Posted: 8/11/2006 11:20:13 AM EDT
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I'm going to a gunshow this weekend, Are they as bad as everyone makes out to be... geting screwed with counterfeit stuff? Anything I should know before I go? Bri |
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Gun Shows have their pro's and their con's. Pros - If you go to them for a certain product, and know what a good price for that product is, you usually can find what you are looking for on a reasonable price. Cons - Their are alot of people there who will tell you they are offering a good deal, and alot of them are lying. |
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while my local gun shows have steadily gone downhill over the years, prices & inventory are much better than the local stores. used to take me 3 hours to get through every table, now a little over 1. the last 3 shows i attended netted 1 purchase - a new cleaning kit. i like classic firearms so most of my purchases over the years have been pre-owned. back in the late 80's my only problem was not having enough $ to buy everything i liked. Now i can't find anything i want. i pretty much use the net to find a good deal. 4 guns i bought in the last 2 years, my 2 ar's are from sellers on the EE (only new guns i have), a colt 1911 from gunsamerica & a benelli montefeltro i found in a gunshop by where i evac'd to during katrina. i just keep going tho, never know when that perfect deal is going to happen. i can also keep my eye on price trends and at the last one i was able to do some hands-on research for my ar purchases. |
| I went to the show here in town last weekend and was surprised by the selection that was present there. After it was all said and done I walked out with only two complete lowers and two panther grips. The newest gun store in town had a huge display which included the s&w m&p15t with a surefire verticle grip light for $1450 which I passed on. |
Definitely. I have stopped going to gun shows because they always run some line of bull about how this Norinco SKS was a bringback from Vietnam, and the papers have just been lost. "No, really, it's worth a lot more than I'm asking because of its history, but I just need the room for more inventory." Der! M'kay, I'll buy this brand-new-looking SKS that was made in 1986 and is a Vietnam bringback.  Everything I have ever seen at gunshows around here (North GA) was cheaper online too. I always wished I had my admission fee back. The only deals to ba had are usually on the back/shoulders of other people at that show. Guys carrying around guns that they brought are more likely to sell them at a good price than the vendors, IME. |
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If you are looking for something in particular, do your homework before you go to the funshow. For example, www.44mag.com has great prices on AR15 mags, so check their website if that is what you are looking for. Then, when you get to the funshow, you will know that $20 per mag is a bad price. I have seen some people write down the model numbers and prices in a little pocket notepad to refer to as they look at stuff. Be very careful what you are buying. Two pistols with the same caliber and make may have different prices. Does the more expensive one have night sights, for example? I have found the funshows in Texas to be a great venue to compare models of weapons that I am interested in buying. They usually have big tables of pistols to pick up and see if you like them. You can also easily compare prices between vendors in the same location. This is much easier than driving between gun stores, if they even exist in your area. Gunshows are also a great place to get gun cleaning accessories, like Dewey rods or cleaning patches. I also like the convenience of buying a weapon (or a lower, like for an AR15) at a gunshow, since the dealers are also FFLs. So, you don't have to deal with the hassle of ordering the weapon, having it sent to a local FFL, and then pay $15-30 to have the FFL retitle it to you. If you don't have a CHL, you also avoid the Brady 3 (or is it 5?) day waiting period by buying a weapon at a gunshow. You might want to go to one or two shows and just walk around. Talk to some of the vendors (most are pretty chatty) and listen to some of the haggling that is going on. You can generally pick out the best dealers for weapons, because that is where the line is to fill out the Form 4473. Just keep in mind that, just because you see something for sale, do not assume that it is a good price. Ammo has steadily gone up in price, and some vendors are just waiting to ass-fuck an unsuspecting buyer with cash in his hand. One other thing. Take cash and your checkbook with you. Most dealers will give you the same price for cash or check, but charge you 3% more if you use a credit card. I have heard that this practice is illegal, but it happens every day. Good luck mate. |
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If you do only one thing, do this: know what you want to buy before you go, and do your research on pricing and every little detail. If not, you WILL get screwed. If you do that, you can walk away with good deals. Beyond that, don't impulse buy, unless it's ammo or some other general item at a good price. But the key is knowing what a "good" price is. |
Suit yourself, but some of my favorite firearms were gun-show impulse buys. YMMV.  ETA: In fairness, I used to be a dealer and I keep up with market values on the things that interest me, so I may be a little bit better-equipped than the average Joe off the street not to get fleeced ata show... |
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I go to gunshows for entertainment. Much like going to a museum. I walk around people watching, and hopefully getting to see some neat stuff and talk to other gun folk. The local competitive shooting community is pretty tight, and I'll usually run into half a dozen or more people I know. If I see something of interest, at a reasonable price, and I can afford it, I'll buy it. That said, I seldom buy anything at the local shows. Most local dealers hike up the prices for shows, and I work part time for a dealer, so I get new stuff at cost.
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Only illegal if they fail to tell you. There is nothing wrong in recouping the 3% CC fee that the company charges the dealer. |
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I've grown tired of the high prices and unrelated merchanise... at least in this area. The tables full of beanie babies, costume jewelery, and bobbleheads is a turn-off for me. If I wanted to see that kind of crap, I'd go to a friggin swap meet. There are occasional good dealers with quality products at decent prices, but for the most part... it's not worth the time. |
.... needless to say, I bought a bunch