Gun show observations

[.308 Norma]

I dropped off the teenage daughter and her girlfriend at the movies yesterday and , between tickets and snacks,THAT cost me 40$.
I would love to be able to drop only 10$ admission at a gun show and get away for a few hours...
Heck, I even like beef jerky.

Yep, if you look at gunshows as a few hours of entertainment, they're pretty good, AND cheap!

 

[Speedo66]

Saw some good values at the show today. One vendor had all his 1lb. powders at $22, primers at $28. A very nice Swiss togglebolt rifle went for $325. Winchester value packs of 555 .22's for $36, Remington packs of 525 for $33. Boxes of 50 steel cased .30 Carbine for $13.

I also saw some prices that I thought were high, but maybe I'm behind the times on these. An Underwood M-1 Carbine for $1400, and another one, can't remember the manufacturer, for $1300. Not a lot of wood and steel rifles, but enough to keep my interest.

Couple of oddball vendors including one selling items knit from llama wool. No idea what that's doing there, but I guess she's selling stuff because she was there the last time I went in Nov. Shockingly enough, I didn't see one jerky vendor!

I bought some ammo and some targets, spent 2 hours there, and overall I'd say it was a worthwhile morning.

 

[FROGO207]

I still go for the entertainment value as well as helping keep them open locally. Always some high prices, however our local gun club has a booth there and I will sit there for a bit to help man it. As was mentioned good place if you are a touchy feely type that wants to handle the actual firearm before you buy it. I have changed my mind a couple times after finding out that slick add touting a firearm was really only shining up a POS that I really did not want after handling it in person. OH and the parts----parts and pieces that the older dealers seem to have there that you can't even find on the net or at Numrich. Over priced food at the concession is OK as I do not require THAT much sustenance for the couple or three hours I spend there that will break the bank account. And who knows I just might find that one part/magazine/firearm that I have been looking for that has eluded me for years. YMMV

 

[slumlord44]

This subject keeps coming up on various sites. I still keep going to as many shows as I can. By most of my collectable guns on GB or gun specific site. A lot of it is social for me. Two other friends and I have been doing this since the '70's. I have a lot of firends and acquaintences among the dealers and customers at all the shows. Usually buy some ammo or something. Sometimes not. If no one goes, they will cease to exist.

 

[CapnMac]

Concur on the "go to keep them going" premise.
I used to go to a lot of shows for the militaria--the legit stuff, not the repro stuff.

The internet has basically erased the militaria show entire. You want to find a WWI style pack extender for the 191 pack, go online. Shop for best price/condition you are comfortable with,; win the bid/pay the price; 4- days later on doorstep or in mailbox.

Which is not the same as hanging about with knowledgeable dealers and trading tales, or waling the aisles with reenactors in full or part impression.
To some extent the GI gun parts guys seem to have dried up more than a little, too--but, I've not seen them reopen on internet as much.

That model is changed. Used to be, you went to a place where many similar things were assembled so that you buy (or shop) them. Now, you find the item, where ever it is in the world, and have it sent to you. Easy-peasy.

The shows have some value, if not the value they once did. Also, despite the rise of internet sourced firearms, as a show, there are FFL right there. Which often means being able to leave the show with what you desire. No going to a recieving FFL and setting up a transfer, no ordering online and waiting on shipping. So, there's still a place for gun shows. (Besides where else would those people sell their fudge and jerky? )

 

[HB]

A lot of the "knowledge" at gunshows is old guys telling you a 9mm will bounce off your assailant but a 45 will knock him down. I quit going after a few years into gun ownership. Overpriced junk, nazi garbage, all sold by FFL's that aren't in it for business but rather to be a "gun dealer".

If you want expertise and camaraderie, I find it at the range or matches. If I want good prices I go online or a store.

HB

 

[.308 Norma]

A lot of the "knowledge" at gunshows is old guys telling you a 9mm will bounce off your assailant but a 45 will knock him down.

Ha! Kinda sounds like some of the same "knowledge" you can read in a lot of gun magazines, or read for free on some internet gun forums. Not THR by the way - at least not that I've noticed.

 

[Old Dog]

A lot of the "knowledge" at gunshows is old guys telling you a 9mm will bounce off your assailant but a 45 will knock him down. I quit going after a few years into gun ownership. Overpriced junk, nazi garbage, all sold by FFL's that aren't in it for business but rather to be a "gun dealer".

If you want expertise and camaraderie, I find it at the range or matches. If I want good prices I go online or a store.

HB

Yeah, well, but at the shows, you can interact with gun enthusiasts from all walks of life. Pretty much the only place left in our society you can do this. And this'll be the ONLY way to keep our movement going. Enough of preaching to the choir on internet forums or only when we're surrounded by people we already know at our local club.

I go often just for the chance to talk to the wide variety of people who attend our local shows.

But for those of you who are slaves to your I-Phone or Android and do all your shopping and communication on-line, I get it. Some of us are just dinosaurs and actually enjoy dealing with other humans face to face.

Starting to fear for our future. (Actually, I started to fear for our future when my daughter started communicating with me by texting me ... from another room in the house).

 

[Nanook]

I use gun shows to buy loading components. It saves the insane Hazmat charges for powder and primers. And it saves the stink eye from the mail delivery guy or UPS guy delivering thousands of lead bullets.

The shows in IL are usually $5 or $6 to get in, with free parking. I haven't bought a gun from a show in years, probably over 20 years due to IL waiting periods. You have to wait 72 hours to buy a handgun, and the shows are 2 days. You could do long guns, since they're a 24 hour wait.
I've done better with Gunbroker delivered to the LGS, and the LGS itself on guns anyway.

 

[forward observer]

Well, I'm heading out tomorrow for the big Wanenmacher Arms show in Tulsa, At eleven acres of exhibits on two levels under one roof, it is touted as the largest gun show in the world. I've never been, but have promised myself to go for years now. It's only about 4.5 hours by interstate from where I live.

http://www.tulsaarmsshow.com/

With over 4200 tables, they say that if one spent the entire 18 hours that the show is open over the weekend, they could only spend an average
of 15.4 seconds at each table. They don't allow any flea market garbage either. Just firearms--used, new, and antique plus firearms related products and collectibles including militaria and such. I'm not sure I'll have the stamina do both days, but will give it a good shot, but then I also have to head home Sunday. They say to bring comfortable walking shoes and keep a note pad to write down table locations if you want to come back or you may never locate them again.

I'm not looking for anything in particular--just thought it would be a fun weekend to go plus visit a town I've never been to before. There are a couple of guys from the Colt forum who will have tables there that I plan to meet, but who know what will come along that I can't live without.

I've just about quit attending the local shows we have around my area. The promoters don't put a limit on flea market stuff, so there too much including people selling vinyl siding or health supplements. The firearms portion always seems to be either beat up pawn shop junk or new stuff marked up enough over MSRP that the dealer can come down a bit and act like he's giving you a deal when he isn't.

I'm kind of stoked for the big show though..

 

[kozak6]

Gun shows are for entertainment value only. Probably not even worth it to try to take the day off from work.

If you are looking for something specific, you will never ever find it.

It's still fun, though. Cheaper than a movie. If a big vendor is there, sales tax might be less than shipping or shipping+transfer.

 

[Old Dog]

Gun shows are for entertainment value only. Probably not even worth it to try to take the day off from work.
If you are looking for something specific, you will never ever find it.

Either my standards are lower than some of yours, or our gunshows up here are vastly better than many of yours.

I consistently find specific items I'm seeking, from older S&W revolvers to used pistols to Kramer holsters (at a discount, we have a great vendor) to gun parts to competitively-priced bulk ammo to good deals on flashlights, pistol mags, mil-surp items to jerky (just kidding, I don't buy the jerky).

But as I've noted before, the best part is hanging out for a few hours with several hundred or more like-minded folks and just talking guns, politics, dogs, trucks, sports or life in general. Internet's great, but but do like putting faces to people I talk with ...

Guess I just like to spend more time away from my cell phone and the internet, and more time personally interacting face-to-face with other humans than some.

 

[80Goat]

As others have said - it is a good place to pick up primers and powders. Also, not a bad way to spend a couple of hours in the winter.

 

[RovinOn]

Gun shows are good for rainy Saturdays. Its always something to do and if you look hard enough you can always find what I call "The deal of the day"
Found some real good deals in the past at shows!

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
Went to a gunshow in Lebanon, Pa yesterday for a couple of hours with my son. $5 a piece to get in...not too bad.
$9 for a hot dog and a soda for each of us...not great but not terrible. The hot dogs were actually pretty good(as hot dogs go).
Two hours looking at guns,etc with my son...priceless.

Didn't buy anything, although I did think long and hard about a couple of things. Saw a .44Mag Virginian Dragoon(blued) for $419. A couple of Blackhawks in .30Carbine for in the $425-450 range and a Cimarron SAA clone in .44Special for $549.
Couple of S&W M19s and 27s for around $600-650.

Almost went over to the ATM a couple of times but good sense got the better of me(I still have an Old Model SAA-clone in .44Spl on order from Cimarron and didn't want to spend too much).

Lots of used reloading dies on sale...most were pretty badly treated and the ones that weren't were priced only a few dollars under normal retail.
Passed on that stuff. Lots of old ammo on sale...some of it looked pretty sketchy. Prices on .22LR were about average local retail. One guy there selling powder...prices were more than the local shop just down the road a mile(large selection, though). Problem for him is that Shyda's about a mile away has better prices and a larger selection.


Went to a couple of local gun shops afterwards...checked on my aforementioned Cimarron .44Spl at the shop I ordered it from(no word yet) and my son checked on the cost to have a local gunsmith Cerakate one of his ARs.

After that, my son and I went out for a late lunch/early dinner.

All in all, a very enjoyable day. Not too costly and we spent some quality time together.

 

[mag1911]

Went to the Tulsa show last weekend. About an average crowd; meaning so packed in there you could hardly move.

One dealer who has set up next to us for many years was having a going out of business sale. Seems he loaded up on black rifle stuff pre election and now can't get rid of it for the price he paid. I was seeing sub $400 ARs all over the place.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I plan to go to a gun show this weekend. Doubt I'll buy anything but you never know. It's just kind of a fun thing to do more than anything. Now that I'm venturing into reloading I suspect I may be on the hunt for dies and other equipment more than guns.

Now that I think about it, I bought my first firearm from that same annual gunshow years ago. It was a DPMS Panther Bull Special with a 24" barrel. Got a decent price on it. Traded it away several years later.

 

[22-rimfire]

The thing that has changed with shows is that the dealers are all looking at national used gun prices via the internet versus regional or local pricing. As a dealer, I suppose that's a good thing, but as an individual, I now am very suspicious of pricing at shows where that didn't used to be the case. Some dealers always charged high prices, but that wasn't necessarily the norm.

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

It really depends on what you're looking for. Several of my nicest S&W revolvers came from gun shows. My long time carry companion (NAA Black Widow) was bought at a gun show from a local dealer, at $25 off his regular price. When there was no .22lr ammo on the local shelves, I knew I would find some at the gun show. Overpriced, but available. I also like being able to inspect and hold guns I might be considering. I have added several to my "someday" list after handling them at gun shows and have also crossed a few off the same list after handling them at gun shows.

 

[forward observer]

Went to the Tulsa show last weekend. About an average crowd; meaning so packed in there you could hardly move.

One dealer who has set up next to us for many years was having a going out of business sale. Seems he loaded up on black rifle stuff pre election and now can't get rid of it for the price he paid. I was seeing sub $400 ARs all over the place.

I also went to the Tulsa show and being my first time, I thought it to be fantastic. It was probably the best and most complete firearms and firearms collectible shows I've been to in maybe 30 years.

I'm firmly convinced that if one could not find what they were looking for at this show, it probably doesn't exist, or it does exist and is priced at more than one can afford. I found the latter case to be my problem at this particular show.

I went with no special goal, but did have in the back of my mind to see if I could find a nice vintage Winchester 1892 saddle ring carbine in 44-40 or 38-40. That or a Colt SAA in either of the same calibers. I gave up on the Colt pretty quickly. Due to demand and almost non-existent supply, SAA's--especially those in special order calibers were priced way over my budget. Not as bad as Python's but close.

However, I found tons of nice 1892 rifles and some of the dealers were were in the mood to negotiate.

Eventually, i had looked at so many Winchester lever guns that I went into sensory overload. I had never seen so many model 1866's,73's, 76's, 86's, 92's, 95's and especially 94's in one location.

To put this in perspective, in the last ten years of going to local shows ranging from 150 to 250 tables, I have seen maybe 2 or 3 vintage Winchester model 1866's for sale and only one original 1860 Henry. At this show I saw at least 30 or more Henry's and probably triple that in Winchester 1866's. How many period 17th century flintlock blunderbusses have you ever seen at a local gun show? Probably none. Hell, I saw 30 on one table---and antique guns do not make up the majority of the items in this show. At 4200 tables, this show is 20 times the size of most other local shows.

Also impressive were the display exhibitions put on by the big auction houses such as Rock Island, James Julia, and Dan Morphy to mention the top 3. They had museum quality exhibits of some of the high condition-high dollar stuff that they have coming up at auction. I think it was Rock Island that in one case had the most high condition martially inspected Colt SAA's from the Indian wars period that I've ever seen in one place. There were 6 or 7 of them, most in a condition that looked like they had just left the factory with the most notable one having a Little Big Horn provenance.

I totally wore myself out the first day and had not made a purchase other than some cheap zippered pistol rugs at 3 for $15. However, I went back on Sunday for about 5 more hours and found two treasures just before leaving.

One was nothing more than a replacement decorated cardboard sleeve for a 1976 Winchester Bicentennial commemorative model 94. However, I never expected ever even find such a thing.

The second item was the model 1892, I was looking for. It was manufactured in 1913 in 38-40 cal and appears to be unmolested with the exception of an aftermarket front sight blade (an easy fix with a new authentic blade from one of several suppliers) The bore is bright and shiny with lots of rifling left. The gun would easily rate close to 70% finish over all with a tight but smooth action. Since the seller was close to packing up, he was willing to come down a bit, but his original price was well below what i figured it should be looking at my Winchester pocket Blue book which is from 2015.

Right after we struck a deal, I headed for the exit. Before I could get out a guy wearing a dealer button on his shirt stopped me to ask if my rifle was for sale. Just as I said no, he offered me a price that would have been a $200 profit on the spot Him being a dealer let me know that I had done OK with the purchase, so I was tickled pink.

I will definitely go back to the next show this year in November.

P.S. Since all I was really looking at were vintage Winchesters, I have no idea on how the general pricing was trending on new stuff.

Here's a picture of the sleeve and the carbine

 

[mag1911]

Looks like you scored on the rifle. I didn't see him this time but a gentleman out of Perry, Oklahoma used to have probably fifty really nice Winchesters of all eras on 3-4 tables.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Before moving to Kansass 18 year ago we lived just south of Tulsa and belonged to Red Castle Gun Club. Working the club booth at the show got you free admission as did attending the annual FNRA fund raiser dinner. The Wannamacher gun show is a pretty impressive event and definitely requires the two days to explore/attend.

 

[ilbob]

I have not gone to a gun show in a long time. I lost interest when the dealers stopped selling ammo and components at reasonable prices.

I do miss the beef jerky though.

 

[hdwhit]

ironhand54 wrote:
Shows are where you go to find the unusual and the unpopular as well as the other things big box stores won't carry.

That's understood. That's the only reason I bother to go to a gun show.

I don't mind tables devoted to outdoors - but not firearms - merchandise as you have to have a complete kit to go out into the field where you're going to shoot. In fact, I'd actually like to find someone with a table selling well-thought-out range bags because I'm outgrowing the one I have now.

And I understand the sellers that charge 20% more in Dallas than they do in, say, Texarkana, since they are doing what anyone does in a free market; charge all the market will bear - or at least all they think it will bear.

My "gripe" if you will, is that most of what I am seeing at the gun shows in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Greenville, Texarkana and the like are tables full of the same guns and accessories I can buy at Gander Mountain or Academy being sold by people often asking higher prices than the "big box stores" who won't be there next week if I have a problem.

I own and load for an Iver Johnson Carbine chambered for 5.7mm Johnson, so "unusual or unpopular" is my middle name, but the last time I saw something that - as one of the other posters said - made my wallet twitch was at the Dallas Gun show in 1990 and the last time I came across something that actually made me fork over cash was at a gun show in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1987.

 

[hdwhit]

375suermag wrote:
A couple of Blackhawks in .30Carbine for in the $425-450 range...

Now that's the kind of thing that I don't see at any of the gun shows I go to and which would cause me to open up my wallet if those prices were at all open to negotiation.