[gburner]

Time once again for the gunshow at the Showplace in Richmond, VA. I attended yesterday with a good friend of mine.
Prices for weapons in general still seem to be a bit high but have not increased since the last show. This particular trip was taken up with the search for bargains in ammo and various accesories. There were a few to be found. Ammo was very inexpensive...
7.62X39 was the best bargain that we found. I paid 10 bucks for 120 rounds. Had I bought in larger bulk, I could have done even better. I also found a preban 15 round mag for my CZ for 25 dollars.
The highlight of the day, though, was the sale on Yugo SKS's, cosmo'd in the box with all the goodies for $119.00.
These weapons were all matching, in very good to excellent condition and were in large supply...at least 30 units on the table. Incredible.
I was very happy to see that most of the retail space was taken up with weapons, ammo, accessories and shooting supplies and the beef jerky, Nazi memoribilia, t-shirt/bumper sticker concessions were kept to a bare minimum. One sour note...the price for admission went from 6 to 7 dollars from the last show, but that was a minor annoyance and not worth really beefing over. All in all a B+
effort and a great way to spend a Saturday with and old friend.:cool:

[C.R.Sam]

I used to gripe about the admission price for many gunshows.

Then it hit me.....costs that much for a lousy movie where you are trapped tween the guy with too much aftershave and the gal with toxic powder.

I quit griping bout the cost of gunshows.

Sam

[Parker Dean]

Went to a gun show here in Corpus yesterday. In the past this particular show had been the bigest and most attended. I didn't even know it was coming until yesterday afternoon when I just happened to look at a billboard.

So I got there about 4:30, show closes at 6. I get inside and it was quiet. Maybe 200 people in a space the size of an average Wal-Mart. Previous visits years ago had been unpleasant due to the crush of people. There were about 40 or so vendors of which about half were primarily firearms. Just a few years ago there had been so many vendors the place was totally filled. This year they took only about 70 percent of the available space.

Lots of hunting type rifles. Not so many "black" rifle types as in the past.

Just about every firearms vendors had handguns but almost all tended towards the uber-tactical type or cheap off-brands. I was looking for Colts in particular and there were maybe 25 1911 types (of which none were actual Colts), three Colt revolvers ( a New Service for a $1000, an Anaconda that was kinda rough looking for $795 , and a Python showing some muzzle wear for $850). There were a couple of Smith 625's in attendance but only one blued N-frame did I see.

All in all I'd give it a D in comparison to previous years. I don't even think it would rate against, say, Houstons show a couple of months back. I probably won't attend one of the local shows anytime soon.

[gburner]

As usual, thanks for the perspective Sam.:)

[Majic]

But the raised admission price allowed you to come back on Sunday for free if you kept your handstamp.
On the revolver scene there were several S&W model 27's and 28's, a really nice model 25-2 in presentation case with all the tools, a nice nickel model 10, a few old HEs, and a nice little breaktop.
Colt wasn't represented as well but there was a nice New Service, a nickel .38sp Diamondback (that I had to tear myself away from), and a very nice OMM in .22lr.
The semi-autos were everywhere and people were elbow to elbow looking at all the new Rugers and Taurus. Handgun grips tables have increased and there were some very nice examples, even custom makers were present.
Prices seemed about nominal for what they have been lately with a few bargains if you were looking. One dealer I talked to was down in the dumps as he said someone had just helped themselves to a $1200 machine pistol he had on display. When I entered and checked my revolver the Henrico police were talking about looking out for people searching for magazines not commonly purchased, so I guess the eyes were out and about.
All in all I think it was a pretty good show.

P.S. If you ventured over in the SE corner you could admire the table selling camo bikinis modeled by a nicely tanned and bikini filling young lady. :D

[BluesBear]

a really nice model 25-2 in presentation case with all the tools :banghead:
Probably affordable too?

[Majic]

BluesBear, I think it was $600. Looked real nice, full bluing, perfect target grips. It was a 6 inch model and I have been looking for a 3 or 4 incher 625, but I thought about it myself.

[RobW]

All you folks, just attend a Las Vegas, Nevada Gun Show (Claude Hall's) and spend just the little amount of $ 12.00 admittance, $ 3.00 for parking, $ 4.50 for a Hot Dog, $ 2.50 for a pop or $ 3.50 for a Budwiser.

See the wonderful offerings 25 to 50 % OVER the local gun stores, or a very affordable, totally rusted (out- and inside) Remington WW II 1911 for just $ 699.00

It's better than any Hollywood comedy made in the last 10 years!

(Wear diapers, you can't hold it!)

[kernal_panic]

the last gunshow here really did suck. the only ammo deal to be found was the back door one i made for a case of 8mm turk. $50 for 1400 rounds. plus me busting my ??? after the show loading up. there were a few good deals on surplus hand guns ak prices were too high mag prices were outragous and ammo prices sucked. its sad when you can go to walmart and buy stuff cheaper. i tried to not laugh when this one lady said she wanted $169 for a 75 round norinco drum. unfortunatly my will power didn't hold.

[Cacique500]

I had a table at this show (custom 1911 grips) and it was better than some past shows but still a little slow. I managed to get around Sunday afternoon and was looking at a table of Colt Gov't models. Funny how every gun there was a 'collectors item' with a price tag of $1300-$1500. :scrutiny:


Agreed on the SKS's for cheap prices - It took every ounce of will power not to get one (but I *will* get one at the December show!!) Can't go wrong for $120-$125 buck with a case of 1000 7.62x39 going for about $80

I just hope they keep the t-shirt/quilts/general flea market crap to a minimum for the next show...I got stuck between a guy selling Nazi memorabilia and a Quilt maker, so location was not prime.

Cya'll at the Showplace on December 6 & 7

[Captain Scarlet]

I dont worry about admission price because you can usually get a good
deal on something in the show easily and that makes up for the cost of
admission, you already save money when you buy a case of ammo by not
having to pay shipping...or leave a paper trail.

[auschip]

All you folks, just attend a Las Vegas, Nevada Gun Show (Claude Hall's) and spend just the little amount of $ 12.00 admittance, $ 3.00 for parking, $ 4.50 for a Hot Dog, $ 2.50 for a pop or $ 3.50 for a Budwiser.

See the wonderful offerings 25 to 50 % OVER the local gun stores, or a very affordable, totally rusted (out- and inside) Remington WW II 1911 for just $ 699.00

It's better than any Hollywood comedy made in the last 10 years!


You aren't kidding, I went. Once. With parking and entry, I was out $15 or so. Then I get inside, and see the prices.

How about:
Used Glock 22 2nd gen. No mag. - $450.
HS2000 - $399
Ruger Mini 14 - $450 (not preban)
Sar-1 - $375
Springfield XD9 - $450
Steyr Aug - $16k
Norinco 97 (not the trench & not the good wood) - $350

That show is great if you want to buy a Raven or Jennings, everything else was pretty high priced.

[RobW]

auschip: I'll attend the show this weekend (if I can make it), but just for entertainment!

It's really worth the money especially if you hear some vondors talking to "customers". IT'S PRICELESS!

As I am not impressed with any product of Hollyweird, here you find real life comedy.

[YankeeRebel]

Parker Dean,

It is about the same way here in the Kansas City, MO, area. Until about two years ago we had a show every month that began on Fri and closed on Sun. Wall to wall people every day. The place where the show was held was bought by a school that did not want horrible guns in their building. We went for six months without a show. Now we have two companies vieing for the gun show business. The turn out is about a quarter of what it was before and the shows are only on Sat & Sun. I can not blame it all on having two promoters, but largely on the poor economy. I hear the vendors say that they get lookers, but no buyers.