VGCA Newsletter

VIRGINIA GUN COLLECTORS ASSOC., INC. WWW.VGCA.NET Est. 1983 (A Not-for-Profit Organization) NRA Affiliate Number G8162 CMP Affiliate Number 026160 President Bernie Breighner Phone: 703 -200 -0470 [email protected] Show/Reservations Manager Rick Nahas Cell: 571 -215 -8761 [email protected] Membership Bill Chronister Phone: 703-204-0138 [email protected] Website: www.vgca.net Twitter: @VAGunCollectrs Facebook: @VirginiaGunCollectorsAssoc Instagram: @vaguncollectors June 2019 VGCA Newsletter President’s Comments VGCA Members, By now, everyone should have received a ballot (via either regular mail or email) for our VGCA Director elections. The Directors are a critical part of our leadership team and have a strong influence on how our club is run. We have five great candidates. Please remember to vote for no more than three by the June 15 th deadline. We will announce the results at the June meeting. Please read the next section very carefully as our rights may be under attack in the near future. The governor of Virginia has called a special assembly meeting for July 9 th . The legislators will discuss possible gun control measures in the wake of the tragedy in Virginia Beach. This is an unscheduled session that was forced by the governor. This type of quick action and reaction typically leads to really bad laws. I strongly urge all of you to read and stay informed as this session approaches. Your involvement with your elected officials could impact the way guns are regulated in Virginia for a very long time Having just gotten home from Chantilly show, I want to thank our volunteers again who constantly man our table and recruit new members at the show. Special thanks go to Marc Gorelick for keeping it all together. I look forward to seeing everyone at the June 27 th meeting. The topic will be “Saturday Night Specials” presented by Matt G! -- Bernie Breighner , VGCA President 1 May Presentation The NRA Annual Membership Meetings Our originally scheduled speaker for the May VGCA Membership meeting was unable to attend, so Bernie Breighner gave us a brief review of the National Rifle Association Annual Membership Meetings, as well as of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Over 81,000 members of the NRA attended the 148 th Annual Membership Meetings in Indianapolis, IN on April 26- 28, 2019. There were over 800 exhibitors from all aspects of the shooting industry, as well as 23 displays from collector organizations (including the VGCA). The show hall was massive, covering over 650,000 square feet! It really was too much to see in a single day! As mentioned (and described in last month’s newsletter), the VGCA sponsored a display at the meetings. Rob Becker represented the VGCA with his display of “ Signal Guns and Flare Projectors of WWII .” He was assisted by his wife Polly, cousin Jack Becker, and VGCA members Marc Gorelick, Ian Wulf, and Bernie (display at right and below ). This was the VGCA’s 10 th year displaying at the NRA Annual Meetings. Detailed photographs of the VGCA-sponsored display of WWII flare guns ( above and left ). This display included 35 flare guns from 10-gauge up to 37mm and included pieces from five different VGCA members. Bernie described many of the other displays sponsored by other collecting organizations. In addition to their displays, many clubs printed detailed (and very professionally designed) handouts highlighting the items in their 2 displays. Several handouts were so well done that the NRA is considering a separate judging category in the future just for printed material! Bernie also spent time reviewing some of the historical presentations that were made during the weekend. Historian Martin “Marty” K.A. Morgan ( at right ) gave three such presentations (one each day), with the first one titled “ The Guns of Omaha – D-Day plus 75 Years ”. This presentation, attended by many of the VGCA contingent at Indianapolis, was simply superb! A much shorter version was featured in this year’s June issue of the American Rifleman . We are making efforts to try to get Mr. Martin to speak at a future VGCA membership meeting. Bernie provided an detailed overview of many of the other displays hosted by the other NRA-affiliated collector organizations. Noteworthy displays included those sponsored by the Thompson Collectors Association display (below left ) and the Ohio Gun Collectors Association, who were recognized for providing displays at the NRA Annual Membership Meetings for 68 years (below right ). Details on both of these displays were provided in May VGCA Newsletter. The second half of Bernie’s presentation shifted gears and looked at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio (most of the VGCA contingent that went to Indianapolis visited the Air Force Museum on our way home). Located next to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, this museum is a “must-see” for anyone remotely interested in U.S. military aviation! Broken into ten, generally chronological “galleries” spread through four huge hangars, the collection of aircraft, ballistic missiles, weapons, and support equipment is truly impressive! The WWII Gallery featured US classics such as the P40 “Warhawk” ( left ) made famous by the “Flying Tigers” in China and even adversary aircraft such as the ground-breaking Messerschmitt Me262 jet ( below ). 3 Perhaps the most famous U.S. bomber of WWII was the B-17 called “Memphis Belle” ( above ). The crew of the “Memphis Belle” was the first to complete 25 combat missions over Europe, thus earning a rotation back to the United States. Over 12,000 B-17s were built with the majority of them being the last variant G-Models. This E-Model is one of the few in remaining and was preserved when it was withdrawn from combat to participate in War Bond drives. The Cold War Gallery is dominated by the massive B-36 (right ). Equipped with six pusher props behind the wings and four jet engines near the wing tips, the “aluminum overcast” was designed during WWII to provide intercontinental range in case Britain fell and the U.S. was forced to bomb Germany from east coast bases. To the right of the bomber is an F-89 “Scorpion” jet interceptor. One of the sleekest planes ever fielded by the USAF was the B-58 “Hustler” (left). This 1960s bomber was designed to deliver nuclear bombs at Mach 2, but was expensive to maintain and quickly outmoded by advanced Soviet Surface-to- Air missiles. 4 The ubiquitous Boeing B-52 “Stratofortress” bomber has defended the U.S. for over five decades. Designed as an intercontinental nuclear bomber during the Cold War, this “tall tail” model ( above ) was used as a conventional bomber during the Vietnam War. This photo of the South East Asia Gallery gives you an idea about how massive these museum hangars truly are! No Cold War exhibit would be complete without an A-10 ( right ). Officially called the “Thunderbolt II,” the A-10 is universally known as the “Warthog” and was built as a tank-killer. The A-10 was designed around its large (as big as a VW Bug) 30mm cannon firing depleted uranium rounds. The cannon technology was advanced enough that the Warthog is still a viable platform after 40+ years and, significantly, was never exported or provided via Foreign Military Sales. Nestled in one of the hangars is a 1970s-era Soviet MiG-23 “Flogger” ( left ). This high-speed interceptor featured variable geometry “swing” wings and was one of the first Soviet fighters to have a radar that could look down and distinguish targets from ground clutter. It is a little known fact that in the 1970s and ‘80s the USAF operated a squadron of MiGs (known as the “Red Eagles”) from a secret base in the Nevada desert to provide familiarity training to U.S. pilots. This MiG was part of that program. This is just a small sample of the aircraft in the you will find at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Admission is free, though there is a charge for the Air Force Museum Theatre and flight simulators. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 7 days a week (closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years). If you are ever in the area and have a few hours available (all of us spent more time here than we originally allotted), visit the Air Force Museum. You will not regret it! 5 May Business: President Bernie Breighner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. sharp. Mr. Jim Burgess led the membership in reciting the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of silence for those deployed in harm’s way and those who have made the supreme sacrifice for our freedom. There were 52 VGCA members and guests in attendance and the guests were introduced to the membership by their sponsors/hosts. Shannon Zeigler provided a treasurers report: • He just deposited several checks in the VGCA account and apologized for the delay • The VGCA is in good shape financially. The biggest expense since the March Gun Show was reimbursing Rob Becker for his display expenses at the NRA Annual Membership Meetings Bernie updated the membership on rules (some new and some long-standing) that will be enforced at our future gun shows: • Venders have noted that there are several people without badges “checking out their wares” during Friday set-up. Unless you have a table (display or sales) or have volunteered to assist with set-up or security, you will not be allowed into the building on Friday • There is no parking on the grass inside the security fence around the show building • Following the negligent discharge of an air rifle at the March show, ALL air rifles and black powder guns, in addition to regular firearms, will be zip-tied Rick Nahas provided an update on the November Gun Show (it was good to see Rick in attendance following his surgery just three weeks before): • There are 25 tables still available • The November show will remain at the Prince William County Fairgrounds.

Load more