Tall Tales from a Gunshow

[kframe357]

Was at a gun auction yesterday, run by a gun shop... The owner of the shop was auctioning off 126 used guns, some went for well below value. However, the dealer/auctioneer repeatedly lied (or didn't know crap about the guns, either way, bad business).
At one point he auctioned a used SAIGA 7.62x39 (I got one in a trade for a very tired .22 Browning). When the bidding stalled at $220, he told the crowd that it accepts standard AK and SKS mags and that he had a table full of the mags at $15 each on his table. He ended up getting $300...about $10 more than a new one....after the auction, I found the bidder and explained to him the differences between a Saiga and a standard AK....I shouldn't have to do that.........

 

[Quigley]

Just gotta go though

Even though I attend three or four a year I rarely spend a dime, cant help myself got to go look around. Just glad to see the shows around here have run off the table-o-porn!

 

[mainmech48]

There're only a couple of venues that I attend around here anymore. Most often it's the Indy 1500. While there has been a noticable upsurge in the 'food & fleamarket' tables during the last couple of years, it's still mostly firearms and related items. I've found some really good bargains there over the years and been able to actually see and handle some stuff I'd have otherwise only experienced in pictures and magazine articles.

It might just be me, but the last couple of times I've been able to attend it seems to me that there're fewer and fewer vendors coming. Several of the private collectors and traders I've come to recognize have stopped coming. I'm told that the very large increases in table fees had a good deal to do with it. My guess is that increased insurance and security costs due to a couple of ND incidents a while back had much to do with that, and the increased gate fee too.

Before those happened, the tables cost $35 each and the entrance fee was $5.00. Now they're $150 and $8.00, plus another $3.00 to park. Tough for the little guy to break even at that rate. Still, I hate to see it. Some of the neatest stuff, the nicest folks and the best dealing was at the little tables.

And yeah, I've overheard a good deal more egregious bs-ing from some of the more 'agressive' dealers there than previously. I just note the outfit and take my trade elsewhere.

 

[graybeard321]

Salesman at Gunshows are like any other Salesman. They will tell you what you want to hear or Lie to to scare you into making a purchase. My wife and I attend about 4 to 6 ginshows a year. I have ordered Catalogs from all major manafactures, spend time on THR and other boards like glocktalk and ruger.... Then I check out prices on auctions sites like gunbrokers. It only took one trip around the floor for me to learn which vendors to avoid.

 

[Eric F]

not really off the mark

Ok I had a 5 day brake so I grabbed a friend and we did a tour of East-Central Va going to gun stores not really looking for anything particular just looking. I had the displeasure of some really high prices paid $40 for a box of 30 Remington heard the comment of "45 will stop a drug dealer in your house"(I thought it was the junkies doing the robberies but what ever)
Stoped in one shop 3 counter people working 1 doing a buy back looking up a price on a Smith pistol of some sort 1 blabing away to his buddies and 1 trying to clear a customers gun with a live round loaded gun in battery but trigger was jammed and could not rack slide hammer cocked....I asked one question....."Excuse me how much are you asking for the Sharps Rifle?" Reply......."Cant you see we are busy!":banghead: I just walked out

Bottom line its not just the gun shows its every where these days There is a gun show this weekend comming up I expect the SSDD t-shirts BBQ sauce tazers stun guns Nazi junk USSR junk pitted abused surplus guns and a few over priced real guns and no deals on ammo!

 

[Phydeaux642]

You went to a gun show that actually had GUNS?

You got that right. I had to wade through tables of jewelry, purses, stuffed animals, barbecue sauce and a couple of political agenda tables to get to the guns. And, then there wasn't much to look at.

ozarkhillbilly I think I went to the same show that you did and I was less than impressed. The last show that I went to was about twenty years ago and I remember it being stocked with lots of really interesting items. This show didn't have much that was interesting and the prices were way out of line compared to what I can purchase the same items for at my local gun shop. So, I support my local gun shop. There was one fella there that owns a local gun shop that I avoid at all costs because he had lied to me about a particular item in his shop about twenty years ago, so, I assume he will still lie to me to get my money today.

There was also a group selling new AR-15s at $595 with a sign on their table stating that they only had a 30-day function guarantee. Geez, the worst warranty I have on anything that I have purchased has been a year on a Walther P22 and I had to use that after the first trip to the range. Thirty days seemed to be telling me that they don't believe in their product.

__________________

"Phydeaux, bad dog....no biscuit!"

 

[jerkface11]

New AR15's at $595?? what were they vulcans or something?

 

[B.D. Turner]

I have also all but stopped shopping at gun shows. I make only a couple a year now. I used to drive well over 100 miles just to get to shows. NC dealers do not want individuals selling guns to anyone but dealers and some shows post signs against private transactions as if it was illegal to sell a firearm to an individual.
If the anti gun folks want to fuel their fire all they need is to visit a gun show most every show is filled with nazi, kkk, hitler pictures and other stuff along with books like poor mans james bond, Homemade bombs, Turner Diaries and booby traps made easy. These dealers are not selling guns they are selling crap that pictures gun owners as redneck/racist/terrorists who should never own guns. Gun shows should be about guns not a flea market with guns.

 

[Phydeaux642]

jerkface11, I'm not sure what they were. I was walking over to the table to take a closer look when I spotted the sign. After that I turned away to look somwhere else.

______________

"Phydeaux, bad dog....no biscuit!"

 

[highorder]

they were likely rifle/carbine kits, less stripped lower receiver.

 

[dmftoy1]

Yeah, I don't really get why people complain about the gun dealers lying. It's not like you're sooooo offended by his moral character that you'd never buy a firearm from him. If he told you he was the "lost Dolphin", but offered to sell you a Garand for 59.95, you'd buy the Garand and ask him when he plans to take back his throne.

LOL . .thanks for that it made my day.

I always figure that if someone tells me something that's obviously BS that it puts them at an advantage because I then know to look doubly close at anything their selling that I'm interested in.

Just my .02

Regards,
Dave

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

I consider it to be one of the most serious forms of disrespect (lying). I mean the lying through your teeth type. If I run across those who do I will never do business with them, ever. I will even go as far to ask for a business card to remember them by.
I was taught that a man was as good as his word and I hold dear to it. I am not offended in the least but the word goes around. That includes local businesses as well. Local gun businesses.

 

[ozarkhillbilly]

Phydeaux642, Yes I believe we were at the same show. As far as the $599 AR-15s go I am a little unsure of the deal on that. They were DPMS ARs but they were being sold by another manufacture who has a reputation for great ARs and great service, so I am a little fuzzy as to why they had 50 plus ARs from a different manufacturer along with a bunch of their ARs which sell for over a $1000.00.

I have no problem with dealers lowballing prices or saying "that’s all its worth to me" but I agree with U.S.SFC_RET if you tell me a bold face lie I will not do business with you.

 

[joplinsks]

Let me guess... the RK show in Springfield, MO last weekend, right?

I was there and thought it was pretty good... very crowded, but packed full of vendors with a little bit of everything. Probably one of the best shows held in Springfield in the last couple of years. Sellers lie at every show, so not uncommon. The $595 AR-15's you guys saw were from CMMG and sound like their famous "trash can" AR-15's (since they sell them out of trash cans at the shows) built from various parts. Tons of folks have bought these and think they are an awesome value for the money.

 

[bikerdoc]

i agree with tribal, the hampton, norfolk, richmond, shows are ok virginia beach show is thin at best, with a lot of side shows- next show in hampton is 1/26
last show only one moron asked me what you got - i told him an unfired 45 owned by gen patton - he said really! and i said no and kept walking.
yes country music would be good as would be lonely middle aged woman looking for husband #2 or 3

 

[kennedy]

gun shows good or bad still beat a day at work or home doing chores, lets be thankful we still have them

 

[hockeybum]

Wow! What gun shows are you guys going to? I go to the one at the south florida fair grounds and theres a dumpload of guns!

although there was a guy selling guns trying to tell us that a single action kimber was a double action.... my dad had to sit there and explain the difference between double action and single action to a guy selling pistols!!!

 

[Floppy_D]

I guess I've been to the same ones Bikerdoc and Tribal have... there are guns there, and I'm sure there are deals there, but I've never found them, probably because it was packed elbow to a-hole. Noone had reloading components or consumables, so I picked up some cleaning gear and called it a day.

 

[jerkface11]

Oh ok it was the bargain bin AR.

 

[6_gunner]

my dad had to sit there and explain the difference between double action and single action to a guy selling pistols!!!

Ha ha! That one cracks me up. I have a friend who's a Marine, and he still doesn't understand the difference between DA and SA. He seems to think that 1911s are double action. I think he assumes that if you don't have to cock the hammer for every shot like a Peacemaker, then its a double action. I had another friend who couldn't understand why DA revolvers weren't semi-automatic. Sheesh, I need smarter friends.

As for deals at gunshows, I still routinely see S&W model 10s for $150-$200 here in central Indiana. Apparently in some states, the $150 model 10 is believed to be an urban legend.
My best deal at a gunshow was a S&W 1917 for $300. It had been chopped to 3 1/4 inches, so no collector value, but I still think it was a pretty good deal. The bore and action are perfect and the blueing is about 75-80%.

 

[silverlance]

+1 on not looking like a nazi or klucker at shows, please. and if you are one, the hosts should put them in their own little corner with a little sign saying that "yes, it is their constitutional right and we respect that.. but don't enter if you don't like this stuff"

+1 on beef jerky, nascar, chinese crap, and wierd S&M / medieval stuff like fantasy swords, etc. then again, I actually like beef jerky, I like to pretend i know something about nascar, I sometimes buy chinese prison labor crap if it looks like it might work, and I know a lot of girls who like the fantasy stuff. getting a little tired of folks trying to sell me "geniune samurai swords made in the famous sword making province of gainan, CHINA"

+1 on tasers - but hey, i kinda want to buy a taser.

all in all, a gun show is like a carnival. you dont go there to meet your future spouse, and you seldom want to be photographed actually enjoying one.

 

[Cougfan2]

Salesman at Gunshows are like any other Salesman. They will tell you what you want to hear or Lie to to scare you into making a purchase.

graybeard321 I've been a professional salesperson all of my professional working career. While I, like you, have run into my share of salespeople that will lie to try to make a sale, please don't lump me into that category. I have NEVER lied to a customer. Frankly if you are a good enough salesperson, you don't have to.

Bigotry is bigotry, whether it's about skin color or profession.

 

[crebralfix]

I have seen the "location" markup where there was one price at a show in city X, and next week the dealer's price was $100 more in city Y.

 

[Scorpiusdeus]

I view gun shows a little like going to the zoo, but with bulk ammo for sale.

 

[phantomak47]

In Houston, gun stores just plan suck, they are way overpriced and are geared towards the ignorant buy buyer who doesn't know much and is basically "advised" about what he should buy. The problem is that Houston gun shops are just way overpriced with good deals not happening very often, you are left to basically Academy for Glocks and hunting rifles. Personally I have not and do not plan to ever buy at any shop located in Houston mostly because of price and selection.

Enter the gun show, some would call a "convention hall of paradise". Last weekend I was simply amazed at the amount of volume dealers (there was about 4 or 5) who were selling guns for hundreds less than what one would find at a local Houston gun shop. The selection was excellent , the prices were rock bottom and I ended up getting a ruger gp100 for $463, that would probably retail for $200 to $250 more at my local shop. Sure there was limited junk for sale and overpriced private sellers selling guns for far more than their worth, but as a whole, the gun show the easiest and cheapest way for the Houston resident to get the firearm that they want for a decent price.