Text & Photos by Jeff W. Zimba
Each KCR experience has something special and memorable but this one seemed to have more than most than in the recent past. To begin, the weather was great. The mornings were “just right” and the afternoons were warm and dry and comfortable to everyone. That is about the best we can hope for in Northern Kentucky in the middle of October.
The sound of helicopters, explosions and machine gun fire filled the air the entire weekend. Add to that a few tracked vehicles on “functioning display” from the Patton museum, a few heavy artillery pieces firing rounds into unsuspecting automobiles downrange and an occasional flamethrower or two and you may be getting a mental picture of the Fall Knob Creek Shoot & Show.
Shopping in the pole barn is always an interesting and exciting experience and it was obvious it would be a good show from the beginning. Most magazines were very inexpensive compared to the usual “local” prices. There were boxes of 20-round German, aluminum, dated G3 magazines for $1 each and up. To a guy who remembers paying over $40 each for those back in the late 1980’s it is hard not to get excited to see deals like that. There was also a big box of factory, Ruger 20-round magazines for sale at $29.95 each and there were all kinds available. This may very well be “the good old days” we are living in right now.
The dealer area has greatly expanded again and there are new pole barns on the right side of the drive. The “dealer circle” now continues almost all the way to the far end of the main pole building. There were dealers there this year that have been waiting for years to get in and the list is finally getting shorter. This is great news for all of us.
Looking around the pole barn there were some great new projects on display. Valerie Johnson of Valkyrie Arms had a few prototypes of her new multi-barrel Gatling-style gun. They will be manufactured in .223 and .308 and she is currently taking deposits on the few that will be manufactured. Contact her directly for information on this project. Valkyrie Arms, 120 State Ave. N.E., #381, Olympia, WA 98501. Phone: (360) 482-4036. Website: www.valkyriearms.com.
A little further down the main aisle was Eric Graetz at Lakeside Machine. Eric had several of his new items on display. The one that receives the most attention seems to be his LM7 Upper Receiver. For those not familiar with the LM7, it is a drop-on, belt-fed upper receiver for an AR-15 or M16 in .22 Long Rifle. He has several accessories available and several units almost ready to ship. Lakeside also had their new custom wood M16 furniture on display as well as their innovative .22 Long Rifle Cloth Belt Loading Tool. Keep your eyes on future issues of Small Arms Review for full features an all Lakeside Machine’s new projects. For information on their new items you can contact them directly at: Lakeside Machine, N5391 County Road S., Pound, WI 54161. Phone: (920) 897-4682 or visit them on line at: www.lakesideguns.com.
Once again Vector Arms had a few new offerings to show off. Their latest project is the addition of .357 SIG, 10mm and .40 S&W versions of the MP5, MP5K, and PDW. They are available in pistol form, carbine form and as NFA Short Barreled Rifles. You can see photos and get specifications on this new lineup at their website. Vector Arms, 270 West 500 North, North Salt Lake, Utah 84054. Phone: (801)295-1917. Website: www.vectorarms.com
One of the new participants to this show was Alex Robinson of Robinson Armament. Alex had his XCR Modular Weapons System on display and was kind enough to give me a complete “once over” on the project. For those of you who are not familiar with this new rifle system, it is an op-rod assisted, 5.56mm semiautomatic (and NFA select fire) rifle with a folding stock, quick-change barrel and adjustable gas system. Keep your eyes on a future edition of Small Arms Review for a detailed evaluation. Robinson Armament, PO Box16776, Salt Lake City, UT 84116. Phone: (801) 355-0401. Website: www.robarm.com.
Someone who brought lots of noise and flash to the main line this year was James DeGroat from ArmamentSales.com. These are the “minigun guys” and they go through a ton of ammo over the course of the weekend. I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for several 1,000+ round bursts and it is really something to see, feel and hear. They also have a new “flash enhancer” they have been working on and I had the opportunity to see that operate as well. Lots of fire and a real crowd pleaser. You can contact them directly at ArmamentSales.com, P.O. Box 1358, Grants, NM 87020. Phone: (505) 285-4342 or visit them on line at: www.armamentsales.com.
There are usually a few familiar faces at each Knob Creek Shoot and Show and this was no exception. Among the notables were “The Gunny” R. Lee Ermey and his crew from Mail Call on the History Channel. They were there for two days filming a segment for an upcoming edition of Mail Call and enjoying the sights and sounds. R. Lee Ermey may be best known in our industry as the gruff Drill Instructor in the movie Full Metal Jacket though he has been in several other movies as well. When not “working,” the Gunny could usually be found around a long line of his fans taking time to talk with them and signing autographs. Keep an eye on his website to see when the Knob Creek Shoot edition of Mail Call will be aired on The History Channel at www.rleeermey.com.
The dates for the Spring 2006 Knob Creek Shoot and Show are April 7-9, 2006. The Dates for the Fall 2006 Shoot are October 13-15, 2006. You can Contact Knob Creek Range at 690 Ritchey Lane, West Point, KY. 40177. The phone number is (502) 922-4457 and you can get all the detailed information you need on line at: www.machinegunshoot.com
| This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V9N6 (March 2006) |
