MagnumDweeb
Member
To me there are three parts to a gunshow. The older gentleman who gets there at 8 am selling his lifetime collection out of his truck/car trunk for cash only. You can get Colt 1911s for $500 that are 95%+(so not bad and still fair for the most part), maybe a Garand rifle for $500, or a S&W Model 28 for $350. Got a S&W 15-3 roughed up(no rust just typical holster wear) but still a good shooter for $200 that way. When I wanted a ultra compact Bersa 9mm LNIB(looked mint but was obviously fired a little) got it for $240. So you got to wake up early, I saw garands, M1 carbines, 1911s , and all sorts of classic goodies selling cheaper than gunbroker, and way cheaper than the greater gunshow.
The 2nd part, the occassional older gentleman(see a pattern) selling one lone revolver, semi, rifle, or shotgun so he can pacify his wife into letting him get another gun. You can get a Colt Cobra parkerized snub nose for $350 (not great, not bad). Got a Norinco Tokarev 7.62x25 for $140 that looked good and shoots good. Have seen Savage 1910s for $120, High Points pistols for $80. Just got to hunt
The 3rd part, the greater gunshow lets call it. Othern than Georgia Arms ammo and some other smaller gun stores that make their own ammo for unique calibers, .44 magnum, and .357 magnum you can get legit deals on ammo. Cleaning supplies are okay. But the retail is a joke with the occassional sort-of-deal out there. I look at it like a Strip Club where you get to handle the merhandise but go elsewhere to find what you are taking home to keep(or in my younger single days the Dennys less than a quarter of a mile from the strip club at 3am). See how it feels in your hand, buy it elsewhere cheaper.
Now some folks might wonder why prices are higher. There are a few guys who I see at every gunshow now for the last five years even if I only go three times a year. I watch them buy pistols for $300 and sell them the same day for $500 or more. They don't have FFLs, they don't conduct background checks, and they sell typically to those folks who don't want a background check in my opinion. I've watched urban types pay $600 to one such guy for a Glock 19 I saw him buy for $340 only a few hours earlier. The urban type paid in cash with singles and fives, a fat wad of dirty looking bills. You can rationalize how you like it but i think some folks know all too well what they are doing.
The 2nd part, the occassional older gentleman(see a pattern) selling one lone revolver, semi, rifle, or shotgun so he can pacify his wife into letting him get another gun. You can get a Colt Cobra parkerized snub nose for $350 (not great, not bad). Got a Norinco Tokarev 7.62x25 for $140 that looked good and shoots good. Have seen Savage 1910s for $120, High Points pistols for $80. Just got to hunt
The 3rd part, the greater gunshow lets call it. Othern than Georgia Arms ammo and some other smaller gun stores that make their own ammo for unique calibers, .44 magnum, and .357 magnum you can get legit deals on ammo. Cleaning supplies are okay. But the retail is a joke with the occassional sort-of-deal out there. I look at it like a Strip Club where you get to handle the merhandise but go elsewhere to find what you are taking home to keep(or in my younger single days the Dennys less than a quarter of a mile from the strip club at 3am). See how it feels in your hand, buy it elsewhere cheaper.
Now some folks might wonder why prices are higher. There are a few guys who I see at every gunshow now for the last five years even if I only go three times a year. I watch them buy pistols for $300 and sell them the same day for $500 or more. They don't have FFLs, they don't conduct background checks, and they sell typically to those folks who don't want a background check in my opinion. I've watched urban types pay $600 to one such guy for a Glock 19 I saw him buy for $340 only a few hours earlier. The urban type paid in cash with singles and fives, a fat wad of dirty looking bills. You can rationalize how you like it but i think some folks know all too well what they are doing.
