Thousands flock to NRA personal protection expo in Fort Worth amid gun reform debate

Lillian Benz, 8, picked up the fake blue gun inside of a holster, felt the weight of it in her hand and set it back down.

She and her two younger brothers — sporting free backpacks they picked up promoting “Eddie Eagle,” the National Rifle Association’s gun safety program for children — were checking out a selection of holsters with their parents in the grand exhibit hall of the NRA’s Personal Protection Expo. There were small blue molds of guns inside the holsters, and the kids didn’t hesitate to pick them up. They’ve been taught the difference between fake guns and real ones.

The Benz family had come all the way from Malvern, Arkansas, for this three-day gun safety extravaganza in Fort Worth. And the parents wanted their kids to learn a thing or two.

“This is for a shield — inside your waistband, isn’t it?” Todd Benz said to his children, referencing the holsters.

Todd, a gun owner and NRA member, said he keeps his guns in a safe but will let his daughter shoot a .22 Long Rifle on their 60-acre wooded property with his supervision.

He understood Saturday that there are Americans calling for a change to existing gun laws, in the wake of several mass shooting incidents across the country, and specifically in Texas. But he believes people should own guns more than ever, and teach their kids about them.

“People who are against guns don’t know anything about guns. That’s crazy to me,” he said. “If you look at all the politicians and stuff who talk about guns, they don’t know anything about them.”

The long-planned expo, which was estimated to draw more than 15,000 people to the Fort Worth Convention Center, comes as there are increasing efforts across the country and in Texas to pass new gun legislation.

This past week, 63 Democratic state lawmakers called for an emergency special session on gun violence, with proposals including closing background check loopholes, banning sales of high-capacity magazines and limiting the open carry of semi-automatic rifles. The impetus for this renewed push, they said, was the mass shootings in El Paso, Midland and Odessa that combined left 29 people dead.

But, inside the NRA expo Saturday, the feeling among attendees and organizers was that these acts of violence only mean people need to invest more in personal protection.

“That’s the reason we’re all here,” said Amy Hunter, an NRA spokeswoman. “People feel like they want to protect themselves. They know that they want to defend their homes, defend themselves. They are nervous about their rights.”

“They’re watching a 2020 field of candidates that is increasingly hostile to firearms. There’s gun confiscation schemes — they’re masquerading as buy-backs. It is a tense climate right now.”

The expo, which continues Sunday in the convention center, features massive displays of unloaded and not-for-sale firearms in the exhibit hall. There were also other items on display for protection, such as stun guns that emitted loud buzzes and knives.

There were also handbags in which women can easily conceal a gun, and various holsters for guns of all sizes. On Friday evening, there was even a concealed-carry fashion show, with runway models showing off the hottest looks in concealed carry.

There were displays, too, of the AR-15, the semi-automatic rifle used in many past mass shootings.

“The AR-15 is really the best. It’s the most common rifle in America, it’s the most popular rifle in America,” Hunter said. “People love it for home defense. It’s a very accurate rifle that people enjoy shooting.”

In addition to the exhibit hall, which featured dozens of vendors and NRA representatives, there were seminars and workshops in rooms throughout the convention center. The topics included everything from how to properly concealed carry, to firing in low light situations, to responding to an active shooter event as a civilian.

Thomas Guillory, of Arlington, was looking at 9mm guns in the exhibit hall Saturday.

A partner with the Dallas-based company Golden Guns, which does nickel plating of firearms, he just wanted to check out a few firearms.

“It feels great,” he said, holding one of the guns, cocking it. “This is very well-made.”

This story was originally published September 7, 2019 at 5:20 PM.