So, I just got back from my first gun show here in Albany, OR.

Don't have much of anything to compare it to, but, I'm not impressed.

I expected to see deals!  Instead, I see SAR's to the tune of $400, a "Special Gun Show Low Price" Bushmaster AR-15 A3 for $969 (exact same rifle selling for $850 or so at Sportsman's Whorehouse in Salem, OR), and a myriad of other things (I don't proclaim to be an expert, so clue me in if I'm off-base.  These things looked odd):

A "pre-ban" Chinese AK-47 in pistol-grip configuration.  I can't comment on the buttstock or the forearm, as I don't know one type of wood from the other, but the burgandy leather/whatever pistol grip didn't look US made.  The AK-74 style muzzle brake was there. There's also the fact that the rifle was a MAK-90 Sporter that led me to believe this rifle wasn't quite legit.  Looked to me like someone had tried to scrape off the "MAK-90 Sporter" markings on the receiver.  Had a 30-rd mag with a rib on the back - I thought Chinese mags weren't ribbed?  This was also the same dealer that was trading a handgun for a property receipt to a Sheriff's Deputy who's a friend of the family - I couldn't talk to him there, but I'll find out what was up with that.

Another dealer, VogArms (www.vogarms.com) was in attendance with a "pre-ban" NHM-91.  Had a wooden clubfoot buttstock, wooden forearm, and what appeared to be a Yugo M-76 pistol grip on it.

Now, I realize that a MAK-90 and NHM-91 are pre-1994 ban guns, but usually pre-ban is meant to indicate the earlier (1986?  1989?) ban, yes??

I don't know what parts were in these rifles, but I'd feel pretty confident that they weren't quite legal.

On a better note, I found a dealer there, based out of Salem, OR, that's selling cases of Wolf 7.62x39 for $74.99 (1000rd cases, HP and FMJ).

If you're interested, I'll dig up his URL out of all the business cards I grabbed.  He says this is his regular price.

Beats anyone else I've seen yet.

Kythri,  I have never been to the Albany gun show, but I can say that the Hillsboro gun show has turned into a joke.  The Rose City gun show is the only one worth while to go to IMHO.

Many of the gun shows around here have inflated prices, but there are good deals to be be had if you look hard enough.

Hey which dealer is selling the wolf for $74.99, and do they sell Barnaul as well?

Most important did they sell any 5.45?

Tracker

There was some scary dudes at the Akron show today ....

and some great deals too ... $375 for a ballerina molester ... sheesh

Dealers lost touch with the fundemental meaning of a "GUN SHOW".

A gun show used to be a gathering of dealer offerign great price to move there inventory. I'll bet to enhance tax time since the majority of show are held toward the end of the year..

BUT that no longer seems the case as most dealers think they need to raise there prices because they had to come out pay to set up and carry all that stuff in..In my opinion this is complete bullshit..

Your are setting up at a gun show to expose your buisness to a large number of your type of customers at the same time..

This being said you would think dealers would offer fair prices, and reasonable deals..Then they would atract more buisness..If I see a dealer at a show that is nice, has good prices, and good stuff..then mostlikely I would drive awhile to goto his shop...I talk to an asshole with stupid high prices, I would'nt go to his shop if he gave free blow-jobs from his daughter with every purchase...

If you sell one gun and make a $100 dollar profit, then carry everything home with you...

Or you sell 100 guns and make a $10 dollar profit off each one, and carry nothing home..

which would you prefer?????

P.S. At the last dick head meet, er ah I mean Gun Show, I went to there were dealers selling SAR-1s for $550, Well I mean they were asking but I gauruntee they carried them back home with them..Bot that is a lot of work....

Quoted: Hey which dealer is selling the wolf for $74.99, and do they sell Barnaul as well? Most important did they sell any 5.45? Tracker

Many apologies - forgot to reply to this.

Yes, they do sell 5.45x39 - didn't have any at the show, because it apparently doesn't sell as well, but they either carry it in the shop, or can get it.

www.outdoormarksman.com is their URL.

The tulsa oklahoma gunshow is the largest in the world and they all still have crazy stuff like that.  I think that the dealers are in some kind of frenzy to keep their heads aboxe water with the way the economy is right now.  

Quoted: There was some scary dudes at the Akron show today ....

What kind of scary dudes?

Preban almost always refers to the 1994 AWB. Class 3 weapons are refered to as pre-86 or transferables

With foreign weapons, preban means pre-1989 import ban.  Effectively the 1994 ban came into effect on imported rifles five years earlier.  The rifles you saw are most certainly post-ban and illegal.  

Quoted: Quoted: There was some scary dudes at the Akron show today .... What kind of scary dudes?

I'll bet they were the kind of "scary dudes" that travel in a pack with only one valid ID good enough to pass the NICS check. Well, that or the Nazi's...

Haven't been to a Gun Show in awhile. I finding myself buying stuff online once a week. There's so much out there online that it's hardly worth going to gun shows anymore other than to look at over priced guns, ammo, & mags.

I've seen 5.45 bakelites go for $20.00 each and SAR-1s go as high as $400.00. What gets me is that  I always see the same vendors at different locations and their prices change accordingly. Smaller gunshows usually mean higher prices and vice versa. At one in Charlotte, one guy had the bakelites for $20.00 each while in the next building over they were going for $5.00. I always make several rounds before I purchase anything at a gunshow. I guess the guy selling the ones for $20.00 should also.

I have found THIS (AR15.com) to be the equivalent to the GUN SHOW of yore.  

 HOWEVER:  If I need to stock up on beef jerky, trailer park jewelry or crappy Olympic ammo then I will most definately pay the $9 dim-wit tax to go to the GUN SHOW.

 The deals are in the EE, baby!

William,

Don't forget the Beanie Babies. Got love seeing those at gun shows!  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: There was some scary dudes at the Akron show today .... What kind of scary dudes? I'll bet they were the kind of "scary dudes" that travel in a pack with only one valid ID good enough to pass the NICS check. Well, that or the Nazi's...

I remember the first time my dad took me to a gun show.  He told me to watch for the Nazis, and sure enough you could see them coming in with their replica SS jackets and shaved heads.  

Plenty of other scary people as well, ranging from tin-foil hat types to your run of the mill angry paranoid 45-year old who will spend ten minutes telling you how he buried a rifle in his backyard and that we should too.   I've seen about the same mix at every gun show since, although they don't seem quite so scary now that I'm not 10 years old anymore.

More like funny.

Speaking of not so funny people, the last one I went to there was a vendor explaining something that he was selling to a group of people and as we passed by I heard him say that this is manufactured in the Czech Republic or Hungary or some other east-bloc country, I forget. But what I really remember is that he included very loudly "a white mans country". Now I'm not a minority but to hear that gives me reason enough to just stay home and gives many people a reason to say that gunshows are just gatherings for 7th grade educated white trash assholes. He not only gives himself a bad name, but you, me and everybody that goes to them.

Quoted: Speaking of not so funny people, the last one I went to there was a vendor explaining something that he was selling to a group of people and as we passed by I heard him say that this is manufactured in the Czech Republic or Hungary or some other east-bloc country, I forget. But what I really remember is that he included very loudly "a white mans country". Now I'm not a minority but to hear that gives me reason enough to just stay home and gives many people a reason to say that gunshows are just gatherings for 7th grade educated white trash assholes. He not only gives himself a bad name, but you, me and everybody that goes to them.

Agreed.

Speaking of not so funny people, the last one I went to there was a vendor explaining something that he was selling to a group of people and as we passed by I heard him say that this is manufactured in the Czech Republic or Hungary or some other east-bloc country, I forget. But what I really remember is that he included very loudly "a white mans country".

On rare occaisions I go still to a gunshow if I need something very specific and need it today.
My personal policy upon encountering these sorts of goons, customer or vendor, is to go straight to the show promoter and to inform him/her in no uncertain terms "Bub, you've got a real big problem here." Promoters, not being a bunch of morons in general, will usually throw these clowns out or tell them to shut the hell up.

It's real obvious that none of these pathetic little shits have ever been in a real punch-up because they are unfamiliar with the First Corrallary to "There are no atheists in fox holes." which is:

"There ain't no racists in fox holes either."

I will tell you for a fact that when you see that hand reaching out of a helicopter door to yank your skinny white ass out of a certain, and remarkably unpleasent death, the last thing on your mind will be the skin pigmentation of that hand.

We don't need these sub-standard buffoons representing us!!

SD

Wow.  Haven't seen any nazis or racists at the gun shows here... and I've discovered that the prices are directly proportional to the weather.  Or more specifically, how bad the weather is and how likely it is to drive people off.  When nobodies there the prices are pretty good, but the heavily attended shows have higher prices.

Ammo prices here are always really good... haven't found any online to compete with our ammo vendor.

No Nazis either.  Some opinionated folks and some obnoxious ones too...but not too bad.  

Maybe we have it good here.

Kythri,  Thanks for the link to Outdoor Marksman.  I will need to check them out sometime.

Quoted: Speaking of not so funny people, the last one I went to there was a vendor explaining something that he was selling to a group of people and as we passed by I heard him say that this is manufactured in the Czech Republic or Hungary or some other east-bloc country, I forget. But what I really remember is that he included very loudly "a white mans country". On rare occaisions I go still to a gunshow if I need something very specific and need it today. My personal policy upon encountering these sorts of goons, customer or vendor, is to go straight to the show promoter and to inform him/her in no uncertain terms "Bub, you've got a real big problem here." Promoters, not being a bunch of morons in general, will usually throw these clowns out or tell them to shut the hell up. It's real obvious that none of these pathetic little shits have ever been in a real punch-up because they are unfamiliar with the First Corrallary to "There are no atheists in fox holes." which is: "There ain't no racists in fox holes either." I will tell you for a fact that when you see that hand reaching out of a helicopter door to yank your skinny white ass out of a certain, and remarkably unpleasent death, the last thing on your mind will be the skin pigmentation of that hand. We don't need these sub-standard buffoons representing us!! SD

Well put man, well put.  

My local gunshows are like that. Same inflated prices on guns. Questionable legality on others, with uber-inflated prices.

Almost always there's a guy there with real good prices on reloading components. If fact, I buy all my powder from him. And usually my primers and casings as well.

Usually you can find a decent price on ammo and accessories, but almost never on a gun.

"This being said you would think dealers would offer fair prices, and reasonable deals..Then they would atract more buisness..If I see a dealer at a show that is nice, has good prices, and good stuff..then mostlikely I would drive awhile to goto his shop...I talk to an asshole with stupid high prices, I would'nt go to his shop if he gave free blow-jobs from his daughter with every purchase..."


I would.

Depends on how good looking his daughter is or how many teeth she has missing.