantly NOT so and must be structured very carefully to prevent catastrophy. A gun show is, by definition, a gun HANDLING event -- so they have to be unloaded. The zip ties are just a fairly unobtrusive way of visibly demonstrating that a gun being handled is "certified cleared."
One more way to look at it: If this was a boat show, horse show, town meeting, prayer breakfast, or whatever event basides a gun show going on in the same venue, there would be no zip ties, etc. Every person in the venue could be packing a pair of pistols and no one would be in any danger. Why? Because in those circumstances, no one would even THINK of drawing their gun(s) except in the most immediate and extreme need -- guns aren't the focus of the event, and handling a gun then would be completely unacceptable. At a gun show, handling guns is expected and encouraged. We've proven too many times that we just aren't disciplined enough as a culture (species, even?) to apply the 4 laws when packed in a room with thousands of guns and thousands of other gun nuts jammed cheek-to-jowel.
You want to keep your personal defence weapon loaded and ready? Fine. Don't ask, don't tell, DON'T TOUCH IT, go about your business like you would any where else. You want to go find a new holster for it or try out some laser grips? Unload, show clear, get zipped.
-Sam
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