http://www.vgca.org/gunshowmain.asp

Will be open 9-5 Sat and 9-4 Sunday, $6.00 admission.

pdf ad: http://www.vgca.org/events/March2009GunShow.pdf

From the site:

this show used to be really cool....the displays were awesome, and you had a good mix of modern vendors and the C&R folks....the most impressive display of historical 1911/1911A1s I've ever seen was here...and it was notable for having the best jerky vendor to real gun ratio....


now, though, its awful.....the last one of these was worse than the worst Dale City show I've ever been to....it is literally 5 minutes from my house and I still doubt I'll go....pretend like you're going, and then go the extra 4 miles to VA Arms....

Yup the ones at Hugo's in Bealton were pretty good. I miss the Bealton shows in general.

I did go to the one maybe a year or 2 ago at the Fairgrounds and among all the crap I managed to see a USGI M16 .22 Conversion kit that was priced very fairly , that I am kicking myself for not buying.

So. . .what I'm hearing is that should I want old cowboy guns or grandad's WWII rifle this is the show to go to.

If i want AR-15 P-mags w/windows, BC groups, charging handles or deals on Lake City .223 ammo; wait until the Chantilly show next month?

I actually don't think either of those statements is true.

I went to the show this morning and was disappointed even knowing this show had been going downhill for several years.  I was in at 9am and gone by 9:30.  I knew I was in trouble when I saw Greek 30-06 HXP that the CMP sold a week ago for $60 (now $75-85) going for $120.  Trader Jerrys was there but sadly did not have a Ruger LCP.  The usual VGCA guys had tables and the book guy who must have had 40 tables.  I'm glad it was only $6.

I didn't see much, kinda wanted a PP in .22lr but couldn't close the deal. The display of Polish Radoms was nice to look at.

My dad went and said it sucked donkey cock (OK, maybe not exact words).

Down to one building,nothing more to be said.

Well, I went about 1:30, and I liked it. It was very well attended. It was maybe 1/10 the size of the Expo show but had the same shopper "density". Lots of folks crowding aisles. Lots of M1s and shotguns, and Trader Jerry's had a good portion of the show, as did the book seller who is always at Chantilly. Prices on stuff looked about the same as I see at other shows, but I don't really follow them closely. A few collectors were there showing historical arms, and there were a couple of Vietnam-era restored Jeeps that were really nice. What was really nice was the lack of Nazi stuff and "Death to Obama" type items. I prefer to go to a gun show and enjoy the experience, not to be surrounded by hate.

I give it an "A", and will go back next time they have it.

I got there about 10:30 this morning, and had a great time. Bought 3 boxes (150 rds) of 44-40 Win ammo for $10 a box (retail is about $40 a box), also bought 2 boxes of 20 gauge all-brass shells for $20 a box, a Saginaw carbine, and a S&W model 39, nickel plated, new condition in the box with 3 extra mags. There was not much there for the black rifle folks, but the VGCA shows have never catered to that group anyway. All in all, it was a great show for me.

I was there at 9am when the doors opened, and had sold my Inland carbine and checked all of the tables by about 10:00. Rather small show, but a couple of nice displays and a few really good dealers - there was a gentleman with a wide assortment of Garand parts that I should have spent a little more time inspecting. I was there looking for a USGI 1911, however, and the only one for sale was a WWI Colt, and I really would like a WWII 1911A1. Chatted with a couple of the VGCA members, seems like a real nice organization.

A good show, if a little on the small side. I'll go back again, considering it was only $6.

conductor - was that the Saginaw in the birch M2 stock? I looked at that one, seemed to be in pretty good shape. There was another dealer with a QHMC carbine that looked nice as well.

-Mark

I didn't see the the one with the birch stock. The one I bought was being carried around by a guy who brought it there... he didn't have a table. It has an M2 stock, but it's walnut. The gun is a typical rebuild mixmaster, but looks really good.