Fun Show Overview

Posted: 3/25/2006 9:16:53 AM EDT

Wow, that place was packed. The whole midway was full of cars, got there roughly around 0915 and had to park down by the power plant. Gun tables everywhere, people everywhere. It was slow moving around the place.

Picked up a lower from Sully, those are some nice looking rifles on your table there. LPK, stock, and mags from dpms. Found some good deals on some hollow points for the 45 also.

Lets hear some of your thoughts on the show

Posted: 3/25/2006 9:56:24 AM EDT

[#1]

Couldn't make it today

I will be there tomorrow

Posted: 3/25/2006 11:17:41 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
Couldn't make it today

I will be there tomorrow

+1

the wife is going with, so that will somewhat limit my spending

Posted: 3/25/2006 1:08:15 PM EDT

[#3]

Way too busy, left after 10 mins, I walked to and from the car for a longer time then I spent inside!

Posted: 3/25/2006 1:25:28 PM EDT

[#4]

I went there a little later (around 11-11:30 or so)...lots of people. Saw a real Stoner 63 (!!!), an original AR-10 (!!) and an MG..either 34 or 42, I don't know enough about them to tell them apart...

Ran into back40, and saw death451 and QuinlanV at their respective vendor booths

Initially went there to find a decent carry belt and maybe see if I could score me a used Beretta 92fs, Italian-made...alas, didn't find a decent belt anywhere and the one Italian 92fs I saw for sale..I was short $20 to buy it.

In a strange and funny coincidence, wound up running into back40 again, at a table where we both decided to get the same damn thing. Thank God they had two.

Saw someone with a couple..well, I don't want to say 'humped up', but they were definitily not original, M1 Carbines, restored...hi-wall stocks, all the trimmings, etc. Insane prices, $1600+. As much as I applaud authenticity, I'd rather get an unmolested one, with upgrades, than have someone I don't know try to restore it back to original as-issued condition, especially on late war carbines.

Yes, part of the fun of gunshows for me is spotting the repros, restorations, and humped-up pieces

Posted: 3/25/2006 2:02:48 PM EDT

[#5]

Went this morning and it was crazy busy. Bigger isles please, thanks...

Bought a used Glock 19, got home cleaned it up to find out the locking block is cracked all the way through

Didn't notice it at the table I bought it from

On a pleasant note I picked up a lower from Sully's table and now just have to be patient enough to save and put together my first AR.

Posted: 3/25/2006 2:10:05 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Bigger isles please, thanks...

+1

There was one table that had the stocks of shotguns hanging about 2 feet into the isle and that even made the small isles smaller

Duh, I have an idea put the guns at a 45 degree angle on the table and then they will not be knocked all over the fricken place and you can fit the same fricken amount in the same space!!!

Posted: 3/25/2006 2:19:15 PM EDT

[#7]

I'll be going tomorrow so wish me luck!

Posted: 3/25/2006 2:22:12 PM EDT

[#8]

Got there 9:30, very busy, Seen about 3/4 of show. Got some items from Sully and exited on the widest isle. Jack and Q were helping Sully, and Fritz was there and it wasn't raining. Dan

Posted: 3/25/2006 3:07:28 PM EDT

[#9]

I got a Sully stock (thank you mr salesman). Now I just want more stuff.

Posted: 3/25/2006 3:28:10 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Got there 9:30, very busy, Seen about 3/4 of show. Got some items from Sully and exited on the widest isle. Jack and Q were helping Sully, and Fritz was there and it wasn't raining. Dan

That is because we didn't let Fritz handle any of the guns.

Posted: 3/25/2006 5:10:34 PM EDT

[#11]

RN and I went this afternoon.

DPMS was already sold out of a few of the parts I was looking for!

Sully had some excellent deals on top notch products! It was good to talk with Quinlan, Fedgunner, Sully, and Death451.

We ran into DSSPRO too.

Otherwise, it was extremely busy, and we didn't stick around too long.

Posted: 3/25/2006 6:42:23 PM EDT

[#12]

Yup, Evil_Ed and I bought matching S&W .357 mag revolvers for $214! I wish I had bought both! Hart Bros is clearing out all of the their handguns, prices are about 30% less than what they usually charge. The owner is apparently retiring and one of the sons is taking over and going to concentrate on high end rifles.

Picked up some good deals on parts from DPMS.

The DE table is full of awesome looking rifles!

It was very crowded...too crowded, they need one less row of tables in there. I think it's time they started looking for a bigger space!

Posted: 3/25/2006 9:23:04 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Hart Bros is clearing out all of the their handguns, prices are about 30% less than what they usually charge. The owner is apparently retiring and one of the sons is taking over and going to concentrate on high end rifles.

That's to bad. I've enjoyed going to Milan's shop since I was a little kid. I'll have to stop by and see him tomorrow.

I'm guessing that his son Kemlin will be taking over then? Kemlin is a good kid (I was a good friend of Kemlin's older brother all through school, Kemlin will always be a "kid"). I'm sure that Kemlin will do a good job running the shop when the time comes. It's still sad to see Milan retire though.

Posted: 3/25/2006 9:23:19 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Yup, Evil_Ed and I bought matching S&W .357 mag revolvers for $214! I wish I had bought both! Hart Bros is clearing out all of the their handguns, prices are about 30% less than what they usually charge. The owner is apparently retiring and one of the sons is taking over and going to concentrate on high end rifles.

Which makes me seriously consider going back tomorrow and seeing if they have any more...I'm not a huge revolver fan (this is my first) but at those prices...well, why not?

Posted: 3/25/2006 10:08:09 PM EDT

[#15]

Damn I wish I had more money to spend!

Posted: 3/26/2006 12:43:54 AM EDT

[#16]

wanted to thank fedgunner, q and sully for their courtesy and help. hopefully we'll be able to find a pistol that my wife likes and send her to a couple of classes. a rare group of guys at a show like that to spend time with somebody even though they knew they weren't going to make a sale that day. I was very impressed. When I need to buy an AR it will be a SLR model.

thanks

a

ps--even death said hi--what a good group of guys

Posted: 3/26/2006 4:33:59 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Which makes me seriously consider going back tomorrow and seeing if they have any more...I'm not a huge revolver fan (this is my first) but at those prices...well, why not?

Another guy grabbed a really nice .38spcl snub nose for $300 just before I saw it.

Otherwise I probably would have gotten that too. The HB table was pretty packed and the lady who was doing the background checks was almost constantly on the phone.

Posted: 3/26/2006 8:30:17 AM EDT

[#18]

anothe show missed for me

I really wnat ot get anoter lower or two at the "special ar15.com prices"

Posted: 3/26/2006 8:52:26 AM EDT

[#19]

Really busy. I am fairly certain that I got the last 500 round pack of Wolf 7.62x39 in the whole show. Didn't see a single 1,000 round case.

Anyone else see the class III M2 carbines for $10,000?

Posted: 3/26/2006 10:22:56 AM EDT

[#20]

A head count of 6K through the doors on Saturday. I do not think that the Hart. Bros. of Albert Lea was blowing out handguns at 30 percent off. They were marking down guns with pink post it notes, today. Sully and company had a nice display of guns! DPMS was doing their usual bang up job of making deals, did not see that much once fired brass, and Madden Enterprises has some Glock trade ins at a decent price.

Posted: 3/26/2006 12:52:09 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
A head count of 6K through the doors on Saturday.

If you do the math, that figures out to a over a full 0.1% of the entire Minnesota population attending this show on Saturday alone. Not too bad, I guess.

Posted: 3/26/2006 1:09:07 PM EDT

[#22]

No more DPMS stripped lowers for $80

DE did have nice stuff.

I am finding it harder to justify going to the MWCA gun shows.

Posted: 3/26/2006 1:43:56 PM EDT

[#23]

there was a couple 1K wolf cases there today. i only picked up a couple ar mags. nothing much to buy there for me.

yeah i saw that M2 carbine for $10K, he's had that for sale for a while now.

Posted: 3/26/2006 3:01:49 PM EDT

[#24]

With Minnesota's C&R only machinegun restriction I'm surprised one of you high rollers hasn't picked up an M2 yet! Too rich for my blood, though.

DPMS:
Please unload some scratch and dent $80 stripped lowers at the next show...

Posted: 3/26/2006 4:54:09 PM EDT

[#25]

The Stoner 63 mag fed was a real joy to see.

Very nice owner too.

The Armalite AR10 was a bit of history too.

The best dealsI saw was a HK P7PSP for $695 and pre 89 Springfield SAR3( HK91 copy) with ARMS mount and Williams trigger for $1,200.

The show was PACKED. And I got there at 8:10AM Saturday and there was a line outside the building.

Posted: 3/26/2006 5:27:30 PM EDT

[#26]

My GF and I went Saturday around 2pm and stayed till just after 4. Came home with a Yugo M48A Mauser for $200, 75 rounds 8mm ammo for $13, 4 NHMTG 20 round mags @ $10 each, and an OD CY6 rifle case from the SLR15 table for $65. My GF bought herself a 3" CRKT Crawford/Kasper Folder for $40.

GL

Posted: 3/26/2006 8:00:55 PM EDT

[#27]

i didn't see the stoner on sunday. i hope it wasn't out as i would be pissed at myself if i missed it. was it the $65K stoner?

what's the history on that AR10? i briefly spoke with that guy.

Craig

Posted: 3/26/2006 9:21:50 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
i didn't see the stoner on sunday. i hope it wasn't out as i would be pissed at myself if i missed it. was it the $65K stoner?

what's the history on that AR10? i briefly spoke with that guy.

Craig

Here is a little History on ArmaLite

The AR-10 became the main focus of attention beginning in 1955. At that time the Army was considering the Springfield Armory T-44 (an updated Garand) and the T-48, a version of the FN FAL, as replacements for the M1 Garand. ArmaLite hoped to present a rifle capable of displacing both models.

The AR-10 was stunningly different than any previous design. It was produced with aircraft grade aluminum receivers, and therefore weighed less than seven pounds. The lightweight material was possible because the bolt locked into a steel extension on the barrel, not into the receiver itself. The stock and other furniture were plastic, while the T-44 and T-48 were of wood. The configuration of the rifle itself, with its integral carrying handle and charging handle distinctively mounted within it, sparked intense curiosity.

In the end, the AR-10 wasn’t able to catch up; the T-44 was adopted as the M-14 rifle in 1959. The AR-10 fell victim to both its own weaknesses, (normal in early models of any product) prejudice within the Army Ordnance Corps, and the head start of the other rifles.

Based on what they saw in the AR-10, however, other Army officials asked ArmaLite to develop a smaller version of the AR-10 in 1956. The ensuing rifle was called the AR-15. Like the AR-10, it was a developmental model. Not only was it too late to be considered against the T-44 and T-48, it didn’t match the long-range marksmanship doctrine of the day.

The AR-10 was licensed to the Dutch Arsenal, Artillerie Inrichtingen, for sale on the international market. ArmaLite and its agents and assignees demonstrated the rifle around the world, but sales were limited. Even the Dutch failed to adopt the rifle built in their own arsenal. Despite the background Army interest in a smaller caliber rifle, ArmaLite licensed the designs and trademarks to the AR-10 and AR-15 to Colt’s in January 1959

www.armalite.com/library/history/history.htm

Posted: 3/27/2006 1:55:16 PM EDT

[#29]

Did any of you stop and say hello to the nice folks staffing the Vulcan Arms table?

Posted: 3/27/2006 3:33:25 PM EDT

[#30]

I went with some specifics in mind. Picked up a case from DPMS (I needed one that looked as little like a gun case as possible, but I didn't want to haul a bat bag or anything like that), and then hit Sully's table for a new trigger guard and some cleaning stuff. I discovered that I really want one of his precision rifles! I also hit my main goal, which was two pairs of those custom-made earplugs.

Then I ran. The aisles were way too small, and everything other than the above-mentioned booths was either overpriced or filled with crap.

Posted: 3/27/2006 5:25:34 PM EDT

[#31]

i saw the the m2 for 10k. i know all i and i know he doesnt really wanna get rid of it. but with the market so hot right now he decided he put it out there and see if anyone was willing to pay