Went to a gunshow today

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lionking

lionking

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First one I have gone to in three years. Ammo? Plenty of it for the most part but jacked up prices, $15 for a box of 50 Thunderbolt .22. I never thought I'd see a day where .22 could be priced so high, it is disgusting.

I was also taken back how a S&W revolver like a 686 is pushing $900to almost $1000 price tag. What the %%%%% made a S&W so expensive now?

A couple run of the mill Mosin 91, $235.00 was the asking price.

There were so many AR-15 M4 variants for sale it seemed like it was a AR gun show. Average price $1300 for a Bushmaster or S&W.

The milsurp supply seems drained these days, couple of Mosin for $235, couple of Swiss K31 and Yugo Mausers for $400. One guy had some Arisaka and a couple Swedish mausers.

There was other typical stuff and guns but that is a basic run down.

Does Georgia arms still do shows with ammo? Didn't see them there.

But I did score a bag of 50 .45 win mag for $38 and I bought this Sig 220 off a gift card. So it was successful for me.:cool:

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/p220-elite-dark.aspx
 
Bushie's down here are now $750. P-mags are $16 to (no in stores, not gunshows.)

Give it time and the prices will go down.

I've given up on gunshows as they are now becoming gun ripoff shows.

Deaf
 
lionking said:
Does Georgia arms still do shows with ammo? Didn't see them there.
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The last gun show I went to in early spring, Georgia Arms was there but with very limited ammo quantities at inflated prices.

If they had had any less ammo, it probably wouldn't have been worth their time and money to bother showing up. With components so hard to get, they may be sitting out some shows due to lack of merchandise to sell.
 
I don't do gun shows anymore. The last one I went to everything I looked at was overpriced and that was before the panic. I have heard nothing but bad about current shows. Decades ago I got some deals on ammo, but never on a gun.
 
Run of the mill Mosin Nagant 91/30 $170 had a table full and not moving.Ammo 45acp $30-50, 7.62x54R $6. for 20 rds East block surplus. Lots of lookers little buying,some scalping some deals Fedreal 22s $50 a brick went fast.
 
I went to a gun show yesterday and the guns and ammunition are way beyond what I'd pay except for FFL dealers that were there. Found a deal on a spotting scope and odds and ends.

Kind of begs the question as to who the non-FFL sellers target audience is.
 
Gun shows are no longer the same. 10 - 15 years ago they were the place to shop but now they are over done and over priced.

I will probably never attend one again. It is almost a place for guys to show what they have and place a ridiculous price so no one will buy. A place for trophies not commerce.

My LGS (multiple) beats all the prices I have seen at any "gun show" in the past many years.
 
Right now obviously its not a good time to buy. If you plan on never going to one, that is up to you. Its my experience that a gunshow is the only place you can see and checkout a large inventory of guns without having to travel to many individual gun stores instead.

If you are patient, you can still find deals mostly on accesories and low-demand ammo (7.62x54R and x39). Every other caliber is going to be expensive, but at least you know they are available vs your empty Walmart ammo shelves.
 
Still love going, but only bought a cool little flashlight last time. Always need ammo of course, but I have been getting better deals on bulk purchases on Gunbroker than our local shows (and that's pretty sad). Every retail LGS I frequent only has "obscure" calibers and shotgun shells. The drama continues around here...
 
lionking said:
First one I have gone to in three years. Ammo? Plenty of it for the most part but jacked up prices, $15 for a box of 50 Thunderbolt .22. I never thought I'd see a day where .22 could be priced so high, it is disgusting.

I was also taken back how a S&W revolver like a 686 is pushing $900to almost $1000 price tag. What the %%%%% made a S&W so expensive now?

A couple run of the mill Mosin 91, $235.00 was the asking price.

There were so many AR-15 M4 variants for sale it seemed like it was a AR gun show. Average price $1300 for a Bushmaster or S&W.

The milsurp supply seems drained these days, couple of Mosin for $235, couple of Swiss K31 and Yugo Mausers for $400. One guy had some Arisaka and a couple Swedish mausers.

There was other typical stuff and guns but that is a basic run down.

Does Georgia arms still do shows with ammo? Didn't see them there.

But I did score a bag of 50 .45 win mag for $38 and I bought this Sig 220 off a gift card. So it was successful for me.:cool:

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/p220-elite-dark.aspx
Click to expand...
At least you have a GUN show. Where I live they're large army surplus fairs or flea markets. Almost half of tables have junk not related to firearms. At last show I found only one worthy firearm B.C. Miroku copy of Colt service revolver in excellent shape for $265.
 
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The ones I go to truly are for showing and not selling. I see the same old geezers with their overpriced guns they bring to every show with no intention of selling at a reasonable price. Any reasonable offer made is like an insult to them. However, they don't think they are insulting when they throw lowball offers at every guy that walks by carrying a gun.
 
Albuquerque gun show had deals if you looked. I saw CMP bricks of Remington .22 LR priced at a high of $115 to a low of $45. I almost bought a Norinco 1911 for $450 but passed. Saw another for $550. .223 ammo was in abundance, prices anywhere from .27 to over $1 a round. I bought some small items only because I have plenty of ammo and I really didn't see any guns I had to have. It definitely pays to shop around.
 
I stopped going to gun shows when attendees stopped wearing deoderant. When four or five people were allowed to block the aisle to talk about which Depends they all wear. When yokels were allowed to roll side-by-side strollers down the aisle.

Now, buying a gun today means 1) getting a cup of coffee, 2) sitting in my leather recliner, 3) getting my laptop, 4) clicking on gunbroker, etc.
 
Yeah I hear ya and I ranted a little also but there is a good side to them also. There are times when you do actually find something for a fair deal, and a show is a good way to get a hands on experience to help you decide what you like.

There is also that hoping that you may find something at a good or at least fair deal though sometimes you may leave disappointed.

Through time 20 years worth I have scored some nice finds at gun shows, probably half of what I have has been from a gun show.

I just miss the days when Winchester and Colt were current mainstream production. I saw a couple current production Marlin lever actions on the tables and the quality specially the wood seemed cheap. It seems like 80 % of guns at a show are either Ruger, Glock or some type of AR/M4.

By the way the couple AK I saw were mostly WASR and price tags were around $800 for them lol. A couple Arsenal and Saiga over $1000. Seems the AR/M4 has become the over abundant gun which I love the gun but would like to see a little less of them and more of other kinds.
 
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I hear ya. Thirty years ago hands on might have meant something.

Today, I know what I want and I know exactly what to look for. I don't need to pay an entrance fee, walk around for (here in Tulsa with our 4000 table show) for 8 hours, handle the merch, etc.

Like I said, I can accomplish more perusing gunbroker.
 
I stopped going to gun shows when attendees stopped wearing deoderant. When four or five people were allowed to block the aisle to talk about which Depends they all wear. When yokels were allowed to roll side-by-side strollers down the aisle.

Now, buying a gun today means 1) getting a cup of coffee, 2) sitting in my leather recliner, 3) getting my laptop, 4) clicking on gunbroker, etc.
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I've never shopped on Gunbroker. The recent panic and crazy pricing seen on Gunbroker has me somewhat turned-off, just like CTD (which actually used to be a very good place to shop online).

I guess if you can afford it or don't mind paying a little extra for shipping and transfer fees, that is the way to go. What scares me most of the time are used guns that I have no idea if they even function correctly or what surprises are waiting. New guns are obviously different. For that I just go to my LGS.
 
I went to what I believe to be my last gun show on Saturday.
As said previously, everyone had AR variants.
Powder was $35 lb, and $235 for the large.
I saw .22's at $150. for 500 rounds.
Jewelry vendors? Really???
I would have liked to spot a few mags for my M&P. Forget it.
I couldn't find 9mm brass for under 50 cents apiece, used even.

What a waste of time and money that was.
 
Bushie's down here are now $750. P-mags are $16 to (no in stores, not gunshows.)
Click to expand...

Same.

Even a local WALMART has plenty of rifles in stock including a DPMS in the six hundred range.
 
I guess if you can afford it or don't mind paying a little extra for shipping
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The last gun I bought was a Ruger #1. Cf this thread:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=712439

I found a 98% + #1 in 30-06 for $750. Shipping was $25. Transfer was $25. I paid $800 for a rifle that normally sells for ~$1000.

Before that it was a Browning 1885 in 22 Hornet with Leupold 3-9x40 scope. Again, I paid considerably less than the package normally goes for.

My point is that there are bargains/fair deals to be had on gunbroker. But you probably don't want to go there to shop for items that every other joe shmoe is looking for. Buying at the peak is rarely sound advice. Then again, if you're shopping a gun show for an AR at the peak of the craze, you're not going to find any deals there either.
 
I like to go once or twice a year, but since December, lines are too long and prices are too high. Little spare time, also - I usually wind up determining that I'd rather go to the range :) And two of my favorite LGS don't go anyway...
 
Well, I would just add that not all gun shows are the same. If your local gunshow is lame, then I feel sorry for you. Staying home and shopping online is a smarter choice in that case.
 
lionking:
The guy who listed his very common WASR for $800 must have watched "brandon401401" on Youtube with iron sights, in a free stance, hitting gongs from 200+ yards with his WASR.
Lots of these sellers only hope to snag one visitor who hasn't heard about what happened in the US Senate weeks ago.
 
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