It’s big. I don’t know if it’s the “15 Acres” of guns and gear that the NRA advertised, but it’s big. One can easily spend every moment it was open both days wandering the aisles and tire kicking the products and still not see everything available.

That “tire kicking” is both figurative and literal. In addition to Kubota, Yamaha was exhibiting. Both had what I still call All Terrain Vehicles, but which the manufacturers no doubt have come up with more modern names.

I’ll be completely honest here and say that I have no actual use for this vehicle. My lot is no where near large enough to justify this, plus I have someone who mows my lawn and clears the leaves for me. Even if it had a plow attachment, my driveway is not nearly long enough to need it.

I don’t hunt that much, and if I did, I’d still need to figure out how to get this to wherever I was going.

I believe it’s street legal, so could register it and drive it. Just no on the Interstate or any limited access road.

I suppose if I took up golf, it would make a great golf cart. If they’d let me use it.

Despite all of that, I’d still buy one if I could afford it. Or one of the other competing brands depending on price and features.

Wandering on, I found this. I’ll probably pack this on trips, but not on carry on. As I joked when I bought it, “You never know when a meal might break out and you want to be prepared.

Yes, it’s a K-Bar Tactical Spork. That snaps together to give you the Spork poart, and then can be snapped apart if you need to cut your food. I just couldn’t resist.

Mrs. EMS Artifact always appreciates gifts when I travel. She likes jewerly, so I try to find something she’ll like and wear. I was surprised the first time I bought her a revolver pendant that she liked it an actually wore it. Just not at school when she was teaching, because they frowned on that.

So far, she has the revolver, a 1911 with a turquoise grips, and a 5.56 round pendant. All a miniature and non functioning, but she wears them.

So, when I happened to find this bracelet I bought it. Made from spent cases with the heads removed and soldered to a base, it’s the type of thing she’ll wear and laugh when her liberal friends ask how it was made.

As long as I keep bringng her nice stuff, she’ll never complain about my taking trips without her.

On to actual firearms related items.

If you carry a revolver or do any sort of frequent shooting, you know that charging the cylinder can be a chore. Or a pain, if you prefer.

There are speed loaders and speed strips to make the job easier, but both have their drawbacks.

QuickLoad has come along to try to make the process faster.

They currently have a five round speed loader that will work with Smith & Wesson J frame revolvers along with guns from Charter Arms and other companies.

My picture didn’t come out that well, so here is a screen shot from their website. This is the five round speed loader with cover and is called the “Roundloader” . Simply place the rounds into the cylinder and push. Each round seats in it’s cylinder and pops from from the holder.

I bought one of these and will give it a try on a future range trip.

They also make a sort of hybrid of a speed loader and speed strip. Called the “Striploader” it comes in five and six round versions.

This too comes with an (optional) “Quickcase” that is also available separately.

I plan to buy a set of this and will also buy the six round speed loader when it becomes available. These seem like handy little items for anyone who carries a revolver for self defense.

The last item for today’s post is an AR 15 front sight post I picked up. This is a night sight front post from Night Fision. This is a white dot sight with, in my case, a yellow ring around the dot. This will go on my only AR15 to attempt to improve my open sight shooting skills.

The sight comes with instructions (of course) and a sight adjusting tool. Again, a range trip will be in order after installation.

Tough work, but someone has to do it, I guess.

Tomorrow’s post will include more stuff I bought, some I didn’t, and random thoughts.

Kelly over at Ambulance Driver Files, points out that suppressors seem to be the flavor the year on the exhibit hall. In addition to that Pistol Caliber Carbines are hot right now. I like the concept and will talk about that tomorrow.