Anybody else seeing gun shows getting better?

[Spats McGee]

The last gun show I went to (Jacksonville, AR, a couple of months back), there were a few folks who had .22LR marked at $65-70 per 500-rd brick. I didn't see anyone buying at that price, though. All of the ammo was priced somewhat higher than normal, but the .22 was the only thing that was priced "stupidly high." Gun prices looked like they'd pretty much returned to normal.

 

[ilbob]

I remember the .22 lr boxes for 0.96 at Wally World. That's as cheap as I remember. And $9.99 500 packs. I know many here remember when they were less than that but I wish they were that again. My dad said when he was 12 years old or so (late 50s), they had loose .22 ammo and shotshells in glass cookie jars on the counter of the store and you could by them by the shell if you couldn't afford an entire box. I don't remember what he said they cost. And they sold them to him at 12 years old with no questions asked.

A lot of people do not realize it but the price of loaded ammo took a major nose dive about 20 years ago that did not recover until the gun and ammo panics.

Back in the late 70s and early 80s I could reload 38 special 148gr HBWC for about $2 worth of primers, powder and a lead bullet if I had the brass. New was about $12 a box. Gun stores sold reloads for about $5 a box.

Not real long ago, I could buy loaded 9mm from Walmart for less than what the components cost me to reload.

 

[gym]

Yes shooters plus has wholesale prices at the Suncoast shows. they also have ED Brown Wilson and most other high end guns at the right prices available right there. Every new model, usually on sale for less than anyone else.

 

[statelineblues]

Went to a local 800 + table show a couple of weeks ago - not nearly as crowded as the last year, lots of guns and accessories. Prices still high but did manage to walk out with a Quality Hardware M1 Carbine and found a vendor with lots of good reference books...

 

[deere140]

Over the weekend I went to the first show I had been to in about 10 years. Things had improved a lot while I was away. Almost everything was gun related. I bought the first gun I have ever bought at a show, it was from another shopper though. There were several guns tempting me, I don't think I had ever considered buying a firearm at a show before. Most booths were new guns, but there was just enough old guns to see stuff I had not seen before. This was in Davenport, IA.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

There were several guns tempting me, I don't think I had ever considered buying a firearm at a show before.

Good to see its not just me noticing it. I normally feel the same way about buying guns at shows but I would have had I had the funds. Found a really nice Smith 686 4" with barely a turn line for $600 OTD. My dad bought a CC gun, my brother's wife bought a nice Smith 9mm and a friend walked away with a compact Kimber. All at really good prices. I did get 1k primers and a new game camera. (Not guns, but I needed a cam. )

 

[justice06rr]

Prices are getting better in my area. I went to a large gun show last weekend. 9mm around $15/50rds, 223 is $9/20, and I bought a 550brick of Federal 22lr for $55.

AR15 parts are cheap again; BCG's for $130 and barrels for $130, Pmags are mostly under $16.

The crowds are much better too, plenty of space to walk around and not so crowded even on the first day. No lines to get in.