Platoons of would-be Rambos are shopping for exotic weaponry and fighting fashions, taking tutorials on world terrorism and swapping war stories at the 10th annual Soldiers of Fortune convention.
At the start of the three-day gathering Friday, conventioneers decked out in berets, flak jackets and camouflage pants sat around the pool of the Sahara Hotel amid bikini-clad sunbathers. Others rubbed shoulders with civilian gamblers at the bars and slot machines.An estimated 10,000 delegates could choose from seminars on such hot spots as Central America and Afghanistan, manufacturers' displays and a shooting competition at a des-ert range.
As usual, the big hit was the annual display of weapons and apparel designed especially for those spoiling for a fight.
"It features a lot of things your mother probably didn't want you to play with when you were growing up," said Bill Brooks, exhibition director at the convention, which is put on by Soldier of Fortune magazine of Boulder, Colo.
The show, he said, is keyed to the interests of the "professional adventurer."
Elsewhere in the country, people are campaigning to rid the civilian populace of semiautomatic weapons. But in the hotel's main exhibition hall, conventiongoers trooped to booths featuring the latest in rapid-fire armament.
Street Sweeper Sales of Atlanta touted a line of automatic weapons with a banner picturing an ominous looking weapon.
"The Street Sweeper - Delivers 12 rounds in less than 3 Seconds," the sign said. "Buy American - It matters."
Salesman Sherman Yarborough said the featured firearm is used mainly for police work and by Florida law agencies against drug smugglers and dealers.
Some Street Sweepers are used for "self-protection," Yarborough said, adding it's "like any gun. Each person has a different use for them."
Yarborough said his company sells only to licensed gun dealers.
Several booths, including one set up by the National Rifle Association, urged attendees to fight efforts at gun control.
Posters, T-shirts and bumper stickers carried a similar theme.
One poster pictured a man with a cache of guns and a message: "Make all the laws you want - you ain't taking mine!"
Nearby was a stack of bumper stickers reading "WAR - Mankind's oldest contact sport."
Camouflage was the uniform of the day. Several booths offered "camo" clothing including pants, jackets, hats - even bikini swimsuits and women's lingerie.
T-shirt slogans ran along the lines of "Kill a Commie for Mommy," and "I don't dial 911" next to a picture of a gun.
One booth bristled with dozens of official-looking laminated ID cards, including Police, Press, Swat Team, Security and Ordained Minister. A sign read "America is at Peace because the CIA is at War."
Among the hundreds of books offered were a manual on the care and operation of the AK-47 assault rifle and a volume entitled, "Armed and Female: 12 million American women own guns. Should you?"
Some exhibitors were reluctant to talk to reporters. A salesman for Miami-based Intratec referred questions to his home office when asked about the company's .22-caliber Scorpion automatic pistol.
Airpower Sabot Cannons of Boulder City, Nev., demonstrated an air-powered gun that's fired while resting on a person's shoulder. Potential ammunition included steel or lead balls, steel projectiles, bean bags, paint balls and water balloons.
"Kill it, capture it, mark it, rescue it, scare it, intimidate it, suppress it, sink it," read the brochure.