$12 to get into that show?  Oh well I guess that is the last one I go to.

12 bucks and you didnt even get numba one girl to go with the price of admission? Good thing I didnt even get out of bed for that one. How was the beef jerk? Any cool fake indian artifacts there? I think Im about done with gun shows, unless I make the trek up to Reno.

I think gun shows have run their natural course. Everything has become commoditized and the gun show vendors have not realized it yet. They are no longer the guru's of gun knowledge.

Bob

And who has been telling you guys need to make the time to go to the Phoenix gunshow with us every few months? Hmmmmmmm?

Unless one of my California buddies comes into town I won't go to a Claude Hall show....$12?? Isn't it usually $8??

Yeah, $12 bucks for a small square footage of a gunshow.  Lot's of cheapo kninves and swords and beef jerky.  No real deals to be had.  Seems like none of the vendors were into guns, they seemed to just try to push a sale.  Example:

The reality:
(Without greeting)
"Let me know if you see anything you like, then I'll unlock it and you can take a look, I am willing to get you a good price on it..some of the items, the price is final." And then walk away.

Should be more casual like:
(looking at a long gun)

"You like Mosins?  That is a 1943, still in the wrapper 91/30 blah blah blah blah..." and then lead into it.

I wanted to pin the Glock guy down and ask him infront of the whole CROWD  at the Glock booth regarding the barrel fingerprinting B.S.

Although one of the ladies selling AR-15 parts knew the exact terminology and function of a detent and spring for the lower receiver plate....I dropped my jaw, and that british accent was a nice touch.


I might go to the Reno gunshow to catch up with the Garand Collectors Association meeting ( You think I'm a member just to get an M1 for a discount from the CMP?  I certainly hope not!!!)LOL

Yeah, it was pretty bad.  I went on Saturday.  I've been to better in California just last year.  Here are some DEALS that seem to stick out in my head.

USGI, 30 rd, 5-10% finish - $34.00
Orolite, cracked, chipped feed lips, very bad shape - $12.00
SA-80, VGC - $24.00
Colt SP1, appeared to be dragged behing some kind of vehicle - $1250

I think gun shows have run their natural course. Everything has become commoditized and the gun show vendors have not realized it yet. They are no longer the guru's of gun knowledge.

This is an understatement.  My conversation with a magazine vendor(at least five tables of mags):

vendor: Can I help you find something?
me: I'm looking for a Beretta 92C magazine.
vendor: What's that?
me: 92 Compact
vendor: [looking confused]
me: [explain to him how Beretta makes a compact version of the 92FS that takes 13rd magazines.]

I did get to meet LarryG36.  Other than that, it was pretty much a waste of $24 for me and my wife to get in.

Yeah Wolfpack, $12!!  My military discount knocked it down to a "bargain" $10.

Defensor- It looked like a damn arts and crafts show.  I found some 8rd 220 mags finally.  They wanted $45 for one!  What the hell makes them so damn special.

Serrada- Should have told him you also had a Beretta Compact Model M.  He would have died at the scene.  Next time toss him a quarter so he can go buy a bottle of clue.

Reading threads like this makes me miss the Ohio Gun Collectors Association shows back in Cleveland at the IX center. This place started out life as a tank plant in WW2. It used to take me 5 hours to walk and see everything. The best part was you had to be a member, so that left out all the bubbas, skin heads hawking their Nazi shit, milita freaks and gang bangers looking for their "9 strapz". I once walked along a table for 15 minutes full of Lugers off all descriptions, their parts and almost every book about Lugers. It was some guys private collection. I dont think Im going to go to anymore gun shows here in Vegas anymore. They used to be good but now with the internet and other ways of buying guns and gear, gun shows will probably go the way of the dinosaurs.

Yep, it sucked. But I only paid $11 to get in cause I downloaded the buck off coupons. What a rip. I did pick up a couple of cases of ammo to make my trip down there partially worthwhile. Miwall had Q3131A for $160 and the Danish 30.06 on enbloc clips for my soon to arrive M1. Other than that it was a total waste of time. I was looking for AR lowers and the only guys that I was with them were MG Kelly's and they weren't any bargain.

.45calMike
You met the great and mighty Sara from ASA. She's got English and Brooklyn in the accent. I met her first at the Big Reno Show. She knows AR's very well and can talk AR shop better than most people I've met. Man, I love that woman.

Yeah, $12 for the gun show sucked, but, I saw a friend from CA that just moved to Vegas 3 weeks ago. He has an 11 yr old daughter that's been wanting him to buy an M60. My wife actually saw a couple things she liked. It was her first gun show. Met LarryG36

Although one of the ladies selling AR-15 parts knew the exact terminology and function of a detent and spring for the lower receiver plate....I dropped my jaw, and that british accent was a nice touch.

Ya.. I bought a few comfort items for my AR from the booth she was working.. I was damn impressed, not just because she was a she, but she KNEW ALOT and was willing to explain some of it to a newbie (me) nicely. Unlike one of the guys at the HK stand, who was downright rude about a question I had regarding changing stocks on an HK clone to HK stocks.

But, ya... There was only one or two large tables (50 or more rifles), and most had decent prices on stuff still way out of most peoples price ranges ($2100 instead of $2500 kinda stuff). Last time I went to a gunshow there was 4 or 5 tables of that size, and generally the weapons were much nicer. Oh well.. I wish I had sampled some of the jerky, but I avoided the stands because I'm a jerky addict and I woulda bought a ton of it had I tried some.. HAHA =)

They did have a pretty good deal on Q3131A for 160 per 1000 (about the best price I found on 'teh intarweb' before shipping). So I walked home with a box of that, some hogue grips, CAR stock pad (which doesnt fit my bushy, anyone interested in it for cheap?), and some cheap scope with mount for shits and giggles..

My guess is that because they had so few vendors show up, they had to charge $12 at the door! I didn't find everything on my list but found Bulgarian AK mags (they look as nice as any I've seen) new for $10 each.  I will probably never go back to the Claude Hall show again.  When are the upcoming Phoenix shows?  Is there a website I could check out?

Steve

www.crossroadsgunshows.com/

Hit "Calender".

The upcoming show in July is smaller than the rest of them because it is held in the Ice House Arena because of the heat. That show although smaller is still worth the 5 hour drive to Phoenix! The people walking around selling guns private party is amazing, so many.

the gun show sucked so fucking bad, and on mothers day. wtf!!!!

heres me and jay at my tables

Oh so that was your table?  I eyed your SAW with the ELCAN on it.  Fun little MG's.  I wanted to ask you what kind or how you painted your M4.  Do you have many transferable class 3's for sale?

Larry G36,
I passed your table, but then got sketched by some table adjacent to you that was selling stuff with swastikas and I saw The Turner Diaries, and some other stuff.  Then I got accosted by the Civil Libretarians.

I would've said "Hi, remember me from DBS 2 weeks ago?" But, I wasn't sure if that was you.  Hard to tell when you weren't wearing your trademark sunglasses.

TRADEMARK SUNGLASSES ????????

Quoted: TRADEMARK SUNGLASSES ????????

LOL, well every other person there was wearing sunglasses....I ususally remember people by seeing their eyes, but since every other person was wearing sunglasses, I had to remember everyone by sunglasses.  Yeah, I'm wierd.

Quoted: TRADEMARK SUNGLASSES ????????

You know Larry, those Elton John ones you bought at the million mom march fundraising auction.  BTW, they look great with the Kevlar!  Don't they interfere with the nightvision goggles though?