Wanting to Go to The Wannemacher sic Gun Show what do I need to know?

[horsemen61]

Hey guys,


Me and my Friend are wanting to go to The Worlds Largest Gun Show in Tulsa in April what do we need to know?


Thank you for your thoughts

 

[horsemen61]

Anybody been? Have any ideas?

 

[lightman]

I've been to several, probably close to 50. Wear shoes or boots that are comfortable to walk in and that are broken in. Map out a route in your head and stick to it. The show is too big to walk around in at random. I walk around the edges and when I get back to the starting point I start doing the isles. I take a pencil and small pocket notebook to note the isle# of any interesting things that I may want to go back to look at. I usually manage to get separated from my buddies so we arrange a place to meet at for lunch and at closing time. Also discuss with your group anything that you're interested in. The more eyes looking the better! Book a motel room ahead of time. And enjoy the show!

 

[Kp321]

Take plenty of money! If you see something you like, go ahead and buy it. The show is so big either you can’t find it again or it will be gone when you come back.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

If you are there for 2 days, you may be able to see most if what is there. The mistake I made the first few times was to stop and look at all the cool stuff that I was never going to buy (like $30,000 Colts, full-auto everything, etc).
I was there for 6 hours and hadn't covered 1/4 of the place.

Now I go, and keep moving. I'm there for 1 day. No need to gawk at things I'm not going to buy.

Take money. More than that, take real money. If you see it and want it, make a deal now; it won't be there if you find the same table again later. Bring water and food, if possible.

 

[Electrod47]

Went to it last November. Like others have said. Take plenty of money. No junkers, no red hot deals. The Vendors are are mostly high end types. With all that said, It was a bucket list thing for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Found some hard to get brass and powder. Wear your most comfortable walkers, dress light and bring a backpack to keep your haul. That deep fried spicy chicken thing they sell on a stick is "yes" worth the 16.00 they charge for it.

 

[hso]

Research what you might pay for your "unicorn guns".

Take hundred dollar bills up to the max you are willing to spend and $100 in twenties.

Wear walking shoes. You're going to be on your feet all day.

 

[CapnMac]

Don't pay extra for a motel near the venue--plenty of places out in Broken Arrow or the like.
Probably as easy to get Lyft/Uber as navigate the parking lot.
If you go with a buddy, it will take longer to walk the aisles as you have twice as many eyes to get caught up on eye candy. But, you have somebody to talk to other than yourself.

The above ideas, about good shoes, and pacing yourself are also good, too.

 

[bannockburn]

lightman

I take a pencil and small pocket notebook to note the isle# of any interesting things that I may want to go back to look at.

This is what I eventually did when attending some of the larger shows around. I use to make a quick first lap around the tables, jotting down what I saw that caught my eye and where the table was located at. Once I had finished my initial "recon" I would assess my notes and prioritize what I was most interested in and go from there.

Though it has been quite a few years since I last attended a gun show, these were the two "must have" guns that I found!

 

[jag22]

I would make sure to arrive on Friday afternoon. Not sure if it is still there but there was police supply company I believe on Admiral out towards the airport. You could buy tickets there, believe me, the line to buy tickets is really, really long. In general, see if there is some way to buy tickets in advance.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Some good suggestions above. Make sure you have a pocket sized notebook and a pen. If you see something you may want to look at later, note the aisle number I guarantee, if you think you can remember where it was, you won't.

believe me, the line to buy tickets is really, really long

There used to be a way around that. If you're an NRA annual member, you can go to the front of the line to the NRA table. Pay your dues and they'll give you a ticket and usually a hat or something, and you can enter the show ahead of the ones waiting in line. Life members get screwed, which isn't right, but just the way it is.

The last time I was there, several years ago, I was looking for a 28 ga Wingmaster, something I had never even seen before. We found 6 or 7 of them, and I picked out the one I liked most. An early 1970s gun with less than a box fired through it. I think I paid $700 for it. (You won't find any "deals" at the show, those only happen Friday afternoon when the dealers are the only ones there.)

 

[N555]

It makes the ones in Dallas I went to sound tiny.

 

[Electricmo]

It truly is a magical experience. No used trying to explain. $$ talk. Walking shoes required.

 

[Englishmn]

The lower half of the last show from the middle.
If you have trouble with loud and crowded you won't like it.
Someone managed to fire a shotgun into the ceiling in the upper part while I was there.

 

[jag22]

I remember reading about that, I think a couple years earlier a 22 was fired and then there was the big stink about a couple of the dealers arrested for stealing. Also, there was a very valuable 1866 Winchester that was stolen, I don't believe that was ever solved. Somebody just picked it up and walked out with it.

 

[Ignition Override]

jag22: Yes, a dealer was caught on security video stealing a gun or two from his neighbor's table. There must have been previous suspicions in that immed. area, He was prosecuted iirc.

Englishmn: The aisles seemed wider than almost any other gun show I've attended (over 12 attended).
The lateral space, high ceilings and bright lighting plus windows translated (for me) into none of my usual 'social claustrophobia'.

horsemen61: Try to walk down every aisle, in a Huge series of zig zags, all over the building, and don't forget the downstairs section.

On this first patrol, go literally Nonstop (except to eat or 'nature stops') in order to cover any aisles with rifles (or handguns etc) which seem to be your general favorites, and will take quite a while. This is easy if you are alone, at least for the first quick tour.

Only slow down if you recognize a possible objective on a table. note where it is, as prev. suggested. If you want to look for a second example, immed. restart your patrol with no interruptions. All of this is generally only for people with specific objectives, and have a Plan B and C at the start, in case Plan (gun) A isn't avail, or is above your "highest acceptable price".

After you finally have finished a very steady, focused stroll by all such aisles and tables, take your time when returning to certain areas.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Someone managed to fire a shotgun into the ceiling in the upper part while I was there.

I was there at the time, maybe 50 feet from the incident. After the shotgun went off, it was almost dead silence in the place. First time I've ever heard it so quiet in there.
Security was there very quickly. The vendor was ejected, and the customer too, as I recall.

The show makes a real effort to ensure there are no loaded guns in the place. There are inspection tables at the entrance for zip-tie actions. Everyone is asked about loaded guns. Big signs everywhere.
Still, there is a negligent discharge almost every year.

 

[Englishmn]

I was there at the time, maybe 50 feet from the incident. After the shotgun went off, it was almost dead silence in the place. First time I've ever heard it so quiet in there.
Security was there very quickly. The vendor was ejected, and the customer too, as I recall.

The show makes a real effort to ensure there are no loaded guns in the place. There are inspection tables at the entrance for zip-tie actions. Everyone is asked about loaded guns. Big signs everywhere.
Still, there is a negligent discharge almost every year.

It did get real quiet.

Just so many people the odds of dumb stacking are almost guaranteed.

 

[horsemen61]

Thanks for the thoughts gents

 

[huntsman]

Are you buying guns or accessories?

 

[horsemen61]

Are you buying guns or accessories?

Never know it depends what catches my eye

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Never know it depends what catches my eye

That's the same way I approach that show. Sometimes I come out with a new (to me) firearm of some sort. Sometimes more than one.
On occasion I leave with a few accessories ; a holster perhaps, or some dies. Maybe some bullet moulds.

Sometimes I leave with nothing physical. I merely walked around and visited with a few vendors, or chatted with some show-goers.

I always enjoy myself.

 

[SunnySlopes]

I'm in Tulsa but stopped going to the show because the typical dealer has a serious disconnect between what they want for an item and what the market will bear.

Negligent discharges also happen, as noted. One year I got there early and yellow tape, broken glass and blood were noticeable. A dealer had neglected to check his inventory before arriving and discharged a shotgun which wounded his neighbor. Security immediately escorted him out and told to never return.

Thefts happen, too. One year a guy left his Glock on a vendor's table to have the sights replaced. Customer laid the gun down. Vendor affirmed he'd do it. Customer wandered over to a neighboring table. Customer returned a moment or two later. The vendor wasn't paying attention and somebody had slithered over and absconded with the Glock.

A couple 'a gang bangers stole some handguns off a table, but they were caught.

One of the years I opted to not go, that Sat morning I went to Walmart in a neighboring town to buy ammo. Two guys were there buying all Walmart's cheap 223 ammo. I asked them if it was for the show and they said yes. A lot of unsuspecting buyers on the horizon.

The only times I go is when I want something that isn't readily available. One year it was for a Remington 700 stainless left handed 30-06. No luck. I finally found it on Gunbroker.

The last time (several years ago), it was for a blued Colt Python. That one I found.