Went to a gunshow this past weekened, ...this is a show I have set up at for probably about 15 years but this year I didn't mainly because didn't have much to sell. My good friend that I normaly share some tables with did though and I sat at his some. Is a moderate size show outside a medium size town here in rural Md.
Was very well attended , don't know if because of the election or what, was rainy outside which helped too I am sure.
One thing I did notice was lots more "assault" rifles for sale, this show used to be mostly hunting and collecting guns but this year lots more of the modern stuff. Was really obvious with some venders such as the  guy behind our table selling just those type of guns. A couple Ammo guys set up but not alot
As always prices were all over the place, I thought some things were very over priced such as a "sporter" cut back arisaka action with a short barrel and no wood priced at $275 but saw some deals such as a $150 870 and a Russian SKS priced at $225....which was still for sale Sunday. I bought a box of .401 ammo for My Winchester 1910 for $20 and a nice British ammo bandolier for $70. Almost bought a Chilian Mauser for $75 but didn't [should of]

 Many of the dealers I talked to said they sold very well, was the best show for my friend ever. Interestingly though the guy selling the assault rifles didn't do well at all. My friend said he only saw one guy buy one. I didn't pay real close attention but looked like he was selling "cheap" aks for around $550 which I thought was a bit high. I don't think I saw anyone walking around with an assault rifle they had just bought. I sure didn't see or hear of any "panic" buying like has been reported here, I think alot of dealers selling such things did price them high hoping that they could take advantage of the situation...and ended up going home with guns because of it. Maybe people were interested in getting them but were smart enouigh to know not to over spend. I talked to one old dealer who was around selling  back when Clinton came in and he said it is nothing like back then when people would really overpay to get an assault  rifle because they thought they were about to get banned for good....real panic buying , which is how I remember selling [and buying] was back then too.
... Also didn't look like a poor economy was keeping people from spending money and I don't think it was just guys buying guns befor they are banned by Obama either...my friend sold several antique trapdoor rifles, a couple WWII jap rifles as well as a bunch of military collectables. We both got the impression that people had money and were eager to spend it but wanted a good deal....

So while somthings I observed supported what is being said , the show was packed, others doesn't...didn't see any assault rifle panic buying and people seemed to have plenty of green to spend on items not really needed which made you think the economy can't really be all that bad.....Kind of interesting I thought.....Todd

I went to the show here in Austin, and there was definitely panic buying.

Anything AR related was scarfed up. Lots of price gouging, even early Sat. Lowers were marked up and selling like crazy. The main heavily stocked dealers had lines of people waiting to fill out paperwork.

By 1pm Sat you would be hardpressed to find an AR upper.

I didn't track the ammo sales, but heard from many guys there that huge amounts were sold in the first 2 hours of the show opening.

I also heard there was a long line just to get into the show...

I did my panic buying about 10 years ago

Glad to hear that there wasnt any crazyness in MD. I am in VA and am going to the Dulles gunshow this coming weekend. Need an upper half for my M4gery build. Already have the lower half done. I am in the same mindset as the people you mentioned. I have some money to spend but I wont be taken for a ride with crazy prices.

Maryland has a 7 business day "Cooling-Off" period on handguns and 'Assault Weapons'  this would likely explain why you didn't see anyone walking around with one they had just purchased...  That would be illegal.
It would also explain why all of the dealers went home with ALL of the assault rifles they had brought to sell.

What was the run on ammo like?  Any dealers carting out leftover stock?

-David

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I also hit the show in Austin.  I bought a milled Chinese AK sporter and a 308 Saiga, got both for under $800, including tax, though I did have to fill out a 4473.

Prices were all over the place.  One dealer was selling AR lowers for $129 and another had the exact same lowers for $375.  I saw basic Saigas (unconverted) for $100 on down to the $400 I paid for the 308. There was an AK on one table, basic Romanian, for $1300, WASRs for $750+, and an AK mag in anything other 7.62x38was not seen.

Personally, I think it was a good show.Things were actually selling, and there were a lot of people walking the aisles.

I talked to quite a few people in the aisles with rifles slung, and they had all bought them that day... I didn't talk to any of the public who had brought a black rifle to the show.

People are afraid.  There is money to made while people are trying to get what they feel will be banned.  But not all of the dealers had upped their prices.

Hopefully things will settle down a bit... but I'll bet we have another panic in January as the imauguration gets closer.

Here in upstate NY, the local Gander Mountain has been selling guns like crazy. Our entire back stock is almost completely gone and we've been selling Bushmasters and S&W M&P's like crazy. We've gone through shipments of ar's as fast as we can unload them. Short barreled shotguns have been selling very very fast. Our prices have stayed the same since the election though. A lot of people have been telling me that our prices on black rifles were better than gun show prices (and I think we're a little high).

Gander's sales stats are higher than last year, almost entirely due to gun and ammo sales. It doesn't seem like panic buying- mostly people who want to get into the sport before it gets harder to buy them. I have made friends with a few older African American gentlemen who are worried about increased crime and riots in their neighborhoods and needed help purchasing shotguns and ar's.
Ben

yes that is a good point and have to confess to forgetting about that though I know Md. does regulate certain assault rifle sales...Still the guy setting up behind us with the assault rifles didn't sell many according to my friend who was right there , he would have noticed the people filling out the paper work etc.

I saw one guy with ALOT of ammo he bought, had cans piled up on a dolly, amoung others had what looked like belted .308 I did notice. I really didn't pay attention to the prices since I wasn't in the market for any ammo like that . Imagine prices were high. . I did see a guy with a bunch of military surplus 8mm priced at $10 for 20 rd boxs which I thought was pretty optimistic. Other then the one guy with the dolly I didn't notice alot of ammo buying. Not gobs of ammo was for sale but never is at this show, actually thinking about it probably more this year then in the past....
....I am always surprised at the high prices some people put on thier stuff. A guy had a current GI green Bianca holster and web belt priced at $160 [!] and was going on and on at how good a price it was till I told him I recently sold about an identical one on the Ebay for $35 [I bought it with a box of other stuff at an auction for $10]

My friend is going to the show at Dulles friday and is trying to talk me into going but I think I will pass , would be fun but most likely a waste of time.....Todd

I will be there. Hopefully there is not too much marking up of prices and panic buying. I just want to get my M4gery upper and maybe some .223 ammo and be on my way.

I've been going to the big Tulsa show for the last 6 years.  I've never seen a crowd spending money like I did this year.  AR Lowers were flying out the door fast as well as hi-cap mags of all types.  Ammo went fast too.  I traditionally walk the entire show then buy ammo walking out the door about 4:30.  Not this year - it was gone by then.  The vendors were having to stack all the empty pallets out of the way.  

R.

so, They were selling ASSAULT RIFLES at your local gunshow?


assualt rifles.



Miliatry Assault Rifles





were they full auto or Triburst only??


damn
I need to move to MD

JOE SIXPACK Cannot buy an assault rifle without a $200 transfer fee and a major upskirt look from the Feds..

there is a fellow works the Dallas show sells Assault rifle, Machine guns, Thompsons, M-60s, BAR. BAR now thats an Assault Rifle...

I saw  all AR/AK mags gone by lunch 2 weeks ago. All AR's gone but the overpriced AKs were hanging around as well as the 2K-2.5K used "colts"

Many people willing to trade old crappy hunting bolts for anything semi-auto. Many fudds looking to grab the ARs. I saw a guy (fudd) buy 4, had no idea on how to work the weapon, just wanted the guns that would be "banned".  

I don't feel sorry for the sheeple, I can finally sit back and laugh. I have more than enough (eventhough I would buy more if a good del popped up).

My other preps are not where I would like them but I feel a lot better after kick-starting after my deployment this summer.

Its really different when your prepared, its gives tons of options and HUGE bargaining power.

Sorry, I think he was using the 'alternate' definition for Assault Rifles.  You know the definition coined in 1994 and then further defined by MD State law a few years later.  In the future, does everyone need to use the term 'semi-automatic, military-style rifles' so as not to confuse you?

"Assault Rifles" is not a term used in the '32 National Firearms Act, machine guns, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns, etc... yes.  Assault Rifles, assault weapons, no.

And yes, they likely were selling auto guns at the show, too.  It's been a while since I've been to a show in MD, but there is usually at least one table full of NFA goods.  Even in anti-gun Maryland...

My buddy went to the Austin show Sunday and said it was like a plague of locust had gone through. One FFL had six tables that by Sunday were empty. No common ammo to be had. One ammo dealer said guns and ammo sold fast, but no one was buying jerky or beany babies.

news story i read stated that cheaperthandirt sold a little over $100k worth of items the day after the election.  of course the bastards raised their prices like the world was ending, so i can see why - box of 20 7.62x39 went up 50%.

I think you know what I mean.....I don't think there was any full auto or class 3 stuff at this show but if you go to any of the larger shows in Md. you will sure see lots of it.  All of it is allowed in Md. if you go through the Federal regulations, I have a registered Maxim water cooled belt fed as well as a mini uzi that I bought years ago. Wasn't that hard to get just took time and the green stuff.....Todd

+1 and AMEN

Guess I need to buy more 91/30s......

People weren't buying the Jerky? Something is wrong with that picture.

Last Saturdays George Brown show(Houston) had all the ammo gone before lunch saturday and rifles and pistols selling like the World was coming to an end.

By 10AM some dealers had a 2 hour wait just to fill out the paperwork to buy from them.

I don't know what happened on Sunday if there was still anything there or not.

Draw your own conclussions from that as you wish.

Just gald I don't need any of that kind of stuff.

Last week, Claude Hall had a show here in Vegas. His shows are small compared to Crossroads. Normally, there are about 60 to 80 background checks done on a Saturday. They had done close to 180 at this show!

Theres usually about 100 people standing in line to get in on opening, This time there were about 500 to 800, and it never went down! Two hours before closing, 7500 people went through the doors! The people who came on sunday were SOL. There was not much else to buy, including Ammo.

Democrats, Hippys, and people who had never even touched a gun before were all buying, and yes, I did sell them the most expensive guns that we had!

Kalifornia screwed there State up so bad that they had to run from what they created, and moved here to Vegas, bringing with them the crazy assed laws that they ran from Maybe now they know that the guy that they voted for is going to turn this Nation into an ObamaNation, and are very afraid!!!

I see what ya did there......................

Gun shows are always over priced around here. Over the summer I was suprized by all the $375 beat up Mosin Nagants. There's one born every minute...