Dallas Nat. Arms Show vs. Tulsa's Wannemacher. Once in your life.

[Ignition Override]

Never attended a really large show.
If you are into surplus guns such as certain rarer SKS (Romanians), AKs with foreign barrels such as Polish from Atlantic Arms etc (maybe the TGI "Hun." AMD 65s), Makarov handguns:

Would you probably find an interesting variety at the Dallas show, even though it's not nearly as large as the huge Tulsa show, which happens only twice per year?

Some expenses would be covered for the Dallas show, as it is enroute to the elderly mother i.l. in San Antonio. Can't let That be the determining factor, except that the wife has no interest in Tulsa, being so far from the regular route.
Once in your life to attend a really large show, would it matter which of These two, if all else were roughly equal?

 

[JohnKSa]

I haven't been to the Wanenmacher show but I have been to the Dallas Market Hall/Dallas Arms Collector Association show several times. The DACA show is big. The biggest show in TX, and probably the biggest show in the entire region if you don't count the Wanenmacher show.

If this is a once in a lifetime deal, the Wanenmacher show is probably what you want.

That said, you're going to see plenty of guns, including some fun collector stuff at the DACA show. If you do choose Dallas, the last one of the year (Thanksgiving weekend) is generally the best.

Obviously with 3X more tables the Wanenmacher show is going to have more of everything than the DACA show.

 

[Ignition Override]

Is there a huge variety of foreign, post WW2 milsurps at both shows?

If you really like what a private seller offers, and you are in a rental car (for an airport) is there a way to ship from either show via some sort of freelance FFL from Inside both shows?

 

[mag1911]

Never been to the Dallas show but attend the Tulsa Wanenmacher twice a year. There's everything mil-surp you can imagine, mostly with prices you can't imagine for the best stuff.

 

[Ignition Override]

"Roger" that.
Due to conflicts in early April (a week After retirement...so ironic), next September for the Dallas show.

 

[CapnMac]

If you can swing it, what JohnKSa said above is true--the best DACA show is the one the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Just a little bit more of everything.
Often enough that they open the adjacent hall to get more tables in, and sometimes the upstairs lobby area, too.

Last time I went to the September show it really resembled the Saxtet show in Ft Worth--lots of flash, not so much in way of substance.

Now, they were building a bunch pf brand new parking garages, so the parking may not be free anymore, but the convenience will be greater (certainly better than Will Rogers)

I've always wanted to hit up the Tulsa show--just not enough for the 10 hour round rtip ( 3 tanks of gas), and to wind up with all the hassles of being a potential out-of-state buyer.

But, that's just my 2¢ worth.

 

[Ignition Override]

CapnMac/fellow enthusiasts: I appreciate all of you guys' summaries and contrasts between both shows.

Even though Tulsa is pretty far from the Memphis, Texarkana, Dallas route to San Antonio, I will try to 'justify' an extra trip to Tulsa, where there could be something for my wife to visit.
She knows and owned lots of authentic Meissen (toured the Fabrik in east. Germany) and identifies authentic 'porcelain' --even Hungarian-- or antique furniture/paintings, doesn't care much for nice stores in malls.

How about private sellers at Both shows....is there some FFL business Inside the shows which can ship somebody else's gun, out of state at a low cost to an FFL in your area?
Or if so, is there a serious extra charge for this?

 

[JohnKSa]

I've seen private sellers at every DACA show I've been to, but they are definitely in the minority. There are lots of FFLs there and you can probably find someone to handle shipping a gun if you buy one. I would expect there to be a charge for that, and probably not a small one. You may also find that they won't give you the gunshow price on the gun if they have to cart it back to their storefront and ship it somewhere.

Be sure to get all your FFL information in a row before your trip and make sure they're fully on board ahead of time. FFLs can get cranky when a gun shows up on their doorstep unexpectedly.

 

[Ignition Override]

JohKSA: Thanks.
True. A few FFLs are strangely picky (like a woman....) about who is supposed to contact 'who' first.

 

[hdwhit]

I live near Dallas and have been to the shows a few times. My impression was that it is a big show that draws a lot of people from a comparatively wealthy area and all the sellers seem to know it, too. I've never bought anything at the Dallas gun shows I attended.

In contrast, I have also attended shows in Texarkana, Texas; Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Mountain Home, Arkansas and even Couch, Missouri; all areas with fewer and less wealthy people. At each of those shows the sellers were more reasonable about their prices and more willing to negotiate - even some of the same sellers that wouldn't negotiate in Dallas would haggle elsewhere.

 

[Dog Soldier]

I don't think it is a matter of class discrimination. Dallas is much more expensive than the smaller towns you have listed. Gun shows are not wanting only upper class visitors. Let is not get into the name calling.

 

[JohnKSa]

I've always been able to find decent prices at gun shows (except during panics) in the DFW area. You still have to shop around because prices can vary--I've seen cases where walking 25 yards can save you $100 on an identical gun. During the panics, it's a different story.

 

[tarosean]

Love going to the Dallas collectors show. Never been to the Tula one.

It appears I will be a few weeks late for it in April.. (Will be in Tulsa, last week of April)

 

[sage5907]

I've attended the Wanenmacher gun show in Tulsa many times and everyone who likes guns should go at least once. Where else can you see 11 acres of guns all under one roof. The facilities are excellent and there are many acres of parking. However, if you are interested in specific guns and parts I would suggest that you look at GunBroker and eBay. They are the easiest places to find exactly what you are looking for at a reasonable price.

 

[Sniper66]

I attend the Tulsa show twice a year. It's about a 5 hour drive from my home in Kansas. Four friends like me leave their wives at home and we spend 2 nights at the Embassy Suites. We help other friends set up their tables, which gets us Vendor badges that gets us in and out of any door. What a terrific show!! The entire city is gun-friendly. We walk in and out of the show and hotel with guns in our pockets or slung over the shoulder. In other cities that would prompt a call for a swat team. In Tulsa they smile and say howdy. What is really special about this show is that if you are looking for a particular gun that you have been unable to find, you can often find 5-6 of them to choose from. I've found several guns that I had to have and are now in my gun cabinet and making my life more enjoyable....all at reasonable prices. Sure I see lots of over-priced items, but nearly everyone is willing to accept reasonable offers. Trying to buy across state lines can sometimes present insurmountable obstacles. I found a really perfect Dan Wesson 38 Special, but the seller was not willing to ship it. My only complaint is $3.50 for a bottle of water, but the water fountains are free.

 

[Dog Soldier]

I've attended the Wanenmacher gun show in Tulsa many times and everyone who likes guns should go at least once. Where else can you see 11 acres of guns all under one roof. The facilities are excellent and there are many acres of parking. However, if you are interested in specific guns and parts I would suggest that you look at GunBroker and eBay. They are the easiest places to find exactly what you are looking for at a reasonable price.

So true. Many of us make the trek down to Tulsa every year. To a gun guy Tulsa is not a gun show? It is a "Relgious Experience".

 

[sage5907]

I went to the Tulsa Gun Show the first time in 1978. I was smart in my early years and I told my wife before we got married that I didn't want any static from her if I bought a gun every year. In my first visit I found a pre 64 Model 70 in near new condition and I bought it for $450. I took it home and installed a 4 power Leupold and promptly shot 5 consecutive shots through a ragged hole at 100 yards. Needless to say I was hooked. As years went by I got to know every Model 70 dealer at the show. There was one guy named Cody Caraway from Decatur, Texas that I especially liked and every year I couldn't wait to get to his table to see what he had for sale. Sad to say I found out this year that Cody had passed away. The picture on his obituary made me smile.

 

[Dog Soldier]

Great story. It fits all of us who followed the gun shows for decades. I will be in Ogden, Utah tomorrow attending the Utah Collectors Show and visiting old friends.

 

[jmorris]

I kind of quit going to gun shows a few decades ago around the AWB from the original Clinton. People seemed to me to be buying on emotion vs value and sellers took advantage of it.

I still go from time to time but I can't remember the last time I bought anything. With the Internet I can find the same thing for cheaper.

One notable exception would be the SHOT show but that's a different kind of gun show. If you go to that one get a friend to bring his wife too so they have something to do while you guys are gone and don't forget a really comfortable pair of shoes.

 

[Browning]

I kind of quit going to gun shows a few decades ago around the AWB from the original Clinton. People seemed to me to be buying on emotion vs value and sellers took advantage of it.

I still go from time to time but I can't remember the last time I bought anything. With the Internet I can find the same thing for cheaper.

^This

While there's something to be said for inspection in person, taking a look at something new that's hit the market and unavailable most anywhere else and seeing everything all in one place the shows I quit going around the same time period.

Private sellers quit hitting those shows for the most part except to walk around with large signs and carrying one or two pieces and those are where the deals were, with private sellers. Other than just going to look what's the point in spending $7 to $17.50 ($10 to get in and $5 to $7.50 for parking) to walk around a show where it's all dealers with either the same old prices that they have at their stores or that in some cases where everything is actually marked up?

About every 5 years I'll end up going to a show just to see if it's changed and hoping that it's more like it was in the 1990's when gun shows were in their heyday and usually within the first 10 minutes I'm reminded why I quit going.

Unless there's something new that I need to take a look at before buying (usually optics or custom gun related where price isn't much of a factor) I usually end up leaving disappointed.

I miss the older private sellers with the decent prices with the tables full of history and a gift for gab that didn't mind filling me in on the history of a specific pistol or rifle instead of just quoting me a price and then ignoring me.

 

[drobs]

I went the Tulsa show about 3 mayby 4 years ago for the 1st time. Met with some members of another gun board. I felt like I was walking in circles at the show + being from Missouri, I didn't really bother looking at handguns knowing I'd need to do a FFL transfer. Did buy a couple holsters.

Before going into the show, I unloaded my CCW in my truck in the parking lot, and had a police officer put a zip tie through the chamber at the door. Walking back to my truck at the end of the day and seeing folks wearing gang colors in the parking wasn't exactly encouraging. Probably ATF agents...

I spent the night in a cheap hotel across from Bob Jones University and on Sunday drove home. I think I saw everything in 1 day.