Good gun show experience - Finally

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Arkansas Paul

Arkansas Paul

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People, me included, have been really complaining lately about not ever finding good deals at gunshows anymore. Well, I just wanted to throw in the posotive as well. My dad, brother and I went to a local gun show here in Hot Springs and we did very well I think.

Our main reason for going was to re-equip ourselves with handloading equipment after a recent break in wiped us out.
We got: An older RCBS press with priming arm, a Lee Challenger press, an older Lyman aluminum press, a NIB RCBS 5-0-5 scale, NIB Lee .223 3-die set, and NIB RCBS .308 dies. Total price paid - $195

My dad also picked up a '93 Mauser in 7x57 in very good condition for only $90 OTD.

Overall, I think we came out very good.
I went into the whole thing with low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised. There's another show in Little Rock this coming weekend. I'm actually looking forward to this one.
 
I too had a good experience at my last gun show on New Years’ day in Fred’burg VA. I got an older pre-de-cocker Taurus PT-99 w/ 3 magazines for $300.00. 2 x 1lb. powders (HP38 and Power Pistol) and primers at good prices as well. I was out the door for less than 400.00. The only problem I had was I left the postcard on the table at home for a $1 off admission.

chuck
 
Gun shows are...

like shopping in pawn shops, or garage sales, IMNSHO. Or panning for gold. You have to sort through a lot of mud & gravel to find the occasional nugget. If you somewhat enjoy (or, worst case, don't mind) the sorting, then the hunt is well worth it.

If you don't enjoy pawnshop shopping, or rummage saleing, or panning for gold--OR going to gun shows--then the nuggets aren't worth the effort.

If you go, with a shopping list, EXPECTING to find great buys on everything on your list, and with a closed mind to everything else, you WILL be disappointed, and we'll have one more rant on THR about how lousy gun shows have gotten since the I'net, or since your grandpa took you to your first one, or some such.

AR Paul--You made a good haul. Grats! Ain't gonna be like that every time, but once in a while, just once in a while...
 
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Brought home a used, kinda dirty Dillon 550 that was missing a few parts for $150. Little surface rust here and there.

Couple hours disassembling, cleaning and hitting a few parts with a brass brush.

Dillon sent most of the parts free, I bought a few more. Guess my inventory wasn't complete; one more order will have me up and running. Thinking of adding a Strong Mount and a roller handle. :)
 
Ha, Mike. Didn't even realize that was you until you told me you'd joined up today. Funny thing is, Dale had an alarm on the building. Just wasn't set that night.
That'll prolly be a pretty big show down there. Where do they have them at?
 
At the colliseum in biloxi I believe. They are at different places sometimes. I'm kind of excited since I've been on this gun kick here lately. Feb.19&20.
 
I quit going for the guns a long time ago.
It's the little bits and pieces one can find that make the shows entertaining.:)
 
I'm always surprised that any guns get sold at shows. We had one here at the Medford Armory this weekend. I saw several pistols that were tagged for a good bit over what the gun shops here are selling them for. There were some bits and pieces like a decent walnut 10/22 stock I was interested in but overall the prices were just to hight and the vendors weren't too interested in bargaining.
 
I like going to shows for the people-watching. Its entertaining at times, informative at others. The inventory at gun shows is usually the same, but like others have said, you have to sift through a ton to find that nugget of gold.
Overall, gun shows are a nice way to pass the time, imo.
 
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I think which gun shows are good and which are bad really depend on the propmoter. I have noticed that the shows around here tend to have different sellers depending on the promoter.

At one there was a guy selling Springfield XD 9mm and .40S&W subcompacts for $415. Another guy was selling a bunch of Kel Tec pistols for about $15 more than CDNN. It was a good show. The next show was a different promoter and a lot of different sellers. Everybody was trying to get MSRP for everything. Only one or two tabels had decent prices.

Now if I could just remember which promoter was which.
 
Gun show in November I bought Armscour .22 LR standard velocity ammunition for $12.50 a brick
Winchester 9mm NATO 124 grain FMJ for $9.00 a box and several boxes of RWS .45 acp 230 fmj for $12.50 a box.

At todays prices I thought the ammo finds were downright bargains.
Would have bought more than I did if I had more cash on me that day.
 
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