Reaction to Reed Exhibitions' decision Tuesday to ban assault rifles and high-capacity ammunition magazines from the upcoming Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg has been swift.
Trop Gun Shop in Elizabethtown announced Wednesday that it is pulling out of the show scheduled for Feb. 2-10 at the State Farm Show Complex.
Hundreds of people expressed disappointment with Reed's decision on the show's Facebook page.
And a special Facebook page has been created for the purpose of boycotting the show, which Reed organizes.
"They are willing to throw some gun owners under the bus to be politically correct, so hopefully all gunowners boycott this show," Robert Sanders posted on the page.
On Tuesday, Reed posted a notice on the Facebook page for the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, stating that the company had decided to prohibit the sale and display of "certain products that in the current climate may attract negative attention" at the upcoming show.
Representatives from Kinsey's Outdoors in Mount Joy and The Sportsman Shop in New Holland, which are both affected by the ban, said they were told by Reed officials they could not bring to the show for sale or display any AR-style rifles or ammunition magazines capable of holding more than 30 rounds.
The Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show is billed by Reed as "the largest outdoor, hunting and fishing event" in North America.
Located less than 30 minutes from Harrisburg, at 709 Cloverleaf Road, Elizabethtown, Trop has had a booth at the show for many years.
This year, the store was invited to be a featured exhibitor in a new "tactical guns and accessories" section planned for the show.
Reed announced the new section in a press release in November.
A check of the show's floor plan on its website this week showed no mention of that section.
On Trop's Facebook page, store representatives on Wednesday posted the following message about their decision to leave the show this year:
"Trop Gun Shop will not be attending the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show.
"We feel as if their demands for us not to display modern sporting rifles, high capacity magazines, or even a logo of a manufacturer of said products is irreconcilable with our support of the Second Amendment.
"We had planned to significantly expand our presence at the show this year and are disappointed that we will not see our Trop friends at the show.
"We feel strongly about this decision as a matter of principle."
Store officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Trop's posting had drawn nearly 900 "likes" and 161 comments — most of which expressed support for the store.
"Good for you guys," wrote Joe Ferrara. "I will always buy my firearms at Trop's."
Ed Several, spokesman for Reed Exhibitions, said one other vendor had withdrawn from the show as of Wednesday evening.
"Only two dropped out, and they are two that exclusively have products that could be a distraction from the show," he said.
According to Several, Reed is worried that, because the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show is open to the public, "anyone could buy a ticket and come in and create a distraction."
Several never specifically mentioned AR guns or accessories as being capable of drawing such people.
He would only use the term "certain products."
"And we're not talking about banning them forever," he said. "We're talking about this year, when they could be a distraction. We will certainly revisit this next year."
Reed's Facebook announcement about the gun ban had drawn nearly 400 comments by 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Nearly all condemned the move.
"I will not [be] going this year because of their stance on the Second Amendment and regulation of firearms," Brian Cronk wrote on the page.
A Facebook page titled "Boycott the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show" was created early Wednesday morning.
By 3 p.m., it had drawn 240 "likes" and 11 comments — all of which denounced Reed's ban.
"Cowards," wrote Robert Kerecz. "No 'assault weapons?' Really? I will never support you or your show going forward."
