joegerardi
Member
Fearing that Hurricane Charley was going to cancel the show this weekend, I was grateful that it passed us by. A benefit of Charley was that it left just enough rain so that I didn't have to teach tennis all morning, and could get to the gunshow all the earlier.
Savannah gunshows are pretty standard today. There's usually mostly new guns, knives, jerky, books, few holsters, a limited number of collector pieces, Georgia Arms for ammo, and airsoft guns...
This one surprised me, however. There were several dealers here with some very interesting stuff. One dealer really dealt in military arms. He had any number of original 1911's, 1911A1's, Garands, 03's, M1 Carbines, a couple of real Winchester Trench Guns, and one very cool little pistol I'll get to in a minute. First the 1911-patterns:
He had them organized by manufacturer. Remington-Rand, Ithaca, and Colt, in separate display cases, and another case devoted to just the 1911 models. That was also the order of how expensive they were. The Remingtons started at $1250.00 and went up from there. Some of these 1911's were in exquisite shape, but most were normal for their age. He also had one US&S pistol in 99.9% condition that he wanted $4000.00 for. There were probably 50 or so of the various 1911's. I was in heaven!
Now to the cool little pistol. It was a copy of the 1911. It was in .380. It was very tiny. It was dead mint in the box. The only differences between it and a "real" 1911 were that it had a Browning Hi-Power type safety, and there was a little hump on the bottom front of the grip to aid grasping the little thing. The brand was Garcia. Yes, Garcia of fishing reel fame, this was the last pistol to be manufactured in Washington DC. This was a really slick little snot, and I wanted it so bad, except that I have little use of a $600.00 .380 pistol. But DAMN! it was a beaut! Much smaller than a Colt Mustang. He had a great selection of Garands, both Springfield and H&R, but his prices were too dear for me. Same on the Carbines.
I found a customized used 1991A1 at another dealer that had everything I was looking to add to the 1911 I went specifically to purchase, so I grabbed that at what I think is a great price of $500.00 OTD.
Another dealer had me salivating with but one pistol on his table. It was a brand-new Wilson CQB. My word, but this is a beautiful gun! I can see why Wilson afficionados are so loyal. He offered me a great deal on it - $1990.00 OTD - and I hemmed and hawed over it for a long time, but passed simply because I just didn't want to spend that much. (Of interesting note: I just this past week got a new credit card with a huge credit limit on it, and no interest for a year. When one has the means like this, it's fascinating how fast the mond will work figuring out how to get a pistol like this without paying any interest, what the payments will be over the next year, and more importantly, knowing that the money is there, how much more that little voice in one's head screams so much the louder!!!)
He also had an interesting 1911. It was a customized pistol with the name Akins Custom on it. It was a US&S slide on a frame form some company in Atlanta. It was a very pretty gun, but I won't ever forgive them for messing up a US&S 1911!
S&W, normally the most-found gun at these shows, was surprising there in lesser numbers. With the exception of SW1911's, SW99's and Sigma's, I really didn't see any new autos, but there were a number of revolvers there. That new S&W 500 is just plain silly. Hordes of young people were fawning over it. I stayed away: I seriously doubted I could lift the damn thing!
There was an H&K Mk23 SOCOM. I had never seen a crew-served handgun before... Also there was the H&K P2000. I don't get it: I like the USP Compact better.
The Walter P99 Compact looks just silly... The Walther G22 is a neat little plinking rifle, but boy is it butt-heavy. Were it to slip off your shoulder, the muzzle will be sticking up your nose before you know it.
There was a paucity of Springfields. A decent number of parked GI's, but I saw only 2 Loaded Models, and those at the same dealer. There was only 1 stainless GI, but the dealer obviously bumped his head setting up his table, and wanted $550.00 for it, $19.00 less that the stainless Mil-Spec at the next table! I was hoping to see (and possibly purchase) a TRP, but no joy.
I still can't figure out how that one dealer can stay in business selling only Hi-Points...
I went with the intention of getting a couple of pistols, but after I purchased my 1991A1, there was just nothing blowing my skirt up. I decided that - seeing as I don't own a long gun - I'll take a serious look at rifles. Well, here's something I don't understand: Does NOBODY shoot iron sights on a bolt-action rifle anymore? This is what I was looking for, because I don't hunt, and I like a challenge when I go to the range. Of the maybe 1000 bolt-actions at this show, I would say less than 50 had iron sights. That said, I *was* interested in the Remington 710 package with Bushnell scope for $339.00, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy it. I was torn between it and a CETME (which I've heard nothing but great things about) for $349.00, a couple of Garands in the $600.00 range, and one of those Chinese M1A's for $700.00. I decided to wait and if one started yelling at me, go back tomorrow and get it.
I can't speak as to the shotguns, because I really know nothing about them, and I shy away from the myriad AR-type rifles...
So there you have it. Actually, quite a good show- better than several of the previous ones, and I came away quite satisfied.
..Joe
Savannah gunshows are pretty standard today. There's usually mostly new guns, knives, jerky, books, few holsters, a limited number of collector pieces, Georgia Arms for ammo, and airsoft guns...
This one surprised me, however. There were several dealers here with some very interesting stuff. One dealer really dealt in military arms. He had any number of original 1911's, 1911A1's, Garands, 03's, M1 Carbines, a couple of real Winchester Trench Guns, and one very cool little pistol I'll get to in a minute. First the 1911-patterns:
He had them organized by manufacturer. Remington-Rand, Ithaca, and Colt, in separate display cases, and another case devoted to just the 1911 models. That was also the order of how expensive they were. The Remingtons started at $1250.00 and went up from there. Some of these 1911's were in exquisite shape, but most were normal for their age. He also had one US&S pistol in 99.9% condition that he wanted $4000.00 for. There were probably 50 or so of the various 1911's. I was in heaven!
Now to the cool little pistol. It was a copy of the 1911. It was in .380. It was very tiny. It was dead mint in the box. The only differences between it and a "real" 1911 were that it had a Browning Hi-Power type safety, and there was a little hump on the bottom front of the grip to aid grasping the little thing. The brand was Garcia. Yes, Garcia of fishing reel fame, this was the last pistol to be manufactured in Washington DC. This was a really slick little snot, and I wanted it so bad, except that I have little use of a $600.00 .380 pistol. But DAMN! it was a beaut! Much smaller than a Colt Mustang. He had a great selection of Garands, both Springfield and H&R, but his prices were too dear for me. Same on the Carbines.
I found a customized used 1991A1 at another dealer that had everything I was looking to add to the 1911 I went specifically to purchase, so I grabbed that at what I think is a great price of $500.00 OTD.
Another dealer had me salivating with but one pistol on his table. It was a brand-new Wilson CQB. My word, but this is a beautiful gun! I can see why Wilson afficionados are so loyal. He offered me a great deal on it - $1990.00 OTD - and I hemmed and hawed over it for a long time, but passed simply because I just didn't want to spend that much. (Of interesting note: I just this past week got a new credit card with a huge credit limit on it, and no interest for a year. When one has the means like this, it's fascinating how fast the mond will work figuring out how to get a pistol like this without paying any interest, what the payments will be over the next year, and more importantly, knowing that the money is there, how much more that little voice in one's head screams so much the louder!!!)
He also had an interesting 1911. It was a customized pistol with the name Akins Custom on it. It was a US&S slide on a frame form some company in Atlanta. It was a very pretty gun, but I won't ever forgive them for messing up a US&S 1911!
S&W, normally the most-found gun at these shows, was surprising there in lesser numbers. With the exception of SW1911's, SW99's and Sigma's, I really didn't see any new autos, but there were a number of revolvers there. That new S&W 500 is just plain silly. Hordes of young people were fawning over it. I stayed away: I seriously doubted I could lift the damn thing!
There was an H&K Mk23 SOCOM. I had never seen a crew-served handgun before... Also there was the H&K P2000. I don't get it: I like the USP Compact better.
The Walter P99 Compact looks just silly... The Walther G22 is a neat little plinking rifle, but boy is it butt-heavy. Were it to slip off your shoulder, the muzzle will be sticking up your nose before you know it.
There was a paucity of Springfields. A decent number of parked GI's, but I saw only 2 Loaded Models, and those at the same dealer. There was only 1 stainless GI, but the dealer obviously bumped his head setting up his table, and wanted $550.00 for it, $19.00 less that the stainless Mil-Spec at the next table! I was hoping to see (and possibly purchase) a TRP, but no joy.
I still can't figure out how that one dealer can stay in business selling only Hi-Points...
I went with the intention of getting a couple of pistols, but after I purchased my 1991A1, there was just nothing blowing my skirt up. I decided that - seeing as I don't own a long gun - I'll take a serious look at rifles. Well, here's something I don't understand: Does NOBODY shoot iron sights on a bolt-action rifle anymore? This is what I was looking for, because I don't hunt, and I like a challenge when I go to the range. Of the maybe 1000 bolt-actions at this show, I would say less than 50 had iron sights. That said, I *was* interested in the Remington 710 package with Bushnell scope for $339.00, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy it. I was torn between it and a CETME (which I've heard nothing but great things about) for $349.00, a couple of Garands in the $600.00 range, and one of those Chinese M1A's for $700.00. I decided to wait and if one started yelling at me, go back tomorrow and get it.
I can't speak as to the shotguns, because I really know nothing about them, and I shy away from the myriad AR-type rifles...
So there you have it. Actually, quite a good show- better than several of the previous ones, and I came away quite satisfied.
..Joe