Gun Show

[Darrell]

There's a big gun show in town this weekend, I thought it might be a good way to spend a Saturday morning. I went in with low expectations, I thought perhaps I'd pick up some ammo if I found it at a good price, and see if there were any gun deals that spun my propeller. I needn't have worried--what a bunch of overpriced crap. No good ammo deals, and everyday guns were mostly way overpriced. The only gun that really appealed to me was a 1900 Oberndorf Swedish Mauser, they were asking $425 for it. There was quite a bit of beef jerky for sale. Meh. The attitudes of the sellers was typical, everything from jocular, laid back, and friendly to disinterested, surly or downright desperate. The closest I came to buying anything was a framed pic (my choice) of John Wayne in his various roles, for $22 from a little old lady. Ah well, $5 to walk around for an hour and a half, got a little exercise out of it at any rate.

[Battleriflefan]

What do you expect? The Antis has ruined gun shows making ot like they are some kind of evil activity. I used to love going to gun shows, but apparantly there has been a level of harassment, and many people with the cheaper and more interesting things have decided to pass. The first gun sow I quit going to here in the DFW was the ones at the Dallas Convention Center. You had to pay for parking, and still your car was in danger from vandalism or robbery, and the Dallas Fire Marshal wouldn't allow the sale of ammunition.

[Aegis]

There was a gun show in my town today too. I had about the same luck as you, though I did manage to snag what was apparently the last Garand combi-tool in the show about 2 and a half hours in. But yeah, 5 bucks to wander around guns for 3 hours. I can think of worse ways to spend a day. Oddly enough, I did not see a single piece bag of beef jerky anywhere in that show. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.

There were a couple tables there that had the audacity to have their cute little 5-year-old girls hawking ammo. "Are you looking for any bullets? Only two dollars a box... (whereupon the puppydog eyes began.)" Pure evil, I tell you... I only was able to get away without buying any because I was being dragged off by a friend to a different table. Damn tricky hucksters...

On a side note, rumor has it the Obama campaign has been sending people into gun shows in my area to confront people with various political "facts" and whatnot. We didn't run into any, and it seems highly unlikely that an official campaign would actually tell volunteers to confront people who probably don't agree with you inside a gun show, but who knows, it might be true. Anyone know otherwise?

[Darrell]

The NRA and McCain campaign had quite a presence at the show today, I didn't see any Obamazoids, though.

[Joe ex PNG]

I've been to a few in this area- Meh to all of them. As was mentioned- selection was low and prices were high. In fact, I tend to see much better prices and more variety at the local gun shops.

[Timo]

I usually hit the Tanner show in Denver , it's a good way to kill a couple of hours and this last one I picked up a bayonet and chamber brush-multi toll for the Garand , and as always there are some serious racks walking about. Yeah to gun show babes.

[Darrell]

There were quite a few Auto Ordnance 1911s for sale, going for around $500. What's the skinny on them? Any good? Better than Rock Islands?

[Combat Controller]

Spotty quality. I had a a rock solid one, series 70 from the early 80's. Ran like a scalded cat. Lots of reports of problems with them though.

[Rich Jordan]

I don't have big luck at the shows anymore, but I do have small luck. No Krags, but I did see that $300 Winchester 1897 that I passed on, picked up 500 .45ACP cases that cleaned up nice for $12, two boxes of Fiocchi .32ACP XTP holoowpoints for $12 each, and five boxes of Black Hills 52gr match blue box for $18/box.

Nobody had cases of ammo, and nobody had any large quantities at a good price; SA .308 was $85/140 or .223 for $160/300. But I always wander around and look at the folks that have a few boxes to move and often get a good deal (and occasionally get ripped on obvious reloads, but that is rare).

Of course this was the little show in the union banquet hall; the big show is very mixed, and who knows what it will be like this year (especially since it only happens once before the election, so it will be a madhouse).

[Darrell]

There were quite a few Krags at the local show. I only looked at one, and wouldn't know a good one from a bad one. It was going for $400+, IIRC.