One more for gun shows
I have got some great deals on components at gun shows, but make sure to know what you are looking at and what it is really worth. I picked up a set of RCBS 45 ACP dies (new in box) for $20 last show I went to. Sure, they were about 15 years old, but brand new just the same. I also picked up 1K winchester large rifle primers for about $15.
If you are going to go the gun show route, do yourself a favor and see how much you can get the components you want (or anything else, for that matter) by making a phone call to one of the big places (midway, cabelas, bass pro, etc), and then take it from there. I'm always amazed at folks that want to charge 1.5 - 3x the sale price for something I can get cheeper online. Call me tight if you want (truth is, my wife and I took the Dave Ramsey course on Financial peace, and I don't pay retail for much any more), but if I don't save at least the same amount of money I paid to get into the gunshow on my purchases (combined on little stuff, more on larger things), I don't buy it. I don't mind paying to get in, but I expect to get a deal. Needless to say, even though I love shooting my TC Contender, and there are about half a dozen more barrels I would like to have for it, I'm not going to pay $300+ for a used barrel that I can buy brand new (even custom made) for about $250.
D