SunCoast Gun Show (What a Joke....)

[Kentucky_Rifleman]

Here in Kentucky we get shows from primarily two promoters, Ron Dixon's shows up in Louisville (National Gun Day, Great Eastern, Etc) and RK Shows/Kenny Woods shows scattered around the rest of the state, including here in Lexington.

Bud's is here in Lexington, and that alone keeps most of the other dealers honest and above-board on prices. That, and I and some of my fellow Kentuckians can be pretty "thrifty" folks

The Louisville shows bring out tons of stuff that doesn't interest me personally. There are tons of tables with rare military stuff, and there are a lot of guys with a dozen ancient Colts for $10,000 a pop. That's all fine to look at, but I go to gunshows to pick up guns and goodies. If I had 10 grand in my bank account, I wouldn't dole it out for an old Colt, no matter how nice, how rare, or how "reasonable" the price for what it is. I'd buy several other guns I like instead of the one Colt.

I'm looking for semi-classic American sporting rifles (Remington 721s and 722s, for instance) that I can afford AND enjoy shooting. I might pick up an interesting handgun or two here and there, and that's about it.

I honestly have better luck at the smaller (and cheaper) show here in Lexington. The amount of stuff interesting to me personally is about the same as the Louisville show, even if the Louisville show is three times larger.

KR

 

[Flame Red]

Three times a year, there is a very large Gun Show hosted by a local club in Lakeland, FL. IMHO the Central Florida Arms Show, as they call it, is the best show in Florida.

For many years, the Segway Surfer (i.e. Shoot Straight) attended, taking up many rows of tables. Then a couple of years ago, I was told that he wanted to dramatically increase the number of rows he wanted at the Lakeland show but the club that promoted the show felt that SS request would create a table shortage for the other vendors so they denied their request. SS then pulled out of the Lakeland show completely, at least for a while.

The saga continues that SS has a tight arrangement with SunCoast, which is easy to understand since they consume such a large number of their tables at all their shows. The story goes that SS demanded that SunCoast schedule a show in Tampa to "compete" with the Lakeland show as a result of the denial of their table demands at Lakeland. The shows are about 30 minutes apart, so it did have an impact with reduced number of vendors requesting tables at Lakeland, and attendance was down.

I cannot confirm if the above story is true but the last Lakeland show SS did return, with only a couple of rows of tables and the Tampa show was still scheduled the same weekend. This information was provided to me by a couple of different dealers at Lakeland.

 

[desmo21]

I went to a show in Miami looking for a Kahr PM45. I found one at around the going price. I started doing the paperwork but then I found out that the box had BLEM marked on it. The shop owner said they all have that????? I backed out of the deal, left the area and I checked on my Iphone, and found that if it is a factury blem there is a mark slamped on the trigger guard. I went back to the booth, the gun was back on display, the BLEM sticker was removed from the box, but the pistol did have the mark stamped on the pistol guard! Never again......

 

[oneounceload]

When I lived out West, you saw the same "dealers" at every gun show, much like you see the same vendors at several flea markets - it's what they do with their weekends. The best deals occur before the show is opened to the public and after the last visitor has left. To be part of that, buy a table and get in early to scout out the other folks. When you get the same folks at every show, it becomes like the intersection with 4 gas stations - they'll all eventually have the same price.

 

[Deus Machina]

so, what you're saying is that all these dealers who set up tables at shows are 'high road' type folks who wouldn't *dream* of telling a cash buyer...well, i've got this here 9 that i'll sell ya outside in the lot (for 3x what it might go for online) and we do it FTF? i'd like to believe that i'm wrong, but i'm just too cynical for that...

I won't say at no one will, but in that case they would do it at their brick-and-mortar shop or over their dinner table, too. It's a personal thing, not a gun show thing.

Keep in mind that if it's shop inventory, and not a privately-owned gun, they still have to account for it. Buying 'for themselves' and then not having it when someone checks their books would raise questions.

 

[benzuncle]

I Go, but not for firearms

I go to the Gun Show in Orlando for powder, primers and the occasional ammo, perhaps from Georgia-Arms or Space Coast Bullets. I pay the tax but don't have to pay the Haz-Mat fee. So, by the time I pay the admission cost and sales tax I pretty much break even. Paying $9 to get in and have a look-see is like buying a couple gun mags. Shoot Straight brings alotsa guns to the show and I can lay my hands on them while some guy on a Segway goes 12ft. forwards and then 12ft. backwards. (I'm still tryin' to figure out what the hell that is all about. My best guess is that they were raised in an 8-ft wide trailer and feel right at home.) Just as I have struggled for years to understand how a car dealer can move a bunch of cars somewhere off their car lot, set up a huge tent, bring in power and everything that goes with it including all of the advertising and then tell me I can save money on the car, I fail to see how gun dealers can make money draggin' all that stuff to the gun show. But I like to look and touch and that's worth the green to me. Oh, I almost forgot: some of the stories you hear while waiting in line to get in are real gems; even the true ones.

 

[Guns and more]

Three times a year, there is a very large Gun Show hosted by a local club in Lakeland, FL. IMHO the Central Florida Arms Show, as they call it, is the best show in Florida.

Next time I'll drive to Lakeland and skip the Suncoast show.

True, and the beauty of capitalism.

Is it capitalism when one seller can keep other sellers out?

 

[MagnumDweeb]

I'm sorting a couple grand for the next time I go to the gunshow(long awhiles off mind you) to shore up the last of my pistol collection.

I've gone to the Orlando gunshow many of times. Each time you want to find the old guys selling guns out of there trunks up to two hours before the show opens. They're usually liquidating old stocks from their collections(and sometimes their buddies collections), they don't sell to gangstas, got to hear one lecture another gangsta about how he should pull his pants up and to go to (a bad place where they wear horns).

I don't bother buying at the show other than Georgia-Arms and some cleaning brushes for cheap. Then I go on the hunt for older guys with their wives looking to sell there old guns. Got me a Bersa 9mm Ultra Compact Mint LNIB for $240 or 260(can't remember) and a 95%+ condition S&W 15-3 for $240.

The chumps trying to sell their Auto-Ordinance 1911s for five hundred bucks can bite me. The usual guy in a ball cap that's a fat aging guy buys handguns cheap and sells them at $500, gee who would buy a used Glock 19 for $500 and he tries to do it the same day for no paperwork or receipt. Folks from New York and California show up for some reason, and I've see D.C. plates I think on a few times.

I'm hunting for a GP100 4" for less than $400. A Glock 26 for less than $400. A S&W 638 for less than $300. And perhaps a nice Colt 1911 for $500 or less(I've seen them at the shows). Won't get it all in one go I know but a man can dream, a man can dream. And a man can lie to himself and say he is done and no more.

 

[robartist]

Quick question on the shows. So it seems like you guys have a low opinion on the gun shows. Do the dealers at least sell decent rifle accessories there? Most of the local gun stores I've visited have little to no stock, especially on accessories. It would be nice to at least handle some of the stuff before I buy...unlike ordering online. Any incite would be awesome...thanks.

 

[mustang_steve]

The stands do have a variety of goods, it's just the firearms are far mroe expensive than expected ($450 kel-Tec P11 anyone? I could get a Glock 26 at their brick and mortar store for $50 more at the time...), and it was just a mess of tacticool accessories for the most part, which simply go against my idea of a well-outfitted rifle.

Sadly the last one I went to, the stand with american made cutlery stood out the most....yep kitchen knives. If I hadn't already blown my money on jerky (my drug of choice), I would have bought some knives, as they were worth a try. I'm normally a Henkels man, but I'm willing to tray any American company out at least once.

The action was in the parking lot....well unless you wanted odds and ends like scrimshaw topped jewlery boxes (which were absolutely gorgeous, but way out of my pricerange). It's just I felt there wasn't as much gun in the show anymore there was just show.

If you're in the tampabay area, check out Bill Jackson's, Cracker Boys, Wain Roberts, and Knight Shooting Sports. If you want firearms, Deer Hunter up in Clearwater is a very good shop (they also have about any used S&W grip imaginable, it's where I got the pachmayrs for my square butt K frame, which was near impossible to find). Each shop has their niche and their flavor, but they have a wide inventory of goods. Bill Jacksons is like Knights in that they are crazy busy...they try their darndest to make things go smoothly, but don't expect the same service as you'd get at the smaller shops unless you come in at off-peak hours as there may be a dozen people lined up.

 

[Myles]

The last show that I went to in Lakeland was almost 20 years ago.

I snatched up a S&W 622 with target sights and beautiful walnut stocks for $200, and a Dawson #101 fixed blade knife for $190; Barry no longer makes this exact model, but this example is extremely close to this in dimensions, shape, and form - (similar to http://www.dawsonknives.com/freedom-fighter.html ), but with a sharpened false edge spear point blade, nicer stocks, and solid rivets.

The Smith is a paper puncher without flaw and a glass like trigger. Barry Dawson's knife has seen many years of hard use, and still has a flawless finish and could be used as a razor. It is my number 1 "Go-To" knife.

The Lakeland show was always a great venue, back when.

Segways at a gunshow? Huh - Okay, I guess, don't ask, don't tell. No offense intended.