A big crowd turned out over the weekend at the Mankato Gun and Knife Show in the city's National Guard Armory. Thousands paid $5 each to get inside.
Organizers and attendees attributed the large attendance to fear that state or federal lawmakers may enact restrictions on sales of guns and ammunition, said a story in the Mankato Free Press.
Although it's uncertain what kind of legislation will arise in the current round of national gun control debate following the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in December, the uncertainty is fueling attendance at gun shows around the country, the paper said.
Bruce Francis of Owatonna told the paper he worries that any new restrictions will lead to more drastic measures:
"I think it’s just a stepping stone," he said.
To what?
"To taking our guns away," he said.
Gun dealer Steve Shane of Fairmont said he's OK with broadening background checks on gun buyers to include gun shows but doesn’t think it would cut down on crime.
“History has proven that criminals aren’t going through background checks anyway,” he said.