2007 SAR / Crossroads Gun Show Review

The largest gun show in Arizona, 3 days long. Looking across the parking lot from the Ice House (stadium) at the fairground buildings where the gun show takes place

To help show the size of this show here are two views of the show with labels. The buildings in the drawing are shown in scale. This is a big event. I used my GPS to help determine how much I walked. It counted two miles and I'm sure it didn't work inside the buildings very well.

TIP - bring a bag that you can carry over your shoulder or a backpack to carry things you might gather along the way

I parked near the Ice House. too bad I couldn't get a parking spot like this when the gun show is inside and not in the other buildings. Parking for gun shows at the AZ fairgrounds is $7

TIP- drive with a friend (or more) to help keep lines short and your costs low. Additional lower price parking is available across the street if you don't mind walking.

Small arms Review Magazine hosts the NFA (full auto, big guns, etc) portion of the show. They offer free copies of their December issue and had many of their other publications for sale at their booth near the main entrance to the SAR building

A few canon of various sizes and a gatling gun just outside the door to the SAR building.

A military HumVee and a Duce and a Half (2.5 ton) truck outside the Small Arms Review building at the 2007 SAR show

Some of the vehicles at the entrance to the SAR building

One of the items outside was a standard M274 combat model 'Army mule' (also delivered to USMC), with a soldiers gear in place. Pack, LAW, M16 and grenades all help make this display look very realistic.

Close ups of the M274 Mule seat , pack and radio

Gemtech, a leader in modern firearm silencer design was at the show with items on display from .22 up to large rifles

More pics of the Gemtech table and some of the items they brought along to the SAR show

EOtech had a booth set up to demonstrate their sights and optical magnifiers

Lone Wolf Distributing was at SAR with their new competition Glock slides, conversion barrels, and other Glock replacement parts, Glock accessories and upgrades

Lone Wolf Distributors custom Glock slides feature front & rear cocking serrations, beveled rails and lowered ejection port, custom laser engraving, compensators and more

Vltor, a local manufacture with a international reputation. VLTOR had some of the coolest stuff at the show, because they are from Tucson and their stuff is being used all over the world and getting the job done. Like this belt fed full auto PKM for military and other qualified contracts

Ted Marshall was at the show with a few custom items, things for sale and some NFA items. Ted is running an AK Operator Level Armorers Course next weekend (December 9, 2007) through LMS Defense, to register Click Here

Firing Line does custom rifle building on your rifle or receiver, and will work on full auto or semi-auto military rifles along with general Gunsmith services, they specialize in AKs. Oh yea, they also make the best US made AK47 receiver hands down, so these guys are the people to talk to if you want a milled AK built to order

Beginning in 1999, Firing Line started manufacturing the Best AK milled US Made receivers in the US.  The MLS99 - US Made AK receivers.  Here are two of their milled krinks

Firing Line is well qualified to handle all your AK needs.  From A to Z. If you see a kit you like at the SAR show, bring it to Firinhg Lines and they will get it built for you, then ship you the complete rifle when it's done.

Krebs Custom, Inc.  Nationally known for building superb M1911 IPSC pistols and custom AK47 rifles. These guys are another top name in the AK industry and they are here at the show to talk to customers and set up custom AK builds. Meet the guy who makes the guns you see in the magazines

Arsenal was at the SAR show with plenty of magazines and other things for sale. Another reason to come to the SAR show if you are into AK47s. Most agree that an Arsenal milled AK is among the highest quality. Meet the guys and place an order

Lewis Machine & Tool Company (LMT) was set up with many of their items on display (and for sale) For the past 25 years, Lewis Machine & Tool Company (LMT) has strategically partnered with various branches of the United States Armed Forces, government agencies and other firearm manufacturers to design, develop and test multiple systems and sub-systems. 

Primary Weapons Systems, originally founded as AK Concepts, Inc., was showing their new gas piston system for the AR15 platform

The Vltor CASV-EL (designed and manufactured for the US Navy) the M-32 Grenade Launcher, and the M14 Modstock.

Some examples of the larger stuff at the SAR show.

The Vltor M-32 Grenade Launcher, (adopted by the United States Marine Corps) Their stuff is top end and in use, it's great to be able to meet and talk to the people building this gear at a show like SAR

Does this one look familiar? Remember the movie RoboCop2 the radio that opens up into a sub gun? That was one of the prototypes of this fold up subgun. You can own one too, for a few dollars

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The Crossroads crew is busy all weekend keeping the show running smoothly for visitors and vendors. They seem to have it under control and are still having fun. This is the 14th year for Crossroads Gunshows in Phoenix so they know the ropes. Information and coupons are available for shows in 2008 at the show office in the main building

The SAR / Crossroads gun show is at the Arizona State Fairgrounds so there is plenty of food. Many of the food areas are up and running with hot dogs, burgers, nachos, burritos, ice cream, sodas and lots more.

It's really not fair, because you have little choice but to get hungry as you walk through the show you'll be smelling the food cooking just outside. While a few vendors are selling things like hot nuts which might not smell so great, you can walk just a few feet and smell another type of food being made, so there's always something new

The big building is really two building that share a wall with two big doors. This building alone is larger than any Tucson gun show I've seen and that means it would be the largest gun show in Arizona if it was the only one used, but it's just the first of six buildings for this show

The yellow building is the Small Arms Review building. At other times of the year, this building houses entire gun shows. for the SAR show it's the Sixth building full to the gills with tables, gear and guns

Between the buildings are two large tents full of tables and more stuff. Watch your step as you pass the guidelines, but check out the vendors here too, lots of good stuff. A few of my friends are usually set up under the tents, so I always browse through to say hello and see what they've got for sale

Between the Crossroads show and the SAR building is the Green Building. It's one of the larger buildings and vendors are overflowing outside and around this building. Don't miss these booths they are some of the more interesting parts and collectibles at the show. I almost always end up buying something outside the Green building

In back behind the tents and next to one of the food areas is the Orange Building. This building is as large as the gunshows in Tucson on it's own so there is a lot to see in this area too.

The Fifth building is one that is usually not used at the smaller shows throughout the year. The fifth building is easy to reach between the green and orange building, and when it's raining you can get to the green building without going outside, there is a covered courtyard connecting the two of them.

Surplus, hunting supplies, tactical gear, CCW holsters, cleaning equipment, clothing, spare parts, bags and more than I can remember from C&T in Tucson. There is literally a little (or a lot) of just about everything here.

Some rare ammo on display. Hard to find ammo, collectable items, bulk ammo for shooting and high quality loads for hunting are all available at a show of this size. TIP: bring a fold up cart or suitcase with wheels to help carry your stuff back to your car

Some more pics to show that not every square inch of the show floor is swarming with people. There is plenty of room for wheelchairs, or walking canes. While it is a busy show, it's spread over three days so while there are definitely crowds, it's not difficult to find what you are looking for while browsing the isles.

Many of the vendors are gun shop owners, but almost as many are private sellers or smaller dealers without established stores between shows. There are also some very big names attending with bulk ammo, and large inventories on hand

There are plenty of things to shop for, not just modern guns. Many collectors and custom builders and craftsmen are at the SAR show with their items

While I'm sure we've all seen better restrooms, the AZ fairgrounds does have clean (and working) restrooms available all over the area, so you are always just a short walk to the facilities

Visiting the show from Tucson? It's easy to drive to and find. Simply get on I-10 and head north to phoenix. Pass the airport and downtown and head into the big tunnel. Once you've exited the tunnel, watch for the signs to the State Fairgrounds and your are there. Just turn or go straight at Mc Dowel and there are places to park on the southeast and northwest areas of the fairgrounds

During 2006, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows attracted over 401,000 customers, more than any other gun show in America. For over thirty years we have been the West's largest and highest quality show in town.

Crossroads of the West Gun Shows
Phone: (801) 544-9125
www.CrossroadsGunshows.com

Small Arms Review is a 120+ page monthly publication that started with the premier issue, Volume 1 Number 1, October, 1997. Our purpose is to provide a forum for all aspects of the class 3 interests, as well as any aspect of the military small arms industry. Our target readership is composed of five basic groups, many of whose interests overlap; NFA Collectors and historians, NFA leisure and Competition shooters, Military Users, Law Enforcement personnel, and industry people. It is the target of the contributing writers to try and satisfy the interests of at least one of these groups in each article, and to overlap interests where possible.

Small Arms Review Magazine
(702) 565-2926
www.smallarmsreview.com