From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the NRA Annual Meeting:
The convention is attended by a good number of families, and the exhibit areas are designed to be safe for children — the guns on display are disabled, no live ammunition is exhibited (canine sweeps will check daily for gunpowder), and attendees carrying weapons are barred from unholstering them. Manufacturers will be showing off their latest models, but firearms will not be on sale on-site as they would be at a gun show.
Gunpowder sniffing dogs in a room full of gun nuts? Those dogs are going to be acting like a hippy in a field of ganga. I’m going to bet they mean explosive sniffing dogs, and someone drew some conclusions. But I’m going to guess that the dogs aren’t present to root out live ammunition. My understanding is the primary safety precaution for guns on the floor is that their firing pins have been removed.
Maybe the dogs are there as liberal plants trying to sniff out, what do they call us, racists teabagger, gunnuts.
This story is just too funny.
David – You forgot ‘cannibal’.
I don’t know about gun powder sniffing dogs…but the dog in this photo is way cool.
http://fieldandstream.blogs.com/.a/6a00d83451b54869e20105368ec28c970b-400wi
I love the idea of a police dog trained to find gunpowder, with a cop for a handler. “Sparky! Leave my belt alone and find the the gunpowder!”
Only guns exempt from the firing pin are those that it would harm or don’t have them, as per the rule listed. those firearms and antiques will be locked up.
Although, our local range is safe for kids, and we have lots of real live ammo there.
So concealed carry is fine at the convention center then?
Very well then.
So. Gunpowder-sniffing dogs in a convention where a non-trivial number of people will be legally carrying loaded firearms.
[Guiness commercial voice]Brilliant![/Guiness commercial voice]
@Jay G. – The NRA Annual Meeting site says “Lawfully carried firearms are permitted in the Convention Center, in the Exhibit Hall and in the CONSOL Energy Center. Heinz Field prohibits the possession of firearms. When carrying your firearm, remember to follow all federal, state and local laws.”
Open carry on foot (not in a vehicle) is lawful in all of Pennsylvania, exluding Philadelphia, without a LTCF. In Philadelphia a LTCF is require to carry open or concealed.
More information here. http://www.paopencarry.org
I would printout a copy of their brochure and keep it with you. http://paopencarry.org/pdfs/Pennsylvania_Gun_Rights.pdf
Convention center is municipally owned and run, they cannot by law bar firearms.
(Cant figure out how Hinze field gets away with it, being they were funded by the city)
Thank you, Ed.
Is there anything going on at Heinz Field? I would prefer not to have to secure firearms in a vehicle in a downtown parking garage.
@Ed – NRAAM.org has been slow to update their page; that which you quote is new.
@Bryan S. – that was my position, then I saw the update page as @Ed points out.
@Link P – nothing we care about :)
I am fairly certain that they don’t train police dogs to sniff out gunpowder. I have been sniffed by police dogs of multiple occasions, wearing clothes recently used at the range and with empty brass in my bag, and never had any problems.
It would not make sense. Police train with gunpowder. The dog would go nuts each time it entered the police HQ.
Also, there are far more people legally shooting than illegally and that there would be so many false positives, unlike sniffing for cocaine.
I am sure the dogs are really sniffing for drugs.
I liked their being nonchalant about citizens going armed at the convention (must keep weapons holstered.) We are winning.
Given the Left’s track record, an explosives sniffing dog might be a good idea.