Hundreds of people from around the region came together for a union of breakfast and firearms at Potlatch on Sunday.
The Potlatch Knights of Columbus organized their 29th fundraiser sausage feed in the Potlatch Elementary cafeteria, the same day as the 25th annual Potlatch Gun Show was held in the elementary gym.
Parking spots were sparse and the line nearly went out the door as people waited to get a plate of sausage, pancakes and eggs. Knights of Columbus member Kenny King said he enjoyed seeing the cafeteria fill up with hungry folks.
"Just the way we like it," he said.
Volunteers from around the community helped cook and serve the breakfast. Some of the money raised went to the food bank and scholarships for Potlatch students, he said. Last year, they raised $1,500 for scholarships.
Once finished with their meal, most people made their way to the gym to peruse the tables of guns, ammunition and fishing gear covering tables from end to end. Event organizer John Milbert said the gun show started simply because of his love for firearms. He said the number of attendees has grown significantly in the last 10-to-15 years, with people coming from as far as Canada.
"You see people here you only see once a year," he said.
The crowd saw a diverse collection of both antique and modern guns, ranging from pistols to assault rifles.
Bill Rupp sat behind his table displaying
a 1911 Winchester rifle, a 1970 Ruger rifle and a
black assault rifle, among others. Rupp, who lives in Tri-Cities, Wash., but has a house in Potlatch, said this is the fifth year he's been showing off his guns at the show.
"This is probably the nicest little show," he said. "The people are just down to earth."
Rupp doesn't describe himself as a collector, and only sells guns of his when he loses interest in them or if he has duplicates.
Spokane Valley resident Steve Gregory, on the other hand, has been a serious collector and trader for the last 20 years. He said it started as a hobby because he had too much stuff. His passion grew from there, he said.
"It got to be a really fun hobby," he said.
Gregory said he's retired with a good income, so the bottom line is not as important as the fun of collecting, selling and bargaining.
"I don't have to make money," he said. "All I have to do is not lose money."
This is the third year Gregory has been to the Potlatch Gun Show. His table featured an array of ammunition, a few rifles, gun powder and hunting knives.
He said smaller gun shows like Potlatch's tend to sell more supplies and parts for hunters and fishers who use their equipment often. At larger guns shows like the ones in Spokane, the higher-end modern weapons are big sellers, he said.
But hunting and fishing gear were not the only items available. Jewelry, artwork and furniture were also on display.
Potlatch resident Bob Marr showed off hand-crafted, wood-carved pens he finished and assembled himself. The pens featured designs celebrating shooting sports. He also displayed decorative wooden plates he made himself with just a scroll saw.
This is the second time he's been to the gun show. With unique items, this is an optimal way for growing the customer base.
"The markets are limited, and this draws people in from a wide area," he said.
And a draw it was. The breakfast began at 7 a.m. and the guns show at 8 a.m., but it wasn't till around lunchtime when the crowds started to thin out.
Mike Gallina, president of the Potlatch Knights of Columbus, summed up the hectic, but successful morning.
"We've been busy all day," he said.
Anthony Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4630, or by email to akuipers@dnews.com.
