Seminars

One thing that NRA Conventions have is seminars. This year, topics included sausage making, guns of World War II, concealed carry, identity theft, and others.

The NRA gets experts in a given field to discuss their topics. Yosemite Sam and I attended a workshop on handloading. I reload pistol and shotgun ammo, but I've long refused to reload rifle rounds.

I freely admit that I don't have the patience to do it. However, Yosemite Sam is thinking about getting started.

The presenters did an excellent job explaining all the how-tos. Even more interesting was a panel of industry representatives who shared their expertise in a Q&A session.

Most memorable answer came from Chris Hodgdon of Hodgdon Powder Company when asked how to tell if powder has deteriorated. First, if it has a strong ether smell, it's bad. Second, sprinkle a little on white paper and look for rust colored particles or dust. Finally, if it's warm to the touch, "throw it out yesterday."

He also added that 4th of July is real interesting at his house. I wonder why.