[JMS]

I think the key is knowing your prices and going in looking for specific things.

 

[sciolist]

Instead, try "The narwhal bacons at midnight."

Bring tendies

That may get you more than the thing that flips up in back.

 

[ca survivor]

Since I can order on line, my guns necessities, I haven't been at a Gun Show in a long time also.

 

[Lunch Meat]

I just asked my wife and we haven't been to a gun show in at least 6 years. The last one we went to I seem to remember most of the "dealers" being being pawn shop owners who simply brought in their inventory and dumped it on a table.

The last gun related thing I bought from a gun show was a holster from http://m.michaelkole.com/ it was worth the price but it wasn't anything spectacular. I also bought a nylon magazine pouch for about 10 bucks that I still have but that's about it.

I can get Blazer Brass ammunition cheaper from SGammo or Ammoman cheaper than I can get reloads at a gun show.

I don't waste my time anymore

 

[Darkangel1846]

My gun club puts on a show twice a year, I go to support the club. Only occasionally do I see a deal on a gun. Mostly it's MSRP pricing. but there are deals on magazines, holsters, gun accessories and ammo. Plus I have nothing better to do on a sunday morning.

 

[Tvov]

Interesting to read this thread. I was thinking of hitting a gun show this spring... the last one I went to has to be 25 years ago. The best thing I saw at that show was at a holster booth... lots of really nice looking holsters of all types, but what really caught my eye was the solid cast aluminum guns they had made to show off the holsters. I asked if I could buy the Glock aluminum "demo", but they said no. They said many people had asked about them!

 

[303_enfield]

I go to shows to buy what's coming in the door. That $125 No1 Mk III that everybody passed on was a 1913 Lithgow. Almost broke my arm pulling the wallet out.

 

[DienBienPhu]

I tried attending gun shows to stock up on spare parts / magazines / recoil springs, etc

but the gun show vendors never have anything, I tried for years until I just ordered a magazine spring I needed for a Browning HP on ebay, I gave the gun show a chance but they never stock anything like that

online sales is the best way to shop these days.

 

[Terry G]

I used to save up and wait for two large Gun Show's that took about between an 80 to a 100 mile drive. Last two times I hit both I found the same thing that's been posted. Jewelry, leather belt's, ammunition that was way overpriced and handloads I wouldn't touch. The gun's were no bargain. Also, maybe I've finally acquired all the guns I want. Nah, that's not it.

 

[maxmanta]

I go to shows to buy what's coming in the door. That $125 No1 Mk III that everybody passed on was a 1913 Lithgow. Almost broke my arm pulling the wallet out.

Admitted, there is the rare unicorn...

 

[triaxle]

I still go from time to time , you can still see Win , M1s, parts that you will not see around the gun shops . The ammo sucks ,you can get it anywhere for their prices .

 

[CHNeal]

I don’t bother with the gun shows anymore. 10$ bucks or more to get in to see tables of crap and over priced guns and ammo.
The last one I went to was with my brother early last year. We stopped at a booth selling some ammo at “ best case prices available anywhere “ so we started looking around and my brother finds he’s seliing blazer brass 124 gr for +$260 a thousand. I told the guy he was high he gets a bit indignat and says if I can find it cheaper I should buy it so I got out my phone and went to targetsports and bought a case for 199.00 delivered to my door. Showed the guy the invoice on my phone and he tells me “ it’s cheap pricks like you that’s killing family business’s” lol what an assbag that guy was.
That last show was my last show.

 

[USMC03Grunt]

I used to go to a lot of gun shows in the area back in the 80s and early to mid 90s. I managed to snag up a few deals like an 1903 Springfield for $125 and a fairly cheap M1 carbine but that was then and this is now. Today, it's like every other place, worn out junk, MSRP prices, overpriced milsurps and ammo, beany babies and jerky. Every now and then I will go to one on the off-chance I can run across a deal or find some obscure part but in reality, the only thing I have bought at a gun show in years was a rubber stamp on my hand.

 

[sullyxlh]

I remember in the 80’s and early 90’s you could find deals at gun shows. Now it’s nothing but overpriced weapons, old ammo and assorted junk. Around here the bigger shows you not only pay admission but parking fees. It’s usually not even worth attending inlesx I have time to waste and just want to browse.

Agreed
The shows at the old 8 mile Light Guard Armory were the best..

 

[tommyd78]

Best thing I got at a gun show was from a guy selling bags of Peet's dark roast coffee . I bought all he had and went back the following year looking for him.

 

[glock1097]

Agreed
The shows at the old 8 mile Light Guard Armory were the best..

Even a few of the Silverdome shows were okay.

 

[OXMYX]

Luckily where I'm at the t-shirt/pepper spray/butterfly knife gun show promoters got run off by the real promoters. The dealers have to display 85% guns or gun accessories. So the secondary cities get the junk shows. Go to a major show, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Deputydave]

It has been a long time since I have been to a gun show. The last gun show I went to I was VERY disappointed. There were a lot of Knick knack tables...flea market type of items. I have been reading that a lot of this has been cleaned up.

But I think my biggest disappointment was paying $10 or $15 per person to get in and finding that everything in the show was VERY over priced. It was during the time that gun sales and prices were through the roof but I could have driven to an LGS just down the road and paid considerably less for the ammo and guns that were for sale.

So I am curious if all of this has changed or will it be more of the same?? I remember a day ( loooong time ago ) where you could go to a gun show and find deals on things you were looking for.

Last one I went to was a month before the election. It has literally been over 20 years since I had gone to one so figured I'd give it a shot. Wasted money on parking and admittance! Sure it was pre-election panic pricing but c'mon...some turkey was asking over $400 for a Taurus PT111 G2 when they were priced in the low $200's at any store! Walked out disappointed and will very likely not attend another. Waste of time and money. I get better deals on Armslist.

 

[Valmet]

I rarely go to gun shows anymore and when I do I go all out to Louisville or Tulsa. The shows around here in Virginia are ok for ammo and accessories but not so much in the way of guns anymore unless you’re looking for the garden-variety AR or polymer handgun.

 

[cliffb]

We go to the Big Show at the GSR in Reno every so often just to walk around the tables and see what they got. The show is huge and it can literally take a couple of hours. Last thing I actually bought was 5K CCI #41 primers for a better price than I could order them for online. The family likes looking at the western stuff.