i went to the Lawrenceville GA gun show saturday. ive said it before and i'll say it again. i'm NEVER going to a gun show again. why, why must a vendor think he has to lie and spew BS to get you to buy. i was looking at some used Orlites a guy had for $9 and he started telling me how they are first choice of israeli police and they are far superior to USGI and highly sought after. when i remained silent he went on about the way to tell an israeli cop from IDF is the cops have Car-15s and the IDF has galil's. i told this gentleman that during 2 weeks i spent in the Negev (i had to tell him where the negev is)i saw only 3 micro-galils as PDWs and not 1 single Orlite. not one! freakin A-hole.

and the prices...lets not forget those awesome gun show prices. i made some notes on my girlfriends Palm-pilot

Q3131a   $4.99/box

S&B SS109  $7.99/box

Romanian AK  $459  ($289 from JG sales)

Colt M4 upper 16" $950 no bolt group

it was INSANE, i only found 4 good deals:
adventureline 20rd 90%  4/$50 with mag pouch
Radway Green SS109 in bandoleers SEALED in cans for $249
NIW colt 20rd preban $25
NIW Sanchez 30rds, pre with green $30

now all of the "deals" i found are pretty normal internet prices. why would anyone go and fight the crowd of mall ninja's and wannabes for something they can get delievered to their house. i used to enjoy gun shows. have they changed or have i? i tell you this though. the WORST thing that could ever happen to our sport and our way of life is for Anti's to go to a gun show and write an article about the people it draws. or worse yet take a hidden camera and mic. has anyone else noticed this?????

BITE YOUR TONGUE!!!!

This type of sacrilege should not be allowed here!

I attend gun shows to 'see what's out there' and to keep myself current on prices and availability.

If the four 'good' deals are all you got, you did a lot better than I did at the most recent gun show in Mesquite, Texas.

But still, if the prices are the same as on the internet, why leave any kind of paper trail to your home on the internet? Just go to the gun show and buy your stuff in person.

And don't carp about somebody charging more for something at a gun show than you see it in the catalogs or on the internet - the dealer has to pay for his tables and keep the doors to his store open as well.

Chances are you'll find another dealer at the same show selling the same item for a whole lot less. Just keep your eyes open!

And surely you don't want gun shows and/or profits that you consider 'outrageous' banned by the government, do you?

Eric The(IMeanThisIsAFreeCountry.ForNow.)Hun[>]:)]

I have to agree with Dvldog....I go to gun shows regularly (something to do on a Sun morning in NYC) and all I see is the same dealers selling the same crap again and again.  There are almost no good deals anymore.  The magazine guys get top dollar, the price of ammo is ridiculous.  The only thing I end up buying is useless crap (just so I can say I bought something and my $8 covercharge did not go to waste).  Last gunshow I bought a pick set, one of those microlights for your keychain, and a coupla Glock Mag extensions.   Snore......  Yet I will still wake up tomorrow morning and go to a Gun Show....

Damnit! It may be different with you all, but I go to fun shows because they are the only places where I am socially accepted!

There are good deals and bad deals. Never buy ammo. at a gun show. You will almost never get a decent price on ammo. But, for complete guns, lowers, etc...you can get good deals. I have bought guns at gun shows for Internet Price rather than Dealer Price. For example I bought one for $169. The going rate on the internet was $159 - $179. The Dealers were charging $199 - $219. I have seen Olympic Arms Forged Lowers for $129.95. The price from Oly Arms w/o shipping is something like $125. That price was pretty decent. Then again, I walked by one table where the guy was selling uppers for $700 - $800. Look around and you will find good deals. Also, look for individuals walking around with their personal guns. You can get a better price from an individual alot of times and better yet, no paper trail. Most of the time Magazines are selling around the going rate from the big dealers (Classic Arms, etc...) Then again, any gun show is better than the $45 my local FFL wants for Steel 30 Rounders. My local FFL chargess $40 for a 30 Round Plastic SKS Magazine. They were availabale at the gun show for $17.99.

I'm shocked and offended that you would try to besmirch the good name of hardworking gun show vendors and demand that this thread be locked immediately.

(Hey, Imbroglio - how'd I do? [:P])

sometimes not even. ever since i began crusing these forums my knowlage has grow exponintially. i have only ran into 1 dealer who hasnt acted threatened by my superior knowlage of firearms, and especially SUR knowlage (btw, the one dealer knew way more than me, he schooled my for a good while) im going to a gunshow today. i may be buying a upper from david hineline to convert to .22. and im looking to maybe ditch my sks. maybe for an AK, or maybe for a bolt gun. wish me luck.

I bought what was listed as a "Butt Plate" for $1.50 yesterday...
It was actually a Harris Bipod adapter for the Mini-14...
I dropped it on a friends table for him to sell for 10-15 ... beer money ...

Ted...

Gun shows are generally a waste of time.....[:)]

you must be going to the wrong gun shows then.

some shows are false prophets.

One has to be selective as to what shows are worthy of a holy pilgrimage.


that being said a gun show is still a fun way to kill an afternoon even if you don't buy anything

I don't think I'd judge all gun shows by the ones that they have at the Gwinnett Fairgrounds, man.  The one I went to earlier in the year seemed awful small.  

(And no it wasn't just that one show, they filled the facility.)

Yeah!  You guys are bringin me down, man!  I got a big show coming up here in the next month, and I was all excited about it... now I dunno if I wanna go! [whacko]

DvlDog, could you please post a link to JG Sales.  

Wow, my experience with PA shows is pretty much exactly the opposite.  Ammo here is almost always cheaper than any internet/mail order place when you factor in shipping charges.  Mags that widely available through large distributors (i.e., AK, FAL, now hk91/cetme) are usually more expensive, as we can get them from the same source as the seller.  Other mags that are less commonly available from large distributors (like usgi ar15 mags), can be found for similar prices as on the for sale forum here.  For complete firearms - its a crapshoot.  Sometimes, there are deals, sometimes not.  If you have an ffl that is willing to do a transfer for you for a nominal charge, it is hard to beat that.  I mostly go to get a first hand look at any new stuff out there, and for basic enterainment.  Even if I don't plan on buying anything, I still have fun "window shopping".

Rocko

... One show I try to make every year is the [i][b]Crossroads of the West[/i][/b] in Phoenix, AZ.
They usually have it all and is attended by all. Enjoy it now, because I'm afraid soon we won't have gunshows any longer.
Hell, you won't be able to sell or buy freely from your own home.
Just read the [i][/b]Gunparts Trafficking Act of 2001[/b][/i] post tacked up top.
Go down there this December 1 & 2 (State Fairgrounds)

(spl flub)

dvldog,
i agree the larryville gunshow sxcks,as does the eastman show in gainesville,ga.
eastman show in cobb county and the eastman show in norcross you can see some good deals if you go early sat or late sunday.
the cobb county show i usually get reloading stuff,the norcross show some ammo,maybe some mags and ar parts.
the eastman show in norcross has a lot more variety and there are usually a few private sales also.
but you are correct about internet prices,lots of haggling and delivered to your door.
galyons has q3131a for 3.99/box plus 10% discount on case price,or you can get 500 round case of win 9mm 59.90-10% then tax.
but what really bites me about gunshows is some people charge the local 6% tax some don't,i'm darn sure the ones charging 6% tax are not paying the tax to the county.
boxer

J&G Romanian AKs are now 330 bucks.

You can't beat gun shows for [b]reloading supplies[/b]  No Hazmat or shipping fees on heavy items.

I'll probably go to the next Richmond show on the 2nd day. Dec 2.  

People who know call me Smarty McDumbass.  Thanks for posting the link.

Gun shows are fun even if just window shopping. But just like everything else, too much of a good thing is bad . Use to be a show every month or so around Dallas..now there is almost one within driving distance every weekend. Seems like a flood before it dries up unfortunately.....jackpot

Don't bother J&G, as well as 95% of those advertising AKs DON'T have them and WON'T be getting anymore.

All the SAR 2's are GONE for good. The few that DO still have them make gun show prices look reasonable.

"I don't think I'd judge all gun shows by the ones that they have at the Gwinnett Fairgrounds, man. The one I went to earlier in the year seemed awful small. "

The one at the fair grounds always suck, Eastman gunshows are alot better.

I can usually trade up by $300 or $400 at a good show. Not so much with cash (Only with pawn shop ppl) but with other junk. Knives, Ammo, Optics, Backpacking gear … you name it. Over the years I’ve made a reasonable chunck ‘o change at shows.

Maybe it's just me [:)]

....aaaaaand let's not forget the beef jerky sellers- and the kettle corn- at gun shows.

A friend of mine, not a gun person, asked me one time when he went to a gun show with me, "Why are so many gun owners I see here so fat?" :^)

I must admit, it is getting harder to find deals at gun shows up here, too, esp. for ammo and mags. I see guns ridiculously priced, esp. M1 Garands, ARs and Lee-Enfields- if the seller will even let you examine them. Many sellers (not all) seem to have a really bad attitude, and just BS and BS about the guns they sell. Who needs it?.....

Gun shows around here also seem to be becoming like flea markets, selling lots of low end food and household stuff.

BTW, FDCGTH = Failed Dot-Com GoaTee-Head

Quit your bitch'n, and look at it as a way to practice 1st. amendment rights. Peaceable assembly. Or you can just join the Brady bunch and try and close these dumb, useless gun shows as you refer them to be and just close them down. If nothing else, it is a place to spend the afternoon and make new friends. QUIT WHINNING!!!

I generally go to shows to buy ammo in larger quantities (shipping can be brutal $) and you just never know when you'll run across that hard to find item at a steal (which, true, is rare, since 'hard to find').  And lastly, theres nothing like being able to physically SEE and TOUCH a weapon your planning on purchasing, especially when used.  But its of my opinion that Gun Shows have generally declined in the last few years - maybe I'm being nostalgic.

i agree. and the prices werent really my #1 complaint. if you buy something at a rediculous price thats on the buyer for not knowing better. what REALLY pissed me off is the lies and the BS. one guy had a table full of some of the finest selections of military gear ive ever seen. and he had his game down. beer gut, "high and tight" haircut, right-wing t-shirt, POW braclet. started telling me he was the only Marine ever to go to BUD/s. i ignored him so the he back peddled and told me actually it was the Marine version of BUD/s and that as their "final exam" they had to storm the airfield at 29-Palms. said "i got this scar when i fell crossing the runway, tore all the skin off my elbow on the concrete" i said "concrete?" and he said "yeah concrete"
 i told him "neat trick, the runway at The Stumps is steel planking and Marine ARS is on the east coast" he looked dumbfounded and asked what ARS is. i just left. i had been lied to and BS'd twice in 30 minutes. no more gunshows.

Oh hell you guys are no fun.  Or maybe the shows where you are suck and I am just lucky.  The shows in AZ usually are decent enough as long as you know what you are doing, what you are looking for, and what it's really worth.  Winston's right about Crossroads, especially the one December 8-9, the Small Arms Review show is tied in with it and it's gonna be killer, it was last year.

I never get in battles of wits with these idiots, if the BS detector goes off (and it does often) I just move on.  Why raise yer blood pressure?

Gun shows are definitely a mixed bag.  I made two really good trades yesterday and one bad one.  But, I got  what I wanted and didn't spend a cent except for the cover charge.  You have to learn to wheel and deal.  You also have to have a good bullshit meter and know when to just hold your tongue and walk away.  I would agree that there are 9 bad tables for every 1 good table, but I've gotten to know who is who at the gun shows I attend and I pretty much ignore everyone else.

Yesterday in Raleigh I saw:

Lot of metal objects that resemble guns, may fire like guns, but certainly are not good for much except expensive metal clubs.  The perfect example was the rack of Hesse AR-15s that one guy had for $595 each.  On the immediate other side of the rack were six of those Mac-10 carbines--you know the, $300 jobbers with the foreward grip and crappy stock?  This guy always has shit like that--I think his specialty is taking a Mossberg shotgun and pimping it up by adding either a pistol grip or folding stock, vertical foreward grip, heat shields, and a light.  I usually see two or three stupid looking guys who've bought one at every show.  That guy always has a ready supply of guns by Llama and Tec-22s.  Always good for laughs.  

Other observations:  

Looks like the CETMEs and cheap G3 junkers are finally drying up.  No FALs (okay, I did see one really rough Imbel that someone put together on a Type III receiver).

Still plenty of rifle mags in this vicinity, most are refinished and not new though.  Lots and lots of full-cap pistol mags, but very few really quality ones.

More knife tables than ever before.

The quality of the Com-block rifles coming to our shores has gone way, way down.  

Still plenty of surplus .308 out there.  But for how long?

No more cheap Makarovs?

Special Weapons SW-45s--who is doing the welding on those damn things?  Monkeys?

My final observation:

There are shady characters (or maybe undercover cops?  Oh wait, same thing) milling around trying to get people to sell guns to them without undergoing the backgrond check or permit exchange.  I had a guy follow me all around the show trying to get me to sell him a handgun for cash, no permit.  I can't even figure out how he knew I had it (it was in my backpack) unless he saw me when the guys at the door were putting the zip strip on it.  Looked like the kind of guy who beats his wife.  Had to keep avoiding him (in a convention hall filled with thousands of people, no less!).  

Bad juju, be careful!

You need to realize that you must attend 5 or 6 really crappy gunshows to hit that one jewel of a show where every thing goes your way. I usually have to carry a gun to at least three shows before it sells. Just part of the game.

As for the BSing assholes, I really kind of enjoy their stories. I either listen and just say "wow", "oh really" or something, or I'll argue and contradict all their crap. Either way it's just fun. I mean where else can you here such ridiculous stories?

Way I see it a shitty gunshow beats sitting at home doing the honeydos anyday.

Gun Shows: where former SEALs go to buy Beanie Babies and beef jerkies.