Deep River Sporting Clays & Shooting School of Sanford will host the 26• annual Southern Side by Side Championship and Exhibition, the world’s largest vintage double-barrel gun display and shooting competition, on April 24-27. Organizers expect some 2,500 visitors, 600 shooters, and 80 vendors. Admission is free for spectators, and food trucks are available. ”You’ll see everything under the sun,” says Deep River President Ed Strickland, who worked 15 years for founder Bill Kempffer before he bought the business in 2020. “It is a celebration of shotguns and shotgunning that goes back hundreds of years. It’s kind of taken root around our community.” Among other things, Strickland has seen a gun owned by Napoleon, a marvel crafted by hand and by candlelight, and the Parker shotgun Teddy Roosevelt gave his son Kermit at the show. Some vintage firearms are worth $5,000 to $500,iO00. After the initial event flopped because of rain, no-show vendors, and vendors who received payment, Strickland said, Kempffer gave it one more chance – and it’s grown ever since, expanding from three to four days to accommodate crowds. Strickland holds a Fall Classic in October in Georgetown, S.C., that attracts some 100 shooters. At the Spring Classic, some shooters bring all their guns to shoot in all 18 events on the 65-ac:re tract while others might participate in a handful. A large section called the Dove Field hosts a contest between Parker and L.C. Smith shooters for a Challenge Cup. Categories include various gauge championships, muzzle-loader and black-power competitions. The main event is for the Kempffer Cup, named for the founder two years ago. The longstanding Ripon Cup, named for a famous British game shot Lord Ripon has since been retired. The friendly competition for trophies is mostly a chance to renew friendships and enjoy camaraderie, Strickland says. Shooters come from the United Kingdom and across the United. States. More and more women and younger people are enjoying the sport. A 25,000-square-foot space is devoted to vendors, including tents for gunmakers, engravers, clothiers, artists, leathercraft, and more, with the focus on shotguns. Gunmaker Atkin Grant & Lang of London has co-sponsored the event from the beginning.