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Posted: 10/11/2021 5:53:18 PM EDT
This weekend was the VERY LAST the last Knob Creek machine gun shoot & trading show. Overall, it was a GREAT show. I believe there were over 20,000 people there. I sat in a 2 1/2 hour snails pace traffic jam on Friday morning, and a 4 hour snails pace traffic jam on Saturday, just to get in. There were lots of treasures to be found there. One arfcom member relayed to me that he found 23 early bend gas tubes for only $60.00. Another arfcom member found an early XM16E1 upper, complete with M VP 12 barrel for only $200. I started off a little slow, but then I found a green 601 stock for $150, followed by a brown 601 grip for $10. Later, I found two brown 601 stocks, and a green 601 stock for $200 for the three. Then I found 5 mint Stoner mag pouches for $100, followed by two nice 604 uppers for $80 each. My best find was two 601 uppers with about 95% original finish, both with large pad port doors, and one with the original rear sight for $100 each. I also found LOTS of small retro parts, as well as some nice m231 parts, m203 parts, and m79 parts. What treasures did you find there?
 601 parts  M231 parts  M203 & M79 parts  “N” marked Colt stocks Unfortunately, I did not take photos of the 604 & 601 uppers before I traded them off |
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Posted: 10/11/2021 6:05:25 PM EDT
[#1]
Photos or it didn't happen
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Posted: 10/11/2021 6:11:02 PM EDT
[#2]
Shit... I didn't know it was the last show. Lots of fond memories from past years. Knob Creek was a lot of fun!
Accountant |
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Posted: 10/11/2021 6:29:56 PM EDT
[#3]
Quoted: This weekend was the VERY LAST the last Knob Creek machine gun shoot & trading show. Overall, it was a GREAT show. I believe there were over 20,000 people there. I sat in a 2 1/2 hour snails pace traffic jam on Friday morning, and a 4 hour snails pace traffic jam on Saturday, just to get in. There were lots of treasures to be found there. One arfcom member relayed to me that he found 23 early bend gas tubes for only $60.00. Another arfcom member found an early XM16E1 upper, complete with M VP 12 barrel for only $200. I started off a little slow, but then I found a green 601 stock for $150, followed by a brown 601 grip for $10. Later, I found two brown 601 stocks, and a green 601 stock for $200 for the three. Then I found 5 mint Stoner mag pouches for $100, followed by two nice 604 uppers for $80 each. My best find was two 601 uppers with about 95% original finish, both with large pad port doors, and one with the original rear sight for $100 each. I also found LOTS of small retro parts, as well as some nice m231 parts, m203 parts, and m79 parts. What treasures did you find there? Not much. But then again I’m not a retro fan or class 3 guy. I did find an HK45 mag. But I couldn’t find a single Star BM/BKS magazine. I seem to remember there being more oddball magazine dealers in years past. I found one brick of small pistol primers but it was $150 and it sold while I was watching. Lots of ammo by the case available at prices showing a slight retraction, but not much. Except for .22LR. The local Walmart has Automatch boxes of 325 on the shelf for $21 while bricks of Aguila Super Extra were still $60+ at the show. |
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Posted: 10/11/2021 6:37:48 PM EDT
[#4]
I bought a Guatemalan contract pre sample AR-10. It has one issue the rear sight spins. I figured it was missing probably a roll pin. I have the Armalite AR-10 history book and it has one not legible parts schematic.
If anyone knows what size the pin was or what kept the rear sight from spinning let me know via pm please. The shoot was alright. The range should have sloped the dirt uphill rear of the firing line about 2” per foot for maybe 40 feet so viewers could see the firing line. That would better support visiting spectators in huge numbers like that. My wife and I held my boys up so they could see the shoot, but there were way too many people there to really see the guns even above eye level. I hit the George S Patton museum and the National Air Force museum on the trip. |
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Posted: 10/11/2021 6:48:10 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I bought a Guatemalan contract pre sample AR-10. |
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Posted: 10/11/2021 7:02:30 PM EDT
[#6]
Knob Creek was definitely not ready for the huge crowd - they sold out of t-shirts on the first day, and they ran out of food as well. According to my Fitbit, I walked over 25 miles in two days
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Posted: 10/11/2021 8:07:25 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Knob Creek was definitely not ready for the huge crowd - they sold out of t-shirts on the first day, and they ran out of food as well. According to my Fitbit, I walked over 25 miles in two days Why was it the last? I had every intention of one day making it there... Looks like that ship has sailed. |
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Posted: 10/11/2021 8:31:33 PM EDT
[#8]
The owner had been doing it for 50 years, and probably has millions stacked up in his basement. He was also becoming increasingly paranoid of liability, and he was frustrated that he cannot find enough people willing to work, thanks to all of the free money they get
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Posted: 10/11/2021 8:35:47 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Why was it the last? I had every intention of one day making it there... Looks like that ship has sailed. I was told the people who put it on were bored of it, 2 a year for 50 years. I think its strength is really in a place to peruse stuff for sale. The lines getting in were crazy. I got in at like 4pm after two hours moving about one mile to park. Im not sure what the laws for highway parking are and didn’t want to get ticketed or towed. We had seen the lines at 11 and went to GSP museum to kill time thinking lines would clear up. They didn’t. I stayed after the first night shoot, thousands of people left, and we still would have had to hold the boys over our heads for them to see because it was still just as packed after the thousands left from the first wave of the night shoot. We left at that point. It was like a gun version of woodstock to have that many people in the mud. |
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Posted: 10/11/2021 8:55:41 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I was told the people who put it on were bored of it, 2 a year for 50 years. I think its strength is really in a place to peruse stuff for sale. The lines getting in were crazy. I got in at like 4pm after two hours moving about one mile to park. Im not sure what the laws for highway parking are and didn’t want to get ticketed or towed. We had seen the lines at 11 and went to GSP museum to kill time thinking lines would clear up. They didn’t. I stayed after the first night shoot, thousands of people left, and we still would have had to hold the boys over our heads for them to see because it was still just as packed after the thousands left from the first wave of the night shoot. We left at that point. It was like a gun version of woodstock to have that many people in the mud. Precisely why I wanted to go lol |
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Posted: 10/11/2021 11:28:50 PM EDT
[#11]
Tom,
Please let the member that for 23 early bend has tubes that if they are magnetic I need two! Lol… Congrats on the great scores! |
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Posted: 10/11/2021 11:34:48 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Tom, Please let the member that for 23 early bend has tubes that if they are magnetic I need two! Lol… Congrats on the great scores! Yeah I could use some magnetic ones too lol |
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Posted: 10/12/2021 12:18:10 AM EDT
[#13]
I will miss it. Lots of neat treasures and people.
?  
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Posted: 10/12/2021 3:30:09 AM EDT
[#14]
How early did they find that early XM16E1 upper?
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Posted: 10/12/2021 4:36:57 AM EDT
[#15]
tldr
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Posted: 10/12/2021 9:19:05 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Tom, Please let the member that for 23 early bend has tubes that if they are magnetic I need two! Lol… Congrats on the great scores! Sorry, none of them were magnetic, and he sold them for a nice profit to another dealer. |
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Posted: 10/12/2021 10:20:19 AM EDT
[#17]
Now I know why I didn’t see you there Tom, when you weren’t stuck in traffic you were out getting all the good deals!
 I managed to dig 7 no drain hand guards from a pile. Enough for 3 pairs and maybe a mate for one I’ve got in my stash. Still need to check. Also picked up a crate of practice grenade bodies and parts that Century was blowing out Saturday afternoon. Decent deal and a nice piece of history. |
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Posted: 10/12/2021 10:31:46 AM EDT
[#18]
I haven't been able to make it to Knob Creek since 2012 and before that was around 2005, when you live in New England and work or go to school full time it's difficult to make a 3 or 4 day vacation to get down and back.
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Posted: 10/12/2021 11:03:01 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Now I know why I didn’t see you there Tom, when you weren’t stuck in traffic you were out getting all the good deals! I managed to dig 7 no drain hand guards from a pile. Enough for 3 pairs and maybe a mate for one I’ve got in my stash. Still need to check. Also picked up a crate of practice grenade bodies and parts that Century was blowing out Saturday afternoon. Decent deal and a nice piece of history. @57Octane How much was century blowing out the Grenade crates for on Saturday? I purchased two crates on Wednesday for $250 each. I was going to wait, but at the last show they sold out before I could get any, and since this was the last time I would see them, I thought I should grab them |
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Posted: 10/12/2021 11:25:01 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: @57Octane How much was century blowing out the Grenade crates for on Saturday? I purchased two crates on Wednesday for $250 each. I was going to wait, but at the last show they sold out before I could get any, and since this was the last time I would see them, I thought I should grab them They marked them down to $140 sometime after noon Saturday. That’s when I picked up mine. They were still $250 that morning. They went quick after the price drop. |
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Posted: 10/12/2021 10:24:05 PM EDT
[#21]
Nice retro score
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Posted: 10/14/2021 3:45:53 AM EDT
[#22]
I was to busy shooting to do much shopping but I should have done more from the looks of it.
I did score a NOS A1 LM forge code stripped A1 upper for $50 Steyr AUG kit for $179 for when I get off my ass and get my SOT so I can make a post sample Some pistol lights for $35 each and picked up a 9mm Colt SMG kit for $625 Century was offering dealer pricing on dealer setup day  Attached FileMy buddies tank, that’s Ceiner in the turret with him and he had the shooting spot next to us  Attached FileGot to shoot my buddies Johnson LMG as well Picked up some 1919 pieces and parts I needed and some stuff from the CMMG boys |
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Posted: 10/14/2021 5:34:22 AM EDT
[#23]
That tank is beautiful. It’s on my bucket list.
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Posted: 10/14/2021 7:29:25 AM EDT
[#24]
I am familiar with that old issue of Machine Gun News...
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Posted: 10/14/2021 7:16:43 PM EDT
[#25]
Jon Shoop's tank?
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Posted: 10/15/2021 9:52:20 AM EDT
[#26]
Nope, somebody else though he was there keeping them running. The first day they were one down and he spent the night rebuilding the carburetor and had it up the next day for Saturday’s shoot.
 Attached File |
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Posted: 10/15/2021 11:20:43 AM EDT
[#27]
Hopefully someone else will pick up the reins and keep this thing going. It seems to be a very popular event.
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Posted: 10/15/2021 9:00:14 PM EDT
[#28]
In talking to them it seemed like they were tired of doing it twice a year for 50 years and seemed like perhaps their minds could be changed a bit. I would be happy if they went to once a year even.
The price of ammo probably doesn’t help from the shooters standpoint but they have lots of infrastructure there I’m not sure what else they will do with. I’m sure 21,500 visitors and the t-shirt sales alone were a bunch of money so hopefully it was enough to sway them a bit. It must be a logistical nightmare though. |
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Posted: 10/16/2021 12:15:21 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: In talking to them it seemed like they were tired of doing it twice a year for 50 years and seemed like perhaps their minds could be changed a bit. I would be happy if they went to once a year even. The price of ammo probably doesn’t help from the shooters standpoint but they have lots of infrastructure there I’m not sure what else they will do with. I’m sure 21,500 visitors and the t-shirt sales alone were a bunch of money so hopefully it was enough to sway them a bit. It must be a logistical nightmare though. I watched several full length videos from people trying to get in, waiting hours upon hours in traffic, standing in line, then finally getting in to see the lines for the guns to shoot.  Sounds miserable to me and not worth the time unless your there for the vendors/swap-meet.
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Posted: 10/16/2021 9:59:02 PM EDT
[#30]
I paid $100 for 23 of the early bend gas tubes. I was offered $35ea for them. None were magnetic.
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Posted: 10/17/2021 5:38:28 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I paid $100 for 23 of the early bend gas tubes. I was offered $35ea for them. None were magnetic. What’s the backstory; were they mixed in with standard tubes, and you had to dig for them, or was it something else? |
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Posted: 10/17/2021 11:11:22 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What’s the backstory; were they mixed in with standard tubes, and you had to dig for them, or was it something else? It was 30 rifle gas tubes in a bag listed as "used rifle gas tubes" $100, I could see a few of them were early bend. I went back to my table and opened it up and 23 of the 30 were early. |
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Posted: 10/17/2021 11:22:04 AM EDT
[#33]
I predict Knob Creek will return.
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Posted: 10/17/2021 6:58:28 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It was 30 rifle gas tubes in a bag listed as "used rifle gas tubes" $100, I could see a few of them were early bend. I went back to my table and opened it up and 23 of the 30 were early. That’s amazing, and definitely a Knob Creek-style score! I really loved sorting through all of the “treasures” at the creek over the years, and have brought many home myself. Good times! |
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Posted: 10/18/2021 1:52:13 PM EDT
[#35]
I was there from Thursday thru Sunday. And yes, the line to get in and park was ridiculous. It was still a great shoot and show. The only retro parts I got were a Type D stock, and a handful of thin muzzle lock washers. I bought a few parts for A2/M4, and non-AR builds.
I was told that event T-shirts would be available online a week or two after the show for people who didn't get one. I sure hope someone does pick up this ball, as it's too good a show to loose. |
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Posted: 10/18/2021 5:11:56 PM EDT
[#36]
Any thing for sale? Will you be in Tulsa?
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Posted: 10/18/2021 7:19:36 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It was 30 rifle gas tubes in a bag listed as "used rifle gas tubes" $100, I could see a few of them were early bend. I went back to my table and opened it up and 23 of the 30 were early. The dealer that sold those was selling TONS of retro parts from an “estate”. I spent over $1000 with him on buffer tubes, buffers, tear drop forward assists, 3 round burst groups, hammers, triggers, and gas keys |
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Posted: 10/19/2021 1:17:56 PM EDT
[#38]
Crikey but the M5A1 Stewarts really turned out. I remember when Southeast Equipment Company in Georgia imported them back from Portugal in the early 80s. I think Hemmings Motor News had the ad. They cut the barrels in two as a “demil” but the gun including breach was all intact. Powered by twin Caddy V8s, the drivetrain was relatively normal. Not a Continental radial like some Shermans. All for a mere $12,500. I had dad ready to buy one for the farm but mom shot us down. Crap but they’re worth some serious coin now.
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Posted: 10/22/2021 12:56:44 PM EDT
[#39]
Liability risk goes up as people get stupider... I wish I had gone more than once, but definitely glad I made it at least once back in the hey dey of cheap ammo, 2005...
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Posted: 10/22/2021 8:36:09 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I was there from Thursday thru Sunday. And yes, the line to get in and park was ridiculous. Yeah, this helped a lot with the parking and line situation but still got caught in the traffic  Attached File |
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Posted: 10/23/2021 1:02:42 PM EDT
[#41]
I'm pretty sure unless someone buys out the owners they are not going to do it again. As noted they are paranoid , and liability insurance is astronomical. I live 30 miles from the knob. Sat in traffic Friday morning from 7:45am to 11am and said fug this. Still was hours wait hours later. What a shitshow on traffic , and azzhole tourist types. My buddies with tables did not get to their tables until 8:30am Friday morning !. And they were telling me people were buying without even haggling. Werid stuff like 20 round boxes of 30/30 and like hunting ammo at $43 to $60 a box was selling like candy to the rubes. Junky surplus was selling too. I got dealer passes for Saturday from one o fmy buddies Friday night. But at 5:30 they were telling me it was worse than Friday...fug that traffic, I stayed put and did some reloading a little plinking and helped mini me with his truck.
It's a shame it's gone. Hell several weeks before the knob show rural king in Radcliff literally right down 31w had cases of 7,62x39 for $899. 1220rds of bxn78 Yugoslav surplus. My sone went and bought two of them and got a little discount for the big spending. I see some guys here were selling the same thing at the knob for $1150 a case. Crazy. I was intending to walk around with an Imbel Metric FAL at knob. My buddies said I could have sold it for $1500 +++ as the crowd was insane. |
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Posted: 10/24/2021 7:03:01 AM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Liability risk goes up as people get stupider... I wish I had gone more than once, but definitely glad I made it at least once back in the hey dey of cheap ammo, 2005... I went in the early 90s when I had my MGs. We’d go down and shoot on Thursday, then spent Friday and Saturday at a friend’s booth. My dad hooked me up with Dick Wray of Wray Electric. Dick was a customer of ours, using our fire alarm systems. It was easy to get in and out back then. I stopped watching the shoots when these boobs renting guns would turn around and muzzle the crowd when the gun jammed. Even then many folks on the firing line were wearing vests. I was in the booth when the mount on Neal Smith’s Mini broke and the gun swung up and split the skull of the girl shooting the gun. She was dead on site. Then there were shooters who really shouldn’t have been operating the weapons they possessed. I remember a guy shooting an M79 with live grenades. The first 2 or 3 shots went well. On the next you could see a black baseball slowly arch over, exploding maybe 15 yards down range. Somehow no one was hurt, but Irv Kahn had a fragment pierce his tool box sitting on a shooting bench. He kept it as a good luck charm. http://smallarmsoftheworld.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1977 https://www.cowanauctions.com/auction/4302013-firearms-and-militaria-richard-l-wray-collection-live-salesroom-auction/lots https://groups.google.com/g/rec.guns/c/VZfE3Qtpv2s |
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