Shopping for Gun Scopes

If you've never been to Cabela's, it's a retail theme park for outdoor adventures--all things fishing and

hunting. The place creeps me out. After unsuccessfully trying to find a suitable gun scope online for my 22 video installation exhibition coming up in August, I realized I had to bite the bullet literally and visit the store. 

The first thing I noticed was that the huge plate glass windows were boarded up. That initially struck me as strange, since the rioting was primarily located in Dallas and not north. 

Cabela's pre-riots

The 2nd thing I noticed was that none of the employees and very few of the customers were wearing masks. The majority of the employees were white males. And there was a VERY long line--at least 50 people--all white males waiting to buy guns. 

The 3rd and creepiest part of the store is the weird taxidermy animal dioramas set up around the store. Near the ceiling are heads of lots of animals--the trophy hunter displays. The faux-science dioramas send a message not of conservation, but "hey-- these are all the animals you can kill after you buy your gun and fashion camo attire." What a weird marketing strategy. They even had a large fish tank with native Texas fish. 

Gotta love the designer carry
and conceal handbags

Thankfully since I was looking at scopes, I didn't have to wait in the huge long line. And the salesman did not blink or look at me strange in my pink polka dotted cat mask when I asked him to help me with a scope for an art exhibition. He was very professional and helpful, but did not have anything in my price range. 

Imagine looting a gun store. It would be pay dirt for those who wish to build up their arsenals cheaply. In other states unlicensed guns on the streets might pose a problem, but Texas gun laws make it easy to own guns. 

Q: How long is the waiting period to buy a Handgun / Shotgun / Rifle in Texas?
A: There is no waiting period for purchasing a firearm in the state of Texas.

Q: I just moved to Texas, do I have to register my firearms?
A: No, there is no state registration of firearms.

Q: What is required to purchase a firearm in the state of Texas?
A: You will need a valid state-issued ID.

Q: Can I carry a firearm on my person?
A: Yes, with proper licensing 

Q: Can I carry a firearm in my vehicle?
A: Yes. You can carry handguns, loaded and within reach, so long as you conceal the firearm. Long guns (rifles / shotguns) do not have to be concealed and may be loaded and within reach.

Q: Are machine guns / suppressors / short-barreled firearms, etc. legal in the state of Texas?
A: Yes.

Q: Are “assault weapons” banned in Texas?
A: No. Texas abides by Federal law which at this time has no restrictions on so-called “assault weapons” such as semi-auto AR15, FAL, G3 / HK91 rifles.