Gun Shows worth it?

[MICHAEL T]

Used to be in my area women and kids free . The LAST one I went with parking and admission for 5 of us was near 100 not counting the gas for 100 mile round trip . To look at a bunch of over priced guns . I no longer waste time of money on gun shows

 

[Reloadron]

Surprising how much I see people mentioning the cost of parking plus admission. One large show up my way is the shows held at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea< Ohio which is actually a Cleveland, Ohio show. Great show, generally several fairgrounds buildings and about a 1,000 table show. Parking is free and admission is about $7.00. This show runs several times a year up this way. Great show with a very good promoter. This is typical for most shows up this way, admission about $7.00 and parking is free.

Ron

 

[cfullgraf]

I think "good" gun shows are a regional thing and a personal preference thing.

Our local shows are not like the shows I've been to in decades past in bigger markets but I go for the entertainment value and to see what things cost. I chalk up the entry fee as an entertainment expense.

Also, in my area, there are a couple powder and primer vendors at the gun shows that have made getting through the panic tolerable. Other components are available, but generally, not in the quantities, brand, style, or caliber that I am looking for.

Gun stores in my area tend to target segments of the shooting sports that I have no interest in. Except for a few transfers, I have not been in a local gun store in more than a decade. The local gun shows regardless of how weak some folks feel they are fill gun store need for me.

 

[bearcreek]

I go to shows if I am looking for some decent deals on mil surplus gear. Other than that I haven't seen all that good of deals in recent years. Used gun prices are generally pretty ridiculous. Buying new is very close to the same and often cheaper than used, especially when it comes to semi auto handguns and evil black rifles. I think internet sales of ammo and components as well as classifieds sites like Armslist have really cut down on the attraction of shows. Now, if there was a show in the area that had quality black rifle components, American made web gear, and quality optics then I'd be more interested. The ones on this area mostly just have Chinese garbage in those categories.

 

[jcwit]

I've been going to gun shows for 50+ years, I enjoy them, I get to rub elbows with many folks that have the same interests as I do. I see many friends and usually make a new one here and there. As far as getting good deals, you'll never find any unless you go, and of course it all depends what you're looking for.

If you're only going for .22 rimfire, forget it.

As far as prices not being like they were years ago, have you checked the price of gas lately?

 

[Ironicaintit]

I go maybe once or twice a year. I usually bring something to barter with, or just to sell.
You see some very "interesting" people sometimes, too!
Ive been pretty lucky, and usually see something im after.
The best part I think, is stumbling across a couple of older gents that really know their stuff, have a real love for the hobby, are good guys and willing to BS.

 

[Relicmoto]

My gun show success stories always happen after the show is over. Make friends with people there, keep in touch from time to time. Be open to talk trading.

I talked to a fella who is local said he'd show me how to put the pieces together once I start collecting ar15 components.

Also, I got a good deal on a over under 20ga/.22lr from a guy I met at a gun show. He got it on trade and didn't have a use for it. But he called me up and I offered him 75 cause my dad wanted one.

So gun shows are an opportunity to network with people you would not have any exposure to or only see 2x a year at the gun show.

 

[DaisyCutter]

About 16-17 years ago a vendor at a gun show table tried to sell me a WW2 German bayonet with "authentic Jewish blood on it". I haven't been to a gun show since. Frankly, I'm afraid of being a victim of Cletus' AD.

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

I live in central Texas and the gun shows here make me sick. I will say this, There's always someone there slangin some awesome beef jerky, usually cheaper than store prices, so I always go to stock up on that. But I'll say this, some of the stuff that dribbles out of peoples mouths sometimes is horrendous. I find myself biting my tongue when I hear some of it. And there's a lot of old curmudgeonery. Ive never bought a gun at a show. I have bought accessories, and the rare ammo. (lately you'd think the ammo was loaded with gold bullets). The worst though is the prices. And these dudes wont budge. I've offered fair priced on a lot of things, like 50 dollars under retail for something used, and its like i have 76 hears. Like I offended the seller or something. The other thing is the use of those horrid gun books. Its hilarious. When they stop you and ask if your selling your gun, then whip out a 10 year old price book and tell you your overpriced, It makes me go nuts. Esspecially when they dont have ANYTHING on their table listed anywhere near where their book says.

 

[VanGoghComplex]

I go to gun shows to stock up on primers and powder, only because my local retail outlets are very poorly stocked and hazmat fees -suck.-

The prices I find on these items are nothing special, but the availability and selection are.

 

[double bogey]

Here in the metroplex there are gun shows all the time. The larger ones that have a lot of dealers can be good places to buy a gun. Used guns seem to have high prices, but you should be able to get a good price on new guns. Lots of custom knives, some jerky, always a target dealer, sometimes memorabilia. Smaller shows, not as good for gun deals. I have bought new guns several times in the last couple of years at shows. Handguns seem to dominate the market at most shows.

 

[Ignition Override]

It might require a couple of shows, in order to handle an FAL, Galil, or handguns etc from the (former) Soviet Empire/Warsaw Pact which are seldom seen in Our city's retail stores. A friend found a near-mint East German Makarov less than a year ago at the Southaven MS show (the seller had forgotten that it's EG).

Possibly a nifty Enfield #5 "Jungle Carbine" or 1950s' Spanish FR8 Mauser carbine, both of which the modern Ruger "scout" rifle seems to resemble.
The very popular Czech VZ-58 sporting rifle (milled, bho feature) appeared months ago at the Germantown show.

Considering what the Memphis NBA Grizzlies charge for a seat approx. fifteen rows above the floor, four of our gun shows in one year are an outstanding value. A show is partly a social event.

We can even combine the Germantown show with a walk or jog on long paved or wooded trails beginning only 300 yards away (Shelby Farms), to help burn off part of the delicious, juicy gun show cheeseburger or Mt. Dew in the sweaty green can. Pretty good value.

 

[Deus Machina]

I've gotten a few good deals.
If you're looking for something known by other people, know what it's worth. I got a couple fair prices, but mostly pre-election.
I've found the better deals are in things that no one else is all that interested in. Less-collectible rifles, uncommon handguns, boxes of parts, and odd ammo that small dealers can't move any other way.
I'm fond of finding things in parts or covered in dust, waiting for someone with a few tools and rags to get them working again.

 

[TruthTellers]

I've been to five gun shows the past year and a half and they progressively became less and less interesting. At first, it was great to find .22 LR for any price, now that the panic and shortages are mostly over, I can get it online or more locally.

With the popularity of internet shopping, gun shows are becoming a relic of the past. They use to be THE place to get great deals on anything, but now the prices are not better than what you can find locally or online.

I had been going to them to find things that were tough to find around town, but even after a 1-2 hour drive, they didn't have much of anything I was looking for. CCI Velocitors? Aguila SSS? Nowhere to be found. WWB JHP ammo? Nope, if you wanted JHP, you got Federal Hydra Shok and Hornady Zmax.

Other ammunition was just FMJ American Eagle, WWB, PPU, occasional Blazer, and when there was .22, it was usually a few boxes of CCI mini mags and Remington subsonic. The only bricks available were Armscor for $75, which I bought because at that time the .22 shortage had no end in sight.

Magazines? Some okay deals here and there, but you can wait for Midway to have a sale and coupons for $10 off a $100 order.

There were a lot of guns, mostly handguns. I think that is one of the benefits of gun shows is it lets people handle a selection of handguns they've been interested in, but wanted to grip and feel to determine if it was a good fit for them. Not much when it came to used guns and if it was a hard to find gun that you were looking for, you weren't gonna find it. Last year I looked all over for Kel Tec Sub 2k's, none at any shows. Earlier this year I was looking for NAA cap and ball revolvers, none anywhere.

It's just part and parcel of the modern day retail apocalypse. While a gun show may not be a retail store, it's a place you go to in person so it's the same thing in my book. You cannot go to any store in person and find what you're looking for and if by some miracle you do, it's cheaper online. It's come to the point now where I don't even bother going to a store to find something I want because they flat out never have it. Case and point: Went to my lgs earlier this week for .45 Colt cowboy loads, they had 3 boxes of jacketed ammo and I didn't even bother to look at the price. Went home, got online, ordered the ammo I wanted probably for less than was being sold at the lgs and got free shipping.

So, I would say if you go to a gun show looking to score a deal or find something that's kind of rare, don't bother. If you want to go with some shooting buddies and look things over and socialize with people, it's pretty good place to do that, but it's nothing you can't already get on a forum like this.

I'm pretty much done with gun shows. The internet killed them.

 

[BSA1]

Gun shows are a lot like shopping for any other item. It you find what you want for a good price then it is a good show. If you find a rare item or screaming good deal then it is a GREAT Show!

For me it is a Gun Accessories and Reloading Supply Show. My always buy gun show item is cast lead bullets as it saves me money by avoiding shipping costs. The more bulk bullets I buy the more money I save.

Now that that the Great Banic of 2103 has settled down gun powder is at the top of the list.

I always have a list of misc. items I need or want. Some are small items where the shipping charge is 5 times the cost of the part. Other things are products that I want to see and handled in person before deciding if it is what I want.

As for guns I am usually just window shopping.

 

[Sav .250]

"Are they worth it?" You don`t have to buy anything but you do get to see a lot.

Great place to spend some time . Plus, you might find something you`ve been looking for.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

They are fun to go to, and it's always fun looking at guns. Once in awhile you come across some oddities that are interesting. There are usually some neat pieces of history available to fondle as well.

The down side is occasionally you run into some real weirdoes too. I can't help but roll my eyes when I see some 20 some year old walking around in all cammo, who you can definitely tell by their behavior that they are NOT military. I actually had what I assume to be a neo Nazi approach me the last time I attended a gun show also. That was disturbing to me.

I have bought one firearm at a gun show, but crazy good deals are pretty hard to find. I usually have better luck at my local gun shops.

It's funny too, because as you wander through the gun show crowd, and notice certain people, you will often see them latter in the day at the gun shops.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I did come across a old and very deaf vendor that had these custom built guns on his table. They are truly unique and beautiful to my eye, especially the revolver on the lower left. I wish I had gotten a better picture of the rifle. It was chambered for 38 Special.

If any of these guns had been for sale, I would have been really poor afterwards with a big smile on my face.

 

[PJSprog]

I've been going to gun shows since the mid-'80s. Here in the St. Louis area, they used to be awesome. There was the St. Louis Regional Gun and Knife Show at the old Cervantes Convention Center in downtown that was just an amazingly large assemblage of guns and gun-loving people. Then, someone decided that they didn't want people walking around the city with guns, so they stopped having them there. The promoter moved them to a smaller convention center across the river in Collinsville, IL, and they slowly declined in attendance to the point that many popular vendors stopped coming. Another promoter has since taken over and started getting the good vendors back. That particular show still isn't very popular, and is only held there about twice a year. However, they have another at the BelleClair Fairgrounds in Belleville, IL that is much better. They have that one about every six weeks or so. There are also several other smaller ones around the StL area throughout the year. There's one at the St. Charles (MO) Convention Center this weekend.

I did stop going for a few years back in the '90s. However, these days, I try to go as often as possible. I like them. I like the camaraderie with other gun nuts like myself. I like the incredible variety of guns and related stuff that I just don't see in most small shops. I like supporting the local firearms industry. I like the people watching, too. Unlike others' comments, though, I do see a lot of women at these shows. In fact, my own wife was aggravated that we missed the last Belleville show in August.

Whether or not they're "worth it" to you, though, will depend on the show and your expectations.

 

[stonecutter2]

I've never attended a gun show even though I've been actively shooting for 20 years. I'm mainly interested in ammo, primers, powder, bullets.

In general, are they worth it?

I see there's one Sept 12-13 in Allentown, PA. Is it worth going to? Any good deals?

Good deals are entirely show/vendor dependent. You could come across the guy who needs to unload some stuff before packing up for his next show, or the person who's content to haul the same stuff all across the state/country and try to make top dollar on it all.

If you're looking for deals, the internet has about any gun show beat. If you're looking to physically handle something and get it NOW, hit a show, maybe spend a little more, and get it...if you're happy with it.

 

[rskent]

Lord Teapot

not in the tampa area. mile long lines. inflated prices. gestapo at the door. what a joke.

We must be talking about “Suncoast Gun Shows”. I like a good joke now and then. About once a year.
It has been a while since I bought anything at a gun show but here is always something cool to look at.
There is a lot of worse ways to spend an afternoon.

 

[Deanimator]

That's like asking if you should eat at restaurants. It depends.

I've been to fabulous gun shows, like the Ohio Gun Collectors Association show and wretched gun shows, like the one I went to in Fremont, Ohio.

I went to the Berea, Ohio show last Saturday. I picked up a couple of McCormick magazines for my Citadel 3.5 CS.

Some are full of great bargains on guns, ammunition, parts, accessories and books.

Some are fully of surly gougers, selling overpriced junk.

Some are mostly people selling jerky and kitschy paintings of Indian maidens and wolves.

You'll just have to ask around and take your chances.

 

[GBExpat]

I've never attended a gun show even though I've been actively shooting for 20 years. I'm mainly interested in ammo, primers, powder, bullets.

In general, are they worth it?

I see there's one Sept 12-13 in Allentown, PA. Is it worth going to? Any good deals?

I went to gun shows for a couple of decades and enjoyed them very much. I gave up on them about 15 years ago because of the changes that I saw.

If you have never attended one, I think that you should do this at least once. Dial down your expectations and enjoy yourself. If you happen to find a deal <shrug>, so much the better.

 

[silicosys4]

Gun shows went abruptly south where I'm at in Washington, since the passing of I-594.
The most recent show I went to was probably going to be the last, if I don't hear about things improving.
Building was half empty when former shows used to always be packed, half the tables as normal
No used guns at all. 0. Used guns have been at least half the tables in past shows.
Lots of cheap chinese knives now. Mostly cheap chinese NCstar gear and knives.
No traffic, nobody with used guns over their shoulder looking for trades or sales.

Just a few tables with overpriced new guns I can get for better prices online even including shipping and transfers. Nothing even exotic, just the same old plastic stocked hunting rifles I can get for cheaper across town at Walmart, and polymer handguns.

I don't think there was a single S&W revolver there, even new.
.

 

[marksg]

They defiantly aren't what they used to be. I mainly go if I'm looking for or want to handle a specific firearm before I decide weather or not to buy it.
The last show I went to I took my grandson and he had fun looking and handling some of the guns. He even got complemented on his gun handling by some of the venders. (finger off the trigger, not letting the barrel cover anyone, ect)
Prices were a little high. But you can haggle some and get them down to what you would pay if you bought online. That's how I wound up with a Ruger ar556. Paid the same as I could get it from Buds, without waiting for it to ship.