Disappointed by Gun Show

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PlayboyPenguin

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I am single this weekend since my partner has flown back to Mississippi for the weekend to see relatives so i thought this would be a perfect time to hit the gun show at the Portland Expo. I cannot really afford a new pistol right now but I was hoping to find a good holster for my SP101 and some grips for my Vaquero. I was amazed at how much of it was just junk...beanie babies, fake gold jewelry, etc. Used to be you could find some nice leather work and tons of accessories at a show. There were a few dealers with some selection firearm wise but no real "deals". I did manage to find a scope for my Ruger M77 .30-06 so it was not a total loss.
 
In my experience gun shows can be a real mixed bag. Some are awesome and some frankly suck. I figure that for the $10 or less I usually pay to get in that at the very least I'll learn something usefull. BTW at the last gun show I bought a new holster for my sp101. It was $13 bucks and I'm pleased with it. Made by Acecase which can be found at acecase.com. Gun shows are cool, especially if you have kids to take with you.:)
 
Playboy;

Try viewing a gunshow as entertainment. Entry cost is roughly the same as a movie & it's quite possible to spend more time at the show than the film.
Any bargains found are then strictly bonus & therefore feel doubly good. You may indeed learn something, even if it's who's tables to avoid in the future. Taking gunshows too seriously can lead to all sorts of indigestion.

900F
 
Go to the Tulsa show (4-1 & 2). It will take you 2 days to see it all. They do not have everything--but you get your moneys worth.
Dick
 
Standing Wolf should be by in a bit to elaborate.
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Sorry I'm late. I was busy trying to persuade the kitty to stop drinking out of my water glass.

Actually, I've had to revise my opinion of gun shows. They're the best places to find beef jerkey, costume jewelery alost guaranteed to pass muster with eight-year-old connoisseurs, corroded military firearms, and sorely neglected used guns that cost more than new. Heck, sometimes you can even find switchblade knives made in Malaysia, video tapes from genuine machine gun shoots, and back issues of Dremel Tool Monthly.

All that said™, I've to confess I go to gun shows primarily because I love to eavesdrop on fat women arguing with grungy husbands who want to spend $79.99 on super-discounted paint ball supplies. Oh, those thunder thighs! Oh, those whiny little kids! Oh, those meaningful looks of impending divorce!

All that, and it doesn't even insult your intelligence like television. Now, is this a great country, or what, eh?
 
back issues of Dremel Tool Monthly.
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Did you grab a handful of these for me?? I'm trying to install new sights and they're being kinda stubborn. I figure the Trusty Dremel will loosen up that dovetail. :D On "10" it really purrrs.

I wanna find one that goes to "11". ;)
 
Next year come down to the ARPC (Albany Rifle & Pistol Club) show in Albany the start of March each year. By far my favorite show of the year, hardly any junk, almost all guns, fills up the Albany Convention Center. Picked up a Karh PM9, lots of reloading supplies and quite a bit of other stuff this year.

I've been to a few of the Eugene shows and they've all been pretty lame, maybe 1/4 to 1/10 the size of the ARPC show.
 
I've gone to a couple of gun shows in Costa Mesa, CA about 14 years ago and the Cow Palace in SF more recently.

Costa Mesa was so-so and might have been better if I'd been more knowledgeable.

The Cow Palace was okay the first time as someone was doing a clearance on WSP primers, but now I can get the same price or better at the United Sportsmen, Inc. range in Concord, CA. The second visit was a total waste of whatever I paid to get in.

With CMP and the USI sales at my disposal without the entry fee, why bother? And I don't have to put up with the crowd at the Cow Palace that Standing Wolf has so well described.
 
If gunshows are so worthless...

If gunshows are so worthless, then how did they ever become big in the first place? I've never been to one. Have the vendors just moved to the Internet? I've heard people say they were great back in the 80's.

The main thing I've heard lately about them is how the Cal DOJ uses them to decide what guns to ban next, and to set up stings in Nevada for Californians trying to buy >10 capactiy mags.

Just how much jerky is there at a gunshow? Is it all beef or are there other meats? I love that stuff so much I might go to one just for that.
 
Creep, that is something a guy I bought my scope from talked about. he said it is getting to where it is just as profitable to put his time into the internet instead of traveling to shows. he says he still does it out of habit and love of meeting the people and not the money because he could make it sitting on his a$$ on the internet. Another guy i talked to about holsters and the old leather guys that used to come said the crowds just got to cheap to support them. he said noone at a show wanted to spend money for a quality holster. In his words they wanted everything at "Wal-Marts" prices (yes, he said it as if it was plural). Sad part is I bought the 3 day pass. :)
 
If gunshows are so worthless, then how did they ever become big in the first place?
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Gun shows have changed a lot over the last few decades. The gun shows of old ( for me anyway ) had a lot of small non store front dealers ,and drew some percentage of private people who used them to get read of some of the stuff they no longer wanted.

Now - there is the internet auctions, more regulations , small dealers driven from business by the Clinton administration. Promoters who have little choice but to rent to flea market type vendors in order to fill the space and pay the rent.

Actualy the "good" show is the one that you find something you want for the right price. That can ,and still does happen, but has little to do with the overall changes in general.

Personaly I'd still rather go to a gun show than a movie and generaly come home with little or nothing in merchandise, but get to meet old friends and have the fun of the hunt - even if I don't find something I'm looking for. I also don't realy mind the odd stuff either, as my taste varies to all sorts of differnt things including collectables . (I don't consider Beany Babies in that catagory) Last gun show I was too I purchased an old straight razor - never know what you will find . Always worth going for me anyway .
 
Guns shows can be hit or miss, I'll give you that. Sometimes it takes a lot of digging to find the diamonds but they are there. I dug through one "junk" vendor's wares and found a whole bunch of new and lightly used name brand (RCBS, Lyman, old Texan, etc.) die sets he was selling for about $ 10.00 a set. Another time I scored a NIB Redding Ultramag press for $ 95.00 plus tax.

Even the particularly bad shows usually have something neat to look at. I went to a little show in Valpo last year with $ 100.00 or so in my wallet and the intention to buy some ammo. I ended up walking out with pretty much all of my money in tact, but I did get a chance to see an old MP44. You don't see that everyday.
 
Gun shows have been made pretty much obsolete by the internet.

I really am only interested in going to shows put on by military collectors groups, I see stuff that I've never seen before every time I go, get to talk to some nice people who have similar interests that I have,and don't have to be embarassed about being in the same room as lowest common denominators of society such as Neo-nazis, survivalists, seperatists, and beanie baby vendors.
 
If gunshows are so worthless, then how did they ever become big in the first place? I've never been to one. Have the vendors just moved to the Internet? I've heard people say they were great back in the 80's.
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I agree with some other posters. Online auction sites with images and posting controls that were easy to use only popped up in the late 90's. And for accessory prices...eBay.

I don't mind that one bit, it's encouraged true free-market capitalism to compete for buyers by offering good deals, consumers are free to find the best price no matter where they are.

The only bad thing is that you can't hold a virtual gun in your hand to see how it fits it. And the one benefit I see in shows is that if you see something you like, you're saved the expense of shipping and a transfer fee, which can literally add $60 combined to the price.

I don't find much that's not laughably overpriced at local shows I've been to, (mostly $300 Nagant pistols that can be had for $79 online and other such P.T. Barnum specials), but I did find a nice Taurus PT92 with no wear at all for $210 at one, gave it new Wolff springs, and it shoots great.
 
the last gunshow I attended had alot of crap... they also had a stack of Smith & Wesson magazines... I got 6 of the stainless, yellow follower 11 round 4006 magazines for 12 bucks each, and 5 stainless 4506 mags for 10 bucks each... sweet deal, if you ask me...

edited 'cause I cannot type.
 
Gun shows are a lot like going to yard sales. A lot of crap, and a few gems.

It's the thrill of the hunt that draws me in. I have found some good deals at gun shows, and some hard to find stuff.

I wanted to fondle a PTR-91 before buying one, and I couldn't find a dealer that had one in stock. Two weeks ago, there it was and it came home with me. The price was what it should have been - nothing special - but I was happy to finally see one.
 
Luckily, we have one here, put on by the local collectors association, every 3 months. And they STRICTLY disallow any vendors that aren't selling PRIMARILY gun related items. Prices vary, but I've gotten a couple good (to me anyway) deals. And, you simply won't see the variety you''ll see see at the show, unless you visit every gunshop withing a 150 mile radius.
 
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A PHOENIZ,AZ. GUNSHOW PUT ON BY CROSSROADS?
WOW! ONLY BEEN TO A FEW OTHERS, BUT THIS SHOW ROCKED. GUESS IT'S ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. I SAW JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING I COULD WANT. THEY HAD IT ALL!
 
Most gun shows suck, unless they are specialty shows like the Small Arms Review show, or the huge Shot Show. I've been to several local gun shows, and always left dissapointed, especially when I had wanted to buy accesories.
 
Around here its no contest, you get the best prices on new guns at gun show dealers rather than local shops.

As to service, I got a Kahr CWP9 at a local dealer (Houston's largest gun store with four locations, one with a range) because it was only $10 more than I saw it at the most recent gun show. Turns out I had problems with the gun and the "service" I got from the local dealer could hardly have been worse.

They were slow to ship it out. Kahr was slow to fix it. And it'd still be sitting there if I hadn't contacted Kahr to follow up (three times!). It'd been sitting at the dealer's since March 3rd. Nobody bothered to call and tell me it'd arrived. What really PO'd me was I'd called them on the 5th since Kahr said it should be ready March 3rd, and they were totally clueless! Later I'd learned form the tracking number Kahr provided that they'd signed for it on March 3rd the day Kahr told me the Dealer would have it.

Some gun shows are better than others that's for sure, but its worth it for me if only for relaoding supplies -- prices on powder and primers are as good at gunshows as I've been able to find on the web and no $20 hazmat shipping charge. Normal shipping vs. sales tax is pretty much a wash although ammo ususally costs a bit more to ship than I'd pay in sales tax. I tend to order my factory ammo as its generally a long hike between gunshow and parking lot around here, so for a few extra bucks I'll usually let the UPS guy do the heavy lifting.

--wally.
 
I guess maybe we are spoiled here in the Portland area since guns sell for so far under MSRP at most every dealer. The last one I bought had an MSRP of $590 and I paid $399 for it brand new. We generally only pay a 10% markup over dealer cost.
 
All that said™, I've to confess I go to gun shows primarily because I love to eavesdrop on fat women arguing with grungy husbands who want to spend $79.99 on super-discounted paint ball supplies. Oh, those thunder thighs! Oh, those whiny little kids! Oh, those meaningful looks of impending divorce!

All that, and it doesn't even insult your intelligence like television. Now, is this a great country, or what, eh?
Click to expand...

WOW.... I think I detect the makings of a new Reality TV Show. :D
 
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