Big crowds at Green Bay gun show

CREATED Jan. 27, 2013

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GREEN BAY -People looking to beat new gun regulations are stocking up.

It was a packed house at a gun show in Green Bay on Sunday.

A sight that's become a common one around the country as lawmakers talk tougher gun legislation, after the Connecticut school shooting. The gun show, run by the Nicolet Rifle Club, happens every year. But this year, it's different, with gun control a hot button topic in Washington, this gun show is seeing bigger crowds.

Hundreds at this gun show. Some buying, some selling and some just looking.

But for many gun enthusiasts, like Ross Goldbeck, the mood feels a little different.

"I think there is a fear that certain things are going to become unavailable," Goldbeck said.

Jeff Nass is a gun advocate with Wisconsin Force. He says that fear, is driving up gun and ammunition sales in Wisconsin, and across the country.

"They are selling more guns and ammunition than they ever had. The FBI statistics on background checks are phenomal, " Nass said.

In fact, according to the FBI database, there were 2, 783, 765 background checks in December, the month of the Sandy Hook shooting. That's about 600,000 more than the average for 2012 and 1.3 million more than the same time the year before.

A rush to buy, sparked by the recent proposals to change gun laws.

"The question is does government have the obligation to protect those children? I believe we do. I believe we do," Feinstein said.

But, people at this Green Bay gun show, not happy about tougher gun laws.

"I don't think that a legal gun owner should have to pay the price for someone else's mistakes," Goldbeck said.

A debate underway in Washington D.C, reaching people in northeast Wisconsin.

Last week a bill to ban assault weapons and high capacity ammunition clips was put on the table. No major gun control legislation has made it through congress in two decades in the face of opposition from the NRA.