My first gun show - the good and the bad

[Nozoki]

Hi all. I'm fairly new to the wonderful world of gun ownership, and this forum as well. I just wanted to comment on my experience of attending my first gun show. It was in Richmond, VA on Saturday the 12th of July.

The Good:
Lots of vendors. I really got to see a lot of guns and hold them to see what I liked. It was really more of a flea market considering so many vendors sold stuff other than guns.

Jerky samples. Yum. Bought some good peppered beef jerky at way too high a price.

Free back rub from some weird lady selling back rub thingies and neck pillows.

Found a neat product called the Blast Match fire starter.

Got out of the house and hung out with my friends for a day.


The Bad:

I'm poor and couldn't afford to buy any of the really cool stuff I wanted.

Didn't have time to really explore all the tables.


The Worst:

One vendor had a lot of Nazi and KKK stuff. And the Nazi stuff wasn't authentic memorobilia or collectors items. It was bumper stickers and pins and other cheap junk. Same with the KKK garbage. Not the best face to present to the public. He also had some stickers that were quite derogatory towards "faggots". I wonder why he didn't have any "I hate Ni##ers" stickers with his KKK stuff. Do all the gun shows have a guy like this?Oh well, I better shut up, my Liberal is showing.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

Yes all shows have these twits. but free speach is free speach. get there early next time and systematicly wander the show. start at one end, wander up and down the rows until you hit the other side. great way to get some sever exercise and ,make sure you saw EVERYTHING.

 

[SLCscottie]

Most are a different

The one in Salt Lake is different. It is really tough to find parking. I try to park not too far away so I don't have to carry my cases of ammo too far. It is the best place to buy ammo. We don't have the KKK and Nazi types. But you can buy Czech porcalein(?) My wife likes that. Usually the same vendors for our area. Prices are usually bad for the actual guns. But odd stuff is a good price. For some some strange reason I still enjoy these shows.

 

[Docgmt]

NOTZI and KKK stuff

You have to understand that all of that was there because the ACLU threatened a law suit if he was not allowed to exercise his first amendment rights to free speech. Which is a recognized and supported right granted by the ACLU unlike those others that are only weakly held by SCOTUS and us dangerous law bidding citizens.

 

[Rmart30]

Gun shows are always places to see ummmm, "interesting people" There is always that one guy at every show that looks like Manson, wearing mil surplus clothes and has 3 or 4 garands or SKSs slung over his shoulder.

Ive never bought a gun at a gun show...... I usually come away with some ammo,magazines,or a holster etc.
The one we had here last weekend had more hunting guns or AR stuff. Handguns are my weakness and they really didnt have any deals that I saw which is about the norm.

 

[Philmccan]

Our gun shows are kinda the same as what SLCscottie said. Parking is good, real good ammo price as long as you know what you want. Main stream stuff can be over priced but you can find deals if you start early and once again know what you want ( or live 20 minutes away and can do quick reasearch and hope the item is still there when you get back )
The only nazi stuff I have seen was a flag or two which seemed authentic and more of a prop for the types of older rifles that were being sold.
I have no idea what "Czech porcalein" is and hope i do not find out till I'm old enough to retiree

 

[CBS220]

Found a neat product called the Blast Match fire starter.

I want one. Awesome.

Free back rub from some weird lady selling back rub thingies and neck pillows.

Sounds sexy.

Jerky samples. Yum. Bought some good peppered beef jerky at way too high a price.

Always good to find jerky. Even if it is expensive, you can afford to splurge once in a while.


As for the Neonazis... they aren't at all shows. You will find war memorabilia from both sides at all shows, though, because they are an important part of history. I think more and more shows are kicking these guys out now.

 

[Flash!]

Gun shows are only good for people who really know their guns and current prices. You can get bargains at local gun shows here in Texas if you know current market value.....you can get ripped off if you don't know current market value. I still buy the majority of my guns at shows because I do the research ahead of time on current pricing. (except for my curio and relic guns, which I get online from the wholesalers as I do have have my type 03 FFL)

Overall, guns shows are a good entertainment value.... I get to laugh at over priced vendors, buy from the good vendors.....and I get to people watch.... Why do so many people think they have to dress up in military or cowboy garb just to attend a gun show?

 

[CBS220]

Flash!, you're forgetting the odd vendor that shows up and has no idea what something he is pricing is worth... and you get a steal on it.

Bought several old, sealed 1lb canisters of popular powders for $8 apiece at the last show I was at... worked just fine, by my estimation!

 

[CWL]

You may feel a little bit better knowing that most of the Nazi & Klan junk is made in China nowadays.

 

[22-rimfire]

Now you know how things work. Next time take money. I avoid gunshows if I don't have the resources for a purchase.

There is a certain entertainment value, but if you absolutely cannot make a purchase, shows get a little old fast.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

Do all the gun shows have a guy like this?

Yes. And if the 'media' shows up---they will put the spotlight on him and/or the dealer that has the highest saturation of EBR's on display.

The guy selling almost-expired cyanamid glowsticks and home brew jerky will get NO PRESS.

 

[Girodin]

The one in Salt Lake is different. It is really tough to find parking. I try to park not too far away so I don't have to carry my cases of ammo too far. It is the best place to buy ammo. We don't have the KKK and Nazi types.

I have seen KKK stuff at a SLC gun show, but it was years ago (like ten). It was really off putting and probably part of the reason it was years before I went to another one.

I went to the last SLC gun show and the minute men and their rhetoric was not far behind. I'm speaking nothing of their policy objectives just their rhetoric. Additionally the prices were out of sight. I saw the same gun I had bout NIB two weeks earlier for about 25% more. Mag prices were a joke. The only deal was on a "NIB" FS2000. However a little poking and prying revealed that NIB save for the "shot it a few times" part. It was still a good deal but not my cup of tea. I left with a video game and a prize I got at the marine booth for doing twenty pull ups though so it wasn't a total waste of time.

 

[jrfoxx]

As for the Neonazis... they aren't at all shows. You will find war memorabilia from both sides at all shows, though, because they are an important part of history.

Yup, only nazi stuff I have ever seen in 20+ years of going to gun shows (there was 10 year gap in the middle though), in 4 different states, has been legit collectors stuff, not "neo-nazi" propoganda or modern junk. Also never seen any racist or kkk stuff either. YMMv, obviously, as it sounds like the shows I have been to may be in the minority on that stuff.

I go mainly for cheap entertainment, and in case I happen upon a really good deal. For a $5 fee, with free parking (never paid for parking at one, and dont recall ever having a higher entry fee), I get to spend a few hours looking at lots of neat gun stuff. Cheaper than a movie, and more entertaining.

 

[mnrivrat]

If you have specific expectations on what you should find at a gun show you may well be disappointed.

Like all things the gun show is not what it used to be. It was a place for regular (non-dealer) folk at one time to come and set up a table and sell the stuff they no longer needed, and also for small dealers to enhance their weeks sales with their latest purchases or trades from the public. Parts, accessories, ammo of all sorts in partial boxes, as well as just about anything related showed up at the gun show.

Now it is mostly mid range dealers who are getting older and still enjoy the conversations with each other about the old days. Mixed in are the non-related booths in order to help finance the shows. I miss the old small town gun shows where anything might come through the door, and where you found that odd part or gun that was fresh from an attic or estate.

They are still more intertaining than say a dog show - but they are different. I go for the intertainment, the smell of hoppes, and to shoot the breeze with my old friends - buying something is always secondary, but looking for the treasure still never gets old.

 

[bogie]

One of my hobbies is conversing loudly with friends...

"Oh yeah! My daddy killed a whole BUNCH of those dirty stinking nazis!"

I've only seen 'em at a few shows, and after having a little fun, I'll go find the promoter, and bitch at 'em.

 

[Treo]

Do all the gun shows have a guy like this?Oh well, I better shut up, my Liberal is showing.

I'm a little bothered by this statement. Given the context you used it in, it implies (to me) that had you been a Conservative you'd have no problem W/ neo-nazis at the gun show. Maybe I read it wrong

 

[TAB]

the only reason I go to gun shows any more is to people watch.

 

[H088]

Free Speech, I don't see the problem with it. You will always have people you don't agree with and the 1st amendment exists to protect unpopular opinions.

 

[Frizzman]

I find that at most of the gun shows I go to in this state, I see more and more garbage like jewelry and toys and jerky, well actually I like jerky, and lots of overpriced guns. I don't encounter any good deals on firearms it seems anymore. The 300 pound guys with the thigh holsters and combat knives and full camo clothes are interesting. Also some of the Ganstas are amusing to watch. I have seen plenty of Nazi crap but it is mostly original items for people who like to collect that sort of stuff. That is of no interest to me since my dad spent several years of his life killing Nazi's. But to each his own I guess.

I go to gun shows mainly because there are politicians and others who want to ban them and take away my ability to go to them. Because of that more than anything else, I intend to continue to go. I rarely buy anything at them anymore but I pay for a ticket and go because I can...

 

[indie]

As a black male in South Carolina. This is why i have not been to a gun show yet. I dont feel comfortable with it, especially not having any "gunnie" friends to experience it with.

Even though I am re-assured by many of the people here. My main exposure to gun culture has been online, or my limited range experience. I know there are alot of people who judge, stereotype or even hate me based solely upon my appearance.

I have gone into gun stores and pawn shops and gotten the cold shoulder and taken unwelcomed looks, and honestly the uncomfortable atmosphere I get when browsing or buying a gun has made me prefer to shop online, especially now since I have found a FFL dealer that lives down the road from me and seems like a great guy.

I read somewhat discouraging posts about "gangsta types" from time to time and I feel that people look at me in the same manner.

I was thinking of going to an upcomming columbia gun show at the end of the month to mainly pick up some georgia arms ammo, but to also see and handle some guns of interest, but I really do think that even seeing this type of display of hatred would sadden and anger me and ruin the experience.

 

[22-rimfire]

I read somewhat discouraging posts about "gangsta types" from time to time and I feel that people look at me in the same manner.

I think everything is pretty much gray and subject to one's own interpretation based on their life's experience. I would avoid looking like a "gangsta type" whenever possible as it sets you up for those "looks", more police scrutiny, and generally a negative reaction by the gun owning community as a whole.

Do I have a negative reaction when I see someone with their pants hanging down real low on their waist and underware is exposed? Definitely. Do I discriminate due to race? No Would I hire that person to work for me? No

I go to gun shows because I like the atmosphere. But I do take money with me even when I plan on not buying anything at all, which is often the case. At those shows, I often leave with a knife or some ammuniton. I haven't found any supreme deals on ammo of late, but I do factor in shipping into my price shopping which sometimes tilts the price in favor of the gun show.

 

[jaak]

i scored a few deals this past weekend at a show. i picked up a very nice imported(will keep country out of it, but it isnt a production gun any more) AKM for a good price... the guy selling was a white guy with heavy beard. i asked if he wanted to see my license and carry permit... he goes i dont care as long as you arent a NxxGxx... i was offended a bit, and i am not the easiest person to offend, and im white as they come. i dont care if he feels that way, but thats not something he should be saying to a random guy he doesnt know.

we always have the nazi guy selling MEMORBILLIA, not propoganda. infact, i saw him sell a nazi arm patch once to some punk kid and the kid put it on and saluted, and the guy went crazy on the kid calling him a POS and said he was disrespectful. we also have the jerky idiots and airsoft folks too. they should be banned. recently there have been fake jewelry folks there too.

 

[jaak]

As a black male in South Carolina. This is why i have not been to a gun show yet. I dont feel comfortable with it, especially not having any "gunnie" friends to experience it with.

Even though I am re-assured by many of the people here. My main exposure to gun culture has been online, or my limited range experience. I know there are alot of people who judge, stereotype or even hate me based solely upon my appearance.

I have gone into gun stores and pawn shops and gotten the cold shoulder and taken unwelcomed looks, and honestly the uncomfortable atmosphere I get when browsing or buying a gun has made me prefer to shop online, especially now since I have found a FFL dealer that lives down the road from me and seems like a great guy.

I read somewhat discouraging posts about "gangsta types" from time to time and I feel that people look at me in the same manner.

I was thinking of going to an upcomming columbia gun show at the end of the month to mainly pick up some georgia arms ammo, but to also see and handle some guns of interest, but I really do think that even seeing this type of display of hatred would sadden and anger me and ruin the experience.

as long as you dont 1. talk like a gangster, 2. act like a gangster, 3. dress like a gangster, and conduct yourself like any other normal person(read: not gangster) then you will be fine. the only way to overcome what you fear most is to do it repeatedly.

 

[La Pistoletta]

That guy would've gone to jail in Sweden.

The thing is, that actually goes for some legitimate political opinions too.