This year's Big Sandy Shoot in Arizona, the largest organized gun shoot in the United States, featured giant mortars, 50 caliber machine guns, World War II rifles, and America's top semi-automatic rifles.
It also carried with it some political overtones from 2nd Amendment activists.
These are the men and women who understand gun control and background checks the most, the owners of fully-automatic weapons. They are so tightly regulated and controlled, from legislation passed long before Aurora and Sandy Hook, that in order to acquire these guns, the shooters at Big Sandy had to navigate a complex bureaucratic process.
Slate recently produced a report and video on the event and the political feelings of the participants, and its worth a look, not just for the cool guns, but for understanding the post passionate members of the push against gun reforms.
Make sure you see the full report at Slate
SEE ALSO: 10 Guns That Have Shaped The Course Of American History