My Very First Gun Show (ALONE NO LESS!)

[UWstudent]

i'm sorry, but i have to suggest that the weight/feel/balance or whatever of any pistol you were holding shouldn't be the determining factor on which gun to pick. Bob F. had a great idea on shooting rentals.. which then you could make a better decision on what gun REALLY suits you.
honestly, i dont want you to make the same mistake that i did. i picked up a gun the day i turned 21 by the way it fitted in my hands. after about 10 rounds i knew i made a crappy decision. for myself, guns are very different from each other.. for instance .. say trigger pull. each and every brand has a different trigger pull. typically, more expensive pistols have shorter, more consistant and crisp breaks. but yeah..
i'm not saying the choice you made was horrible. it's probably perfect for you and i believe the way it fits in your palm probably accounts for 25% on a pistol decision.
there's a gun out there for everone.. so shoot all of 'em and find it!

 

[only1asterisk]

UWstudent,

I'd agree with you to a point. While it would be preferable to shoot any handgun that one is considering purchasing, it isn't always practical. In this case, the only range that offers rental guns within a 2 hour radius has gone bankrupt. One can learn a good bit from handling a revolver (or most any gun) without shooting it, esp. it you are permitted to dry fire a time or two.

David

 

[riverdog]

I agree with only1asterisk on this. There's a revolver checkout pinned at the top of the revolver forum which should be used routinely during the decision phase of any revolver purchase. There are lots of little things that can be seen if you know what to look for.

One of the reasons I like S&W so much is their service, they're just a phone call away and in my case (686-0 recall) FEDEX shipping both ways was on them.

 

[MedGrl]

SInce Sunday based n what all of you have told me in your replies (thank you by the way they were all informative) and talking with my two gun owning friends) I hvae decided to 'upgrade' my desicion if you will. I am now looking for a .357 rather than a straight .38. As my friends have explained it to me that gives me more versatility as I can start learning recoil control and marksmanship with the milder .38's and work my way up to the .357's. THis wil keep me busy much longer. SO I'm now looking for either a S&W K frame .357 or a Ruger GP100 or SP101.

Thanks for all the helpful comments on my thread

 

[riverdog]

SO I'm now looking for either a S&W K frame .357 or a Ruger GP100 or SP101.

I bought my GF a Ruger SP-101 and personally own a Ruger GP100 (6" full lug) and a couple S&W Mod 19 .357 Magnums. The Rugers are very strong guns, but the S&W K-frames have a better (smoother and crisper) triggers. My 6" Mod 19 is something of a target model with Patridge front sight and a very light SA trigger; I shoot nothing but light target loads in this gun.

Really study the Revolver Checkout Thread. Find out what to look for and if you have any questions you can't find in a search here, ask.

 

[Bob F.]

Some guns feel much differently unloaded and dry-fired than loaded and live fired. My Glock 19 (all Glocks) comes to mind. Without a loaded mag they're top heavy and the trigger feels and sounds like a "quality cap gun". There are no ranges in my area that rent guns AFAIK, so handling and dry-firing are the next alternative, unless you can arrange a range session with a couple good friends with avariety of guns!

Stay safe.
Bob

 

[cracked butt]

Sounds like you did really well for your first foray into high testosterone land.

 

[Oldtimer]

It sounds like you enjoyed your first gun show, but don't stop there! Try to find a larger gun show to attend.

A few tips, especially if you're thinking of buying at a gun show:

(A) Do your "homework" regarding the "going" prices of what you want to get BEFORE you go to the show. Many gun show vendors sell at inflated prices.

(B) Don't hold back from "haggling" prices with the vendors. Many of them EXPECT that, and will often come down in their price "if" the buyer "haggles" reasonably.

(C) If a vendor is selling something at a slightly higher price than what might be "reasonable", but won't come down from that price, ask them if they might "sweeten the deal" a bit. I've had many vendors throw in accessories and/or ammo that made the purchase a "good deal" for me.

(D) If the gun show is for multiple days, you can "recon" on the first day, then go back on the last day of the show to buy. The last day of the show is when you'll find the best deals, especially in bulk items such as ammo. Many vendors would rather sell the heavy, bulk items at a lesser profit than to have to haul it out to their truck or trailer.

(E) If you're dead-set on buying one particular item, even though the price might be a bit steep, don't let the vendor see you drool (figuratively) at having found it on his table. Act as non-interested as possible, then walk away. Later on, if you return to that vendor's table, act like the item you want to buy is "no big thing", and maybe hint that if the price was a bit less, you might THINK about buying it. You can also ask if he'll cut the price for a "cash" sale. Of course, if you just GOTTA have that particular item, then fess up! You can walk out of the gun show with that prized possession in your hands, and maybe figure that by doing without a few "luxuries" for awhile, that will make up the difference.

The more gun shows you go to, the easier it will be for you to spot the "gougers" and phoneys.

Lastly, you would have LOVED to have gone to the HUGE gun shows of "yester-year"! The "Great Western Exhibit", which started out back in the 1960's in California (L.A. County Fairgrounds) had over 8 MILES of vendor tables to look at! If you walked at a slow pace, and often stopped to look at all of the stuff for sale, it would take you a good 10 hours to get through the entire show! I took several "newbies" to that show, and had to speed them up a bit, so that we could see everything before it closed! That gun show is now prohibited, by "order" of the L.A. County Supervisors. No more gun or gun-related items can be sold there!

 

[wolf_from_wv]

I was at the Morgantown gun show that Saturday... I saw a girl with blonde hair around the vendor that had some jewelry... There were fewer vendors there this year. I did find a holster for my hipoint .45, that just barely fit...

I usually buy at KH Police supply in Clarksburg. Street's Ace Hardware in Masontown, WV has some fairly decent prices. I bought a HiPoint .45 at Street's for $160. Jerry's at Weston has the .45s for $225. There is a gun shop at Kingwood in the shopping plaza where Ame's used to be, but I didn't think their prices where all that great. I've been in Marstiller's a couple of times.

My uncle bought a GP-100 and likes it.