Random comments about yesterdays gun show.

[Frulk]

I still like going to them. Mainly because it’s a little bit like gambling. You never know if you’re going to hit the jackpot in search of a grail gun or a smoking deal on something you really weren’t looking for but needed to have.

After paying my $12 I walked in yesterday after 1:30. I never go when they open because it’s just too crowded. With the weather being wet and cold it seemed to keep the crowd down and walking up and down the isles was manageable.

Now the random comments:

As you expect the place was chock full of black guns. You could take your pick of about 30 different finishes. May just be me but that trend seems to be expanding. There were some truly ridiculous color schemes. I saw new American Tactical and Del-Ton AR’s going for $465.

Spotted a NIB Marlin Dark 45-70 with a price tag on it which said $2798…approx $1300+ over MSRP listed on Marlins website as of a couple of days ago when I posted a thread on THR about that model. I guess that’s the early adopters penalty tax rolled into the price. I didn’t even bother picking it up to take a closer look. It was the only one in the place.

Lots of ammo vendors with no shortage of any currently popular caliber you could think of.

500 packs of Thunderbolt .22LR ammo was going for $40 at one vendor at one end of the isle and $45 5 tables down at the other end.

The cheapest I saw for 1000 rounds of 9mm was $250 for FMJ 120 something grain. There was an additional discount of multiples of 1000 rounds but I don’t remember what that was.

I saw a truck load of various .410 ammo at one vendor that was semi reasonably priced. Didn’t buy any as I have sufficient ammo/slugs for the 9410 I own. It being my only .410.

Much as the last gun show I attended I was hoping to run across a CVA or a Spanish Yukar full stocked Kentucky or Pennsylvania rifle preferably in .45 caliber. I bet I saw less than 5 traditional muzzleloader rifles. None were Thompsons. That’s in a venue of thousands of guns.

Another thing I was looking for was a desert sand or OD cordura shotgun scabbard. Used to be several dealers of backpacks, gun cases, scabbards, drag bags, mag/ tactical vest dealers at these shows. They all seem to have dried up. Not a single scabbard to be found in the entire complex. Hard to believe because of how the Mossberg Shockwaves and Remingtons Tac -14 are flying out the doors. Bet I saw 10 NIB of each in that place.

All the current Snake Colts were available for sale. All at MSRP or slightly above. I have to say, in the flesh I thought they just didn’t look as good as some of the pictures the regulars here post.

One of the ammo vendors was selling CCI primers in white boxes clearly marked ‘Not for Resale’ with another OEM statement printed on them I can’t remember at $90 a box. I think they were small pistol and rifle (non-magnum).

I might have seen 5 tubs of powder in the whole place…maybe less.

I happen to pass a table when a Ruger P90 or 94 caught my eye. I was looking for a price tag when the vendor piped up on my right and stated it’s not for sale and went into his product schtick about how the gun is used to demonstrate the friction reduction capability of some oil he was selling. That’s when I noticed all the bottles on the table. He went into his routine of blah blah blah “and it reduced trigger pull from 8 pounds to 4 and” blah blah. I remarked ‘that’s pretty good’ and moved on.

Didn’t spot any reloading equipment (presses, powder measures, scales etc.)

I consider the $12 entry fee money well spent considering what a movie costs these days. Had a good time slowly moving through the crowd. Didn’t purchase anything and enjoyed the stroll in a light mist across a huge parking lot back to the car.

PS: I’m always on the look out for a .32 H&R or .327 FM revolver. I did not see one in the entire building and I looked over every revolver I thought could be one.

 

[LiveLife]

Did you get some good tasting jerky?

 

[Frulk]

^^^ There was exactly ONE jerky dealer there...BUT, he had two full tables of product. Older guy...looked to be in his 80's. What was in his shrink wrappers looked to be quality stuff. Didn't check the price as I'm trying to cut back on sodium and red meat in general.

Forgot to mention a couple of things in the OP:

I've also been on the lookout for the past 3-4 gun shows for a semi auto Ladysmith...not a one was on display anywhere. Didn't realize they were so few or that maybe the owners really bonded with them.

One guy was hawking some primer dies (stamps/punch?) that allowed you to make your own either small or large primers. I think he machined them himself. 2 metal pieces and a spring in a small plastic bag for $120. Need an arbor press to use them which he had on his table if somebody wanted to see how it all worked. He also had small bags of primer compound and I think he said they come with his formula.

Anyway...another guy showed some interest while I was there and the vendor went into a spiel how one person recently bought up ALL of the primer production companies except one small one in the USA or world....He was going deeper into that issue as I walked down the isle towards another table full of plastic fantastics.

 

[Old Dog]

First, thanks for not introducing the usual monthly bash gun shows thread.

I also find gun shows enjoyable, in spite of the ways the shows have evolved, the jerky, the jewelry, the cheap Chinese nylon tactical rigs, the scarcity of old revolvers and 1911s.

Anyway, our gun shows up here are withering on the vine, primarily because of the last few pieces of heinous state gun control legislation and initiatives. WAC (whose shows used to be some of the best on the West Coast, up til 2014 at least) has been bleeding members for a few years now, and is not transparent about the current membership numbers, but I'd be surprised if we were even at 50% of what we had even ten years ago.

Sales of firearms continue to decline while people seem to be trying to stock up on ammo, figuring that'll be the next wave of anti-gun regulation foisted on us by our state's dictator, his silly AG sidekick and a socialist state legislature.

No new or used black guns can be sold or traded (unless sent outside the state by an FFL). No threaded barrels, pistol grips, VFGs, magazines holding over 10 rounds for either handguns or long guns. All centerfire semi-auto rifles are now classed as "assault weapons" and therefore verboten.

Yet, we're still fighting and trying to hold our shows together. I can't wait to move out of this socialist empire and get somewhere reasonable (pushing the wife to retire sooner).

I never see anything in .32 H&R or .327. But I always pick up some jerky.

 

[tark]

Thanks for the report. I still like going to gun shows because every once in a while I find an undiscovered and unappreciated gem going for a decent price. I snagged a Savage model 23D in 22 Hornet with a period correct Weaver model 33 scope on it...for $350 dollars two years ago. It was a 98% gun, pristine in every way, with only a few minor dings in the stock.

I am looking for C&R guns, mostly, so I always skip the the rush on opening day.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

^^^ There was exactly ONE jerky dealer there...BUT, he had two full tables of product. Older guy...looked to be in his 80's. What was in his shrink wrappers looked to be quality stuff. Didn't check the price as I'm trying to cut back on sodium and red meat in general.

Forgot to mention a couple of things in the OP:

I've also been on the lookout for the past 3-4 gun shows for a semi auto Ladysmith...not a one was on display anywhere. Didn't realize they were so few or that maybe the owners really bonded with them.

One guy was hawking some primer dies (stamps/punch?) that allowed you to make your own either small or large primers. I think he machined them himself. 2 metal pieces and a spring in a small plastic bag for $120. Need an arbor press to use them which he had on his table if somebody wanted to see how it all worked. He also had small bags of primer compound and I think he said they come with his formula.

Anyway...another guy showed some interest while I was there and the vendor went into a spiel how one person recently bought up ALL of the primer production companies except one small one in the USA or world....He was going deeper into that issue as I walked down the isle towards another table full of plastic fantastics.

I see a 3913 once in a blue moon, but haven't seen the Ladysmith version in the flesh anywhere in several years.

Down here in the Free State of FL, our gunshows are still going strong. I usually score a little something something, but always enjoy myself. The kids and now grandkids get a kick from it too.

 

[trackskippy]

One of the ammo vendors was selling CCI primers in white boxes clearly marked ‘Not for Resale’ with another OEM statement printed on them I can’t remember at $90 a box. I think they were small pistol and rifle (non-magnum).

The last 5000 CCI Small Rifle primers I bought at a local shop where I usually get my powder and primers were packaged like this, and they had a ton of them too. I paid $70/1000 for them.

Dont care what the package looks like either, as long as the prices keep coming down.

 

[JDeere]

I have not seen a gun show around here since the plandemic. I could drive a 100 miles each way to one but not that interested. I used to like to go just for the entertainment. For now my 2 lgs will have to do. One gets interesting stuff on a daily basis...

 

[Starter52]

Good to hear that .410 is becoming available again.

 

[doubleh]

Our spring show was only 6 bucks for admittance. Of course it was small as all the reasonably close by ones are, close being 90 miles or so. Our fall one was this last weekend and I did not attend so have no idea if admittance has increased. My SIL did but I suppose he found nothing of interest as he has not made me aware of any new purchases or increased entrance fees. I doubt II will ever attend another large show as my tolerance for large crowds has become seriously deminished.