Went to a gun show today, prices were ridiculous

[XD-40 Shooter]

I will say that there were good deal's on powder, primers, and bullets for reloading. The plated 40 S&W bullets were running $70/1000, most of the pistol powders were running $17/1lb, and the primers, $21.50/1000. I've already got 3000 rounds loaded and plenty of powder on hand for my 40, so I didn't buy and powder or bullets, but I did buy another brick of primers.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

I worked a gun show today. Didn't sell a thing, but didn't expect to either. However since I sell safes, real ones not RSC's, I also realize that they just aren't impulse purchases.

The entry price to the show is $5.00. That's good for the run of the show, Friday evening through Sunday to 3 PM. That's a great deal in & of itself, let alone anything you find to buy! Or it's a possible 21 hours of entertainment for far less than a 2 hour, if your lucky, movie runs these days.

Yes, you're going to find liars, cheats, and thieves. Know-it-alls, and perfessers of all things military. Books on how to make your neighbor's life miserable - at least until the cops figure out who did it, and beanie babies galore. I, at least, sometimes enjoy a B.S. artist in full spate of mouth garbage, just to listen to the most amazing resonance that be formed in an empty skull.

OTOH, I've also found the odd little gem tucked away here or there. The reasonable F-T-F table, and listening to the security guards tell each other about the latest bozo uncovered.

It's entertainment guys & gals, lighten up and enjoy it!

900F

 

[cpttango30]

The last gun show I went to was really crappy. I seen one deal a Colt Delta Elite 10mm blued at least 95% blue. wanted $650 for it. I should have jumped on it but I wanted a scope. Oh well. seen a NIB Ruger 10/22 rifle guy wanted $450 for it. Seen plenty of $700 glocks and $600 XD.

The one big seller had guns priced like womens underpants the smaller they are and the less there the higher price. All the baby glocks were $750+ but people were buying them all day long.

 

[HammerBite]

I, at least, sometimes enjoy a B.S. artist in full spate of mouth garbage, just to listen to the most amazing resonance that be formed in an empty skull.

That was the best thing I have read on a gun board in a long time!

 

[49north]

I went to my first show in six months last week in spokane and had lots of fun. No great deals and not a lot of interesting/rare weapons to gawk at but it was still fun. Had a few nice visits with some older veterans who enjoyed chatting and met a nice fella named Bruce who was quite knowledgeable about pistols.
Only found 4 cases of 762r in the show!! and bought one for $180 otd for brown bear fmj. John also sold me 140 rds bb wolf hp and 60 rds norince fmj for $24..allright! Not much ammo at all, SA 762 battle packs $75..whoa boy.
Found a nice m38 russian for $110, sksm's were $400 and $425 for new and a nice long collar milled tg arsenal 26 sks for $225 as well as lots of overpriced beater sks rifles. After the show stopped by a local pawnshop and bought a latter laminate refurb russian sks in excellent shape for $240 otd.

 

[milo z]

At the last gunshow I went to, there were about ten times as many Garands on tables as there were a few months ago.

The CMP really needs to cut that 12/year limit down a bit.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

I think most gun show dealers have never actually checked the prices on that "Internet" thingy

Or at Academy Sports, Big 5, or Wal-Mart. Actually, some could easily be buying their products there, adding $50, and selling them.

I've seen break-action NEFs, clearly used, asking $150. Similar for the exact same models of 10/22 and Marlin 60 you can get by driving down the street to Academy Sports.

On the bright side, I bought a Marlin 39 for $175, a Ruger MkII w/ holster for $150, seen $325 Plainfield M1 carbines, etc.

The CMP really needs to cut that 12/year limit down a bit.

The goal of CMP is not to give every gun-lover a super-sweet deal on a Garand, it's to promote rifle shooting, which they mainly do through competitions, including many youth competitions and training. Those programs are funded, in part, by rifle sales.

They can get great deals on Garands that can't be re-imported by any other entity, but a stroke of a pen could change their status and cut them off forever. Can you blame them for moving the rifles out as fast as possible? Getting them on the free market is better than having them stacked and burned.

 

[Cannonball888]

wow guys...i'm new to shooting and was looking forward to a local gun show next month to try and find a SA .22....you all have deflated my expectations

WELCOME

An Ode to the gun show By McUZI (edited)

Saturday's a coming And I can't wait
Gunna hurry on over, Cuz I can't be late
I'm going to the place We all love and know
The local overpriced nightmare gun show

I had to park my car twelve miles away
The walk to the door takes me half a gosh darn day
I go to the door and pay my entrance fee
Walk around the floor, to see what I can see.

I get a sample Beef Jerky that taste old and stale
Some lady's selling left over garbage from her last garage sale
I see a table with some hardware that's looking mighty fine
I pass a pair of homies gawking at a Tec-9
I get to the table and what do I see?
A gun I've always wanted. There just for me.

I ask the dude behind the table, (How much is this thing)?
I was hoping that the price was right and wasn't going to sting
He thought for a second, and rubbed his Grizzly Adams beard
His demeanor got somber, and his face looked weird

"This very gun was used by a NAVY SEAL
but I'm in a good mood, so I'll cut you a deal
Ordinarily, I'd need to get a grand for this gun
But I'll sell it for $800, howse that sound to ya son?"

I about soiled my pants!
"$800? EAT MY SOCK!
It's a worn out police trade-in ratty old Glock
I think you were drinking when you wrote your price tags
So you can keep your stupid Glock and your lame post-ban mags"

But I didn't despair, I just went on my way
The Class-3 table ought to brighten my day
The man behind the table was a sketchy old cat
With dark tinted glasses and a MOLON LABE hat

He stood there looking proud at all his full-auto goodies
The kind of guns that could give a gun-nut woodies
I asked him how much he wanted for the Colt M-16?
He snapped his head around and started to scream

"THESE GUNS AREN'T FOR SALE!
DIDN'T YOU KNOW?
I ONLY SHOW THEM OFF AT EVERY GUN SHOW!
I HAVE NOTHING IN THIS WORLD, NO KIDS, NO WIFE
WITHOUT MY MACHINE GUNS I'D HAVE NO LIFE!"

His arms were flailing 'round like a bat out of hell
And just at that moment, I caught a horrible smell
I felt kind of bad, but it still made me laugh
What he has is machineguns, what he needs is a bath

So I pulled up my shirt to cover my face
My eyes were tearing up like I got nailed with mace
I walked off quick, the smell was just too rude
Till I got to the table of the C&R dude

"This rifle is handpicked and personally chosen
by the Czar of Russia as the Worlds finest Mosin
Now lest you think it's out of your price range
I'll let this gem go for $200 and change"

I said "Dude, your nuts. Out of your freaking mind.
Those guns sell for $50, for the exact same kind"
He got really mad, and threw a hissy-fit
So I told him he could keep his outdated old kit

I needed some ammo, so over I went
To the ammo display in the green army tent
The ammo guy named Tom told me to come in
And look through the baggies in the little blue bin...

He said his 10mm ammo should be somewhere in there
Loaded by his drunk brother Willie, hot enough to kill bear.
I politely declined, and wandered back out on the floor
And slowly but surely made my way back to the door.

As I left the building. the promoter said "Have a nice day"
To which I replied "Your gun show was lame"
They asked if I had plans on ever coming back?
Yeah. Maybe the next time I'm strung out on crack

The moral of the story is "modern gun shows suck"
And are no longer the place to go if you want to save a buck
While there are things there that we'd all like to get
It's all just overpriced crap bought off the internet.

 

[darkwing]

Enjoy the gunshows while you can.

 

[MisterPX]

A battle pack of 140 rounds of South African .308 - which I bought for $25 the last time I went looking for it at a show - was now $75...!!!

Haven't bought much 308 surplus lately eh?
That was actually about fair market price nowadays.

 

[jaholder1971]

Went to the Emporia, Ks show yesterday.

Ammo, commercial or surplus, wasn't to be found. I did find a few older boxes of russian 7.62X39 HP for $3.50/box.

A lot of reloading supplies, albeit expensive. Several Browning HP's at decent prices. K-frame S&W's prices were laughed at.

Last Emporia show I was at I saw one clown that I know was carrying around 3 Soviet SVT rifles he was selling. The problem was he was out on bond for rape, attempted murder and aggravated domestic battery 4 counties away! Pretty certain he was in violation of his bond.

 

[2sigs]

Yeah they ain't what they used to be....I used to hit every show within driven distance(basically about 2hours) back in the 80's, that was great SKS and a 2 tuna cans(1440rds.) of ammo out the door for less than $150 bucks. Them were the days, the shows have always been interesting and as far back as I remember there have always been a deal to be had for somebody but there has also been that guy trying to make a fast buck off anybody. I still enjoy the shows but I don't go to them all, I don't go as far and I don't go expecting to get a bargain. The shows are entertainment and even though I belly ache that $5-6.00 is tooo much its still cheaper than many things we enjoy doing.

I mostly go to visit old friends and have a good time looking.. I like that!

Thing I've learned at Gunshows is that they all smell the same !!!!!!!!!

-2sigs

 

[rugerdude]

Wow, I loved the poem!

Gunshows aren't always bad. I've found at least 2 honest sellers, and I'll be seeking them out at the next Wanenmacher's gun show on the 20th (though, it will probably take me ages to find them). The restraunt I work at (Albert G's BBQ) caters the show, so we get a few free passes and free entry to deliver the food.

HSM had a booth set up at the last one and had really good deals on ammo. It was all remanufactured, and I had 2 duds out of 100 but 7 bucks for a box of .357! I'll buy more if they show up again.

I go mostly for selection and ammo. The guns I buy at shows are ones I just can't find elsewhere. The only gunshop that stocks milsurps is just like a permamnent gunshow. Crappy yugo SKS's for $250!!!!! I bought my excellent condition one for 150 a couple years ago.

 

[rugerdude]

Oh, and why is it that sellers at gunshows think idiots are rich!??!?!?

 

[Sharps-shooter]

We used to have a really nice gun and knife show here. There would always be lots of homemade bp rifles, class III dealers, civil war and WWII stuff, and so on. Now there's a show every 3 months or so, but it gets worse and worse every time. I think it's partly because the same stuff that used to be gun-show only is now readily available elsewhere. All the weird books on how to make napalm or survive nuclear winter are available online; there are a couple gun shops that weren't in town before; etc.

When I first got into shooting, nobody in town (that I could find) carried 45-70 ammo. So I got it at the gunshow, six months' worth at a time. Similarly, none of the gun shops (that I knew of) carried ar-15 or AK type rifles. Now they do. I suppose that as it became more readily available elsewhere, selling this stuff at gun and knife shows must have become less profitable. People stopped doing it. Old folks retired and their kids didn't take over the business, people opened web sites to hock their wares. Some, like the sister from the table that used to sell ar-15 stuff, moved onward and upward; she has a company now that makes whole black rifles. Others were probably less successful. In any case, when they left, no one seems to have replaced them.

Last time I went to a gunshow (last spring, I think), I couldn't even find any 45-70 ammo. I counted 24 tables (compared to hundreds, if I remember right, years ago), and they all semed to be selling the same things-- youth model 22's, pistol-grip-only mossberg shotguns, that big spring that goes in the buttstock of an ar 15, cheapo tactical folding knives, and an 8mm mauser. Gone were the great deals on lake city ammo, gone the class 3 dealers and Cold Steel machete vendors, The civil war/rendezvous people and the marketers of pre-paid legal services. Even the guy who used to sell Nazi memorabilia and books on the Zionist conspiracy, had apparently found something better to do with himself.

So, I stopped going, and so did my brother (and presumably lots of other people), and they made even less money, and probably fewer of the vendors came back. Seems to be going the way of the Sears Catalog.

I will miss gun shows. But I won't miss the snacks from them. I always felt weird about buying food and lead from the same place.

 

[MIL-DOT]

"that's good ?? i believe classicarms has them for $289. i agree, gunshows have been a waste of time for a while now."

"but add $50-75 shipping and FFL fees along with whatever discount you can get off the $400 list price and it comes out a lot closer. "



nope, try $40 for shipping and FFL, and you forgot to add the $7 gunshow entry fee, then $30 tax to the $400 gunshow wasr ak. still not very close.

 

[milo z]

The goal of CMP is not to give every gun-lover a super-sweet deal on a Garand, it's to promote rifle shooting, which they mainly do through competitions, including many youth competitions and training. Those programs are funded, in part, by rifle sales.

I don't care about them giving everyone a great deal - I care about them (by accident) acting as a wholesaler for some dealers and speculators who then mark them up for those ignorant of the CMP's existence.

How many of their requirements are mandated by law? Couldn't they move more rifles to individuals with fewer hoops to jump through?

 

[subierex]

Costs me $7 just to get into my local show. The ONLY thing I consider buying at the shows are powder, primer, and bullets. The local gunshops have the same powders, usually about 5 bucks more/pound, so if I'm not buying more than one pound, I'm better off at the shop.

 

[milo z]

I saw some SA .308 last weekend - priced higher than the retail .308 that was around.

 

[joplinsks]

The only good firearms deals I've found at gun shows are via the FTF private sellers carrying their stuff around on their backs or in carts. They bring their guns for the vendors to make offers and find out the vendors want to lowball them to the hilt. Very easy to get a good deal this way.

For the most part, every regional gun shop around here will beat gun show vendor pricing by 25% or more on firearms. Even the gun show vendors who have shops will significantly hike their stuff up at the show and the same goes for their Gunbroker internet auctions.

 

[sweetkicker]

I just went to an ohio gun show and everything was out of hand. 2.00 for a hot dog, 150 for a beat up .22, 250 for a bad sks, everything was marked way to high and no one would deal.

I remember not to long ago you could afford to buy a gun.
is it just me or is everyone marking guns up by $80 at least just because everyone wants more money

 

[2sigs]

I just went to an ohio gun show and everything was out of hand. 2.00 for a hot dog

What kind was it? Oscar Mayer or Johnsonville, Were condiments included or sold as accessories?

I think that may be part of the smell I mentioned earlier

 

[SuperNaut]

I'm seeing it now: Chuck Norris Tactical Jerky, molded into the shape of a picatinny rail. There's my first million right there.

 

[SaMx]

I'm seeing it now: Chuck Norris Tactical Jerky, molded into the shape of a picatinny rail. There's my first million right there.

you're going to be rich!

 

[Average Joe]

I do much better on the web, than at shows.