Knife & Gun Show tomorrow ... What to expect?
- Thread starter andyb
- Start date
Christina Whittington
New member
Man, just wait. You will se a lot of people with guns, and a lot of dealers with a LOT if guns. 
You will really really enjoy it.
Where are you from? Are you in Dallas TX
and are you going to the Market Hall Show?
CW
------------------
Amendment II (1791)
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
You will really really enjoy it.
Where are you from? Are you in Dallas TX
and are you going to the Market Hall Show?
CW
------------------
Amendment II (1791)
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
Just a caveat. On another board, non gun, one of the members said he went to a gun show in New Mexico recently. He was greeted by a Highway Patrol Officer at the door who asked "any guns?" Since there`s no CCW there, a yes answer would be a bad move. We have signs here that state no loaded guns etc. but the gun shows police themselves. I thought this was highly unusual.
"...(eyes and) ears open and wallet closed..." is always a good rule of thumb, and not just at a show.
If it's too good to be true, it usually is.
(boy, did I find out the hard way)
And try not to buy the first great deal that you see.
Good luck.
And keep us posted.
------------------
...defend the 2nd., it protects us all.
No fate but what we make...
If it's too good to be true, it usually is.
(boy, did I find out the hard way)
And try not to buy the first great deal that you see.
Good luck.
And keep us posted.
------------------
...defend the 2nd., it protects us all.
No fate but what we make...
Gopher .45
New member
Expect that if you are openly carrying a gun, several people will ask if you are selling. If the gun is in a case of some sort, several people ask what it is and if you are selling.
hksigwalther
New member
"And try not to buy the first great deal that you see." Foxfire got it right. See the entire show first noting prices and locations. Then make any purchases at the end. The down side is that someone else might buy what your looking for before you get back to buy it. Just get there (to the show) early.
Most gun shows occur over two days. If you're iffy on a particular item on the first day, you can mull it overnight and, if deciding to buy, go back the next day. (You'll have to pay another entry fee, though.)
------------------
- Ron V.
Most gun shows occur over two days. If you're iffy on a particular item on the first day, you can mull it overnight and, if deciding to buy, go back the next day. (You'll have to pay another entry fee, though.)
------------------
- Ron V.
Great replies - and thanks. This is the Southeastern VA Knife & Gun Show in Virginia Beach, VA - today (Sat.) and manana.
I guess the toughest question is "How do I know it works (reliably) and if it doesn't, where do I take it? Kind of like a computer show where you also "buy and hope"????
We'll see - should be interesting.
Andy
I guess the toughest question is "How do I know it works (reliably) and if it doesn't, where do I take it? Kind of like a computer show where you also "buy and hope"????
We'll see - should be interesting.
Andy
hksigwalther
New member
You can treat it like buying a car. Try to find a local gun range that rents out the particular gun you are looking for and try it out (test drive) for the price of the rental, ammo, and range time. You could also try to find a reponsible gun owner who has one and ask to try it out at the range with him/her. As with cars, this would only be one sample of a large number of a particular model. Lemons do get through QC/QA, even in the gun industry. But, generally though, if it works well, particularly after a hundred rounds or two it'll probably work well for you when you purchase one.
If you buy one and it consistantly fails within a week or two, I would take it back to the dealer if they are near by. After that, or if the dealer is far away, I'd send it back to the manufacturer.
Forums such as TheFiringLine are incredible sources of finding out personal experiences, which guns are great, which ones are crap, which companies treat the customer like kings, and which are scumbags and incompatents.
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- Ron V.
[This message has been edited by hksigwalther (edited June 10, 2000).]
If you buy one and it consistantly fails within a week or two, I would take it back to the dealer if they are near by. After that, or if the dealer is far away, I'd send it back to the manufacturer.
Forums such as TheFiringLine are incredible sources of finding out personal experiences, which guns are great, which ones are crap, which companies treat the customer like kings, and which are scumbags and incompatents.
------------------
- Ron V.
[This message has been edited by hksigwalther (edited June 10, 2000).]
I thought that this thread had been lost during the down period. (So much for thinking - and not knowing).
Turns out this was one of the smaller shows, I'm told. Some local shops were represented, as were some regional dealers. A lot of old guns, "experienced" guns, and a few new. Lots of ammo, mag, parts, supplies, etc ... well you folks know better what was there. There were a couple "field dressed" guys there with AR/AK looking things hanging off their shoulders, a few open carry handgunners. Front desk was checking and strapping (tie-ties) triggers going into the show area.
I soaked it all up, made a couple contacts for later on and checked out what a 1911 extractor looked like (I couldn't quite make out that diagram from 1911.org and hadn't yet pulled mine out.)
Interesting experience. I understand the show in the Fall is the "big" one so I'll gear up for that.
Thanks for all the assists.
Andy
Turns out this was one of the smaller shows, I'm told. Some local shops were represented, as were some regional dealers. A lot of old guns, "experienced" guns, and a few new. Lots of ammo, mag, parts, supplies, etc ... well you folks know better what was there. There were a couple "field dressed" guys there with AR/AK looking things hanging off their shoulders, a few open carry handgunners. Front desk was checking and strapping (tie-ties) triggers going into the show area.
I soaked it all up, made a couple contacts for later on and checked out what a 1911 extractor looked like (I couldn't quite make out that diagram from 1911.org and hadn't yet pulled mine out.)
Interesting experience. I understand the show in the Fall is the "big" one so I'll gear up for that.
Thanks for all the assists.
Andy
A FIELD GUIDE TO GUN SHOWS
Gun shows are an old and honored American tradition. The basic idea-putting sellers, buyers, and stock in the same room and letting Free Market Forces go to work-is as old as commerce, but the American form of gun show has evolved its own manners, vocabulary, and etiquette.
Gun shows are run by and for dreamers. Every dealer who sets up a table seems to think that the people who attend are half-wits who will happily pay 25% more than manufacturer's suggested retail price for their goods; and all the attendees hold it as an article of faith that the exhibitors are desperate men who have come in the hopes of finally disposing of their stock at 30% less than wholesale cost.
In this environment it helps to have some idea what to expect; so for the benefit of those who are so unfortunate as never to have experienced this distinctively American form of mass entertainment, I offer this guide, the summation of what I've learned from 30 years of show-going. I've included a glossary of terms you'll need to know, and an introduction to some of the people you'll meet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GLOSSARY
The following terms apply to items offered for sale:
MINT CONDITION: In original condition as manufactured, unfired, and preferably in the original box with all manufacturer's tags, labels, and paperwork.
NEAR-MINT CONDITION: Has had no more than 5,000 rounds fired through it and it still retains at least 60% of the original finish. Surface pitting is no more than 1/8" deep, and both grip panels are in place. If it is a .22, some of the rifling is still visible.
VERY GOOD: Non-functional when you buy it, but you can probably get it to work if you replace 100% of the parts.
FAIR: Rusted into a solid mass with a shape vaguely reminscent of a firearm.
TIGHT: In revolvers, the cylinder swings out, but you need two hands to close it again. For autoloaders, you must bang the front of the slide on a table to push it back.
REALLY TIGHT: In revolvers you cannot open the cylinder without a lever. Once it's open the extractor rod gets stuck halfway through its travel. On autoloaders, you need a hammer to close the slide.
A LITTLE LOOSE: In revolvers, the cylinder falls out and the chambers are 1/4" out of line when locked up. There is no more than 1/2" of end play. For autoloaders, the barrel falls out when the slide is retracted. If the barrel stays in place, the slide falls off.
GOOD BORE: You can tell it was once rifled and even approximately how many grooves there were.
FAIR BORE: Probably would be similar to GOOD BORE, if you could see through it.
NEEDS A LITTLE WORK: May function sometimes if you have a gunsmith replace minor parts, such as the bolt, cylinder, or barrel.
ARSENAL RECONDITIONED: I cleaned it up with a wire wheel and some stuff I bought at K-Mart.
ANTIQUE: I found it in a barn, and I think it dates from before 1960. Note that ANTIQUE guns are usually found in FAIR condition.
RARE VARIANT: No more than 500,000 of this model were ever made, not counting the ones produced before serial numbers were required. Invariably, RARE VARIANTS command a premium price of 150% of BOOK VALUE.
BOOK VALUE: An ill-defined number that dealers consider insultingly low and buyers ridiculously high. Since no one pays any attention to it, it doesn't matter who is right.
IT BELONGED TO MY GRANDFATHER: I bought it at a flea market or yard sale two weeks ago.
CIVIL WAR RELIC: The vendor's great-grandfather knew a man whose friend once said he had been in the Civil War.
SHOOTS REAL GOOD: For rifles, this means at 100 yards it will put every shot into a 14" circle if there isn't any wind and you're using a machine rest. For handguns, three out of six rounds will impact a silhouette target at seven yards. In shotguns, it means that the full choke tube throws 60% patterns with holes no larger than 8" in them.
ON CONSIGNMENT: The vendor at the show does not own the gun. It belongs to a friend, customer, or business associate, and he has been instructed to sell it, for which he will be paid a commission. He has no authority to discuss price. The price marked is 50% above BOOK VALUE. All used guns offered for sale at gun shows, without exception, are ON CONSIGNMENT, and the dealer is required by his Code of Ethics to tell you this as soon as you ask the price. (A BATF study has proven that since 1934 there has never been a single authenticated case of a used gun being offered for sale at a gun show that was actually owned by the dealer showing it.)
I'LL LET IT GO FOR WHAT I HAVE IN IT: I'll settle for what I paid for it plus a 250% profit.
MAKE ME AN OFFER: How dumb are you?
TELL ME HOW MUCH IT'S WORTH TO YOU: I'll bet you're even dumber than you look.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PEOPLE YOU WILL MEET AT THE GUN SHOW
RAMBO: He's looking for an Ingram MAC-10, and wants to have it custom chambered in .44 Magnum as a back-up gun. For primary carry he wants a Desert Eagle, provided he can get it custom chambered in .50 BMG. He derides the .50 Action Express as a wimp round designed for ladies' pocket pistols. He has already bought three years' worth of freeze-dried MRE's from MARK, as well as seven knives. He is dressed in camoflage BDU's and a black T-shirt with the 101st AirBorne Division insignia, though he has never been in the Army. He works as a bag boy at Kroger's.
BUBBA: He needs some money, and has reluctantly decided to sell his Daddy's .30-30, a Marlin 336 made in 1961. He indignantly refuses all cash offers below his asking price of $475. Unable to sell it, eventually he trades it plus another $175 for a new-in-box H&R Topper in .219 Zipper. He feels pretty good about the deal.
GORDON: He is walking the aisles with a Remington Model 700 ADL in .30-06 on his shoulder. He's put an Uncle Mike's cordura sling and a Tasco 3x9 variable scope on it. A small stick protrudes from the barrel, bearing the words, "LIKE NEW ONLY THREE BOXES SHELLS FIRED $800." This is his third trip to a show with this particular rifle, which he has never actually used, since he lives in a shotgun-only area for deer.
DAWN: She is here with her boyfriend, DARRYL. At the last show, DARRYL bought her a Taurus Model 66 in .357 Magnum. She fired it twice and is afraid of it, but at DARRYL'S insistence she keeps it in a box on the top shelf of her clothes closet in case someone breaks in. She is dressed in a pair of blue jeans that came out of a spray can, a "Soldier of Fortune" T-shirt two sizes too small, and 4" high heels. DARRYL is ignoring her, but nobody else is.
DARRYL: He has been engaged to DAWN for three years. He likes shotguns for defense, and he's frustrated that he can't get a Street Sweeper anymore. So he's bought a Mossberg 500 with the 18-1/2" barrel, a perforated handguard, and a pistol grip. He plans to use it for squirrel hunting when he isn't sleeping with it. He plans to marry DAWN as soon as he gets a job which pays him enough to take over the payments on her mobile home. His parole officer has no idea where he is at the moment.
ARNOLD: He is a car salesman in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has a passion for Civil War guns, especially cap-and-ball revolvers. He has a reproduction Remington 1858, and is looking for a real one he can afford. He owns two other guns: a S&W Model 60 and a Sauer & Sohn drilling with Luftwaffe markings that his grandfather brought home in 1945. He has no idea what caliber the rifle barrel on his drilling is, and he last fired the Model 60 five years ago.
DICK: He is a gun dealer who makes his overhead selling Jennings J-25's, Lorcin .380's, and H&R top-break revolvers. He buys the J-25's in lots of 1000 direct from the factory at $28.75 each, and sells them for $68.00 to gun show customers. He buys the H&R's for $10 at estate auctions and asks $85 for them, letting you talk him down to $78 when he is feeling generous. His records are meticulously kept: he insists on proper ID and a signature on the 4473, but he doesn't mind if the ID and the signature aren't yours. Other than his stock, he owns no guns and he has no interest in them.
ARLENE: She is DICK's wife. She hates guns and gun shows more than anything in the world. Her husband insists that she accompany him to keep an eye on the table when he's dickering or has to go to the men's room. She refuses to come unless she can bring her SONY portable TV, even though she gets lousy reception in the Civic Center and there isn't any cable. When DICK is away from the table, she has no authority to negotiate, and demands full asking price for everything. She doesn't know the difference between a rifle and a shotgun, and what's more, she doesn't care.
MARK: He doesn't have an FFL. He buys a table at the show to sell nylon holsters, magazines, T-shirts, bumber stickers, fake Nazi regalia, surplus web gear, MRE's and accessories. He makes more money than anyone else in the hall.
ALAN: He's not a dealer, but he had a bunch of odds and ends to dispose of, so he bought a table. On it he displays used loading dies in 7.65 Belgian and .25-20, both in boxes from the original Herter's company. He also has a half-box of .38-55 cartridges, a Western-style gun belt he hasn't been able to wear since 1978, a used cleaning kit, and a nickel-plated Iver Johnson Premier revolver in .32 S&W. He's asking $125 for the gun and $40 for each of the die sets. He paid $35 for the table and figures he needs to get at least that much to cover his expenses and the value of his time.
GERALD: He's a physician specializing in diseases of the rich. He collects Brownings, and specializes in High-Power pistols, Superposed shotguns, and Model 1900's. He has 98% of the known variations of each of these, and now plans to branch out into the 1906 and 1910 pocket pistols. He owns no handguns made after the Germans left Liege in 1944. He regards Japanese-made "Brownings" as a personal insult and is a little contempuous of Inglis-made High-Powers. He does not hunt or shoot. He buys all his gun accessories from Orvis and Dunn's.
KEVIN: He is 13, and this is his first gun show. His eyes are bugged out with amazement, and he wonders what his J.C. Higgins single-shot 20-gauge is worth. His father gives him an advance on his allowance so he can buy a used Remington Nylon 66. He's hooked for life and will end up on the NRA's Board of Directors.
------------------
Just one of the Good Guys
Gun shows are an old and honored American tradition. The basic idea-putting sellers, buyers, and stock in the same room and letting Free Market Forces go to work-is as old as commerce, but the American form of gun show has evolved its own manners, vocabulary, and etiquette.
Gun shows are run by and for dreamers. Every dealer who sets up a table seems to think that the people who attend are half-wits who will happily pay 25% more than manufacturer's suggested retail price for their goods; and all the attendees hold it as an article of faith that the exhibitors are desperate men who have come in the hopes of finally disposing of their stock at 30% less than wholesale cost.
In this environment it helps to have some idea what to expect; so for the benefit of those who are so unfortunate as never to have experienced this distinctively American form of mass entertainment, I offer this guide, the summation of what I've learned from 30 years of show-going. I've included a glossary of terms you'll need to know, and an introduction to some of the people you'll meet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GLOSSARY
The following terms apply to items offered for sale:
MINT CONDITION: In original condition as manufactured, unfired, and preferably in the original box with all manufacturer's tags, labels, and paperwork.
NEAR-MINT CONDITION: Has had no more than 5,000 rounds fired through it and it still retains at least 60% of the original finish. Surface pitting is no more than 1/8" deep, and both grip panels are in place. If it is a .22, some of the rifling is still visible.
VERY GOOD: Non-functional when you buy it, but you can probably get it to work if you replace 100% of the parts.
FAIR: Rusted into a solid mass with a shape vaguely reminscent of a firearm.
TIGHT: In revolvers, the cylinder swings out, but you need two hands to close it again. For autoloaders, you must bang the front of the slide on a table to push it back.
REALLY TIGHT: In revolvers you cannot open the cylinder without a lever. Once it's open the extractor rod gets stuck halfway through its travel. On autoloaders, you need a hammer to close the slide.
A LITTLE LOOSE: In revolvers, the cylinder falls out and the chambers are 1/4" out of line when locked up. There is no more than 1/2" of end play. For autoloaders, the barrel falls out when the slide is retracted. If the barrel stays in place, the slide falls off.
GOOD BORE: You can tell it was once rifled and even approximately how many grooves there were.
FAIR BORE: Probably would be similar to GOOD BORE, if you could see through it.
NEEDS A LITTLE WORK: May function sometimes if you have a gunsmith replace minor parts, such as the bolt, cylinder, or barrel.
ARSENAL RECONDITIONED: I cleaned it up with a wire wheel and some stuff I bought at K-Mart.
ANTIQUE: I found it in a barn, and I think it dates from before 1960. Note that ANTIQUE guns are usually found in FAIR condition.
RARE VARIANT: No more than 500,000 of this model were ever made, not counting the ones produced before serial numbers were required. Invariably, RARE VARIANTS command a premium price of 150% of BOOK VALUE.
BOOK VALUE: An ill-defined number that dealers consider insultingly low and buyers ridiculously high. Since no one pays any attention to it, it doesn't matter who is right.
IT BELONGED TO MY GRANDFATHER: I bought it at a flea market or yard sale two weeks ago.
CIVIL WAR RELIC: The vendor's great-grandfather knew a man whose friend once said he had been in the Civil War.
SHOOTS REAL GOOD: For rifles, this means at 100 yards it will put every shot into a 14" circle if there isn't any wind and you're using a machine rest. For handguns, three out of six rounds will impact a silhouette target at seven yards. In shotguns, it means that the full choke tube throws 60% patterns with holes no larger than 8" in them.
ON CONSIGNMENT: The vendor at the show does not own the gun. It belongs to a friend, customer, or business associate, and he has been instructed to sell it, for which he will be paid a commission. He has no authority to discuss price. The price marked is 50% above BOOK VALUE. All used guns offered for sale at gun shows, without exception, are ON CONSIGNMENT, and the dealer is required by his Code of Ethics to tell you this as soon as you ask the price. (A BATF study has proven that since 1934 there has never been a single authenticated case of a used gun being offered for sale at a gun show that was actually owned by the dealer showing it.)
I'LL LET IT GO FOR WHAT I HAVE IN IT: I'll settle for what I paid for it plus a 250% profit.
MAKE ME AN OFFER: How dumb are you?
TELL ME HOW MUCH IT'S WORTH TO YOU: I'll bet you're even dumber than you look.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PEOPLE YOU WILL MEET AT THE GUN SHOW
RAMBO: He's looking for an Ingram MAC-10, and wants to have it custom chambered in .44 Magnum as a back-up gun. For primary carry he wants a Desert Eagle, provided he can get it custom chambered in .50 BMG. He derides the .50 Action Express as a wimp round designed for ladies' pocket pistols. He has already bought three years' worth of freeze-dried MRE's from MARK, as well as seven knives. He is dressed in camoflage BDU's and a black T-shirt with the 101st AirBorne Division insignia, though he has never been in the Army. He works as a bag boy at Kroger's.
BUBBA: He needs some money, and has reluctantly decided to sell his Daddy's .30-30, a Marlin 336 made in 1961. He indignantly refuses all cash offers below his asking price of $475. Unable to sell it, eventually he trades it plus another $175 for a new-in-box H&R Topper in .219 Zipper. He feels pretty good about the deal.
GORDON: He is walking the aisles with a Remington Model 700 ADL in .30-06 on his shoulder. He's put an Uncle Mike's cordura sling and a Tasco 3x9 variable scope on it. A small stick protrudes from the barrel, bearing the words, "LIKE NEW ONLY THREE BOXES SHELLS FIRED $800." This is his third trip to a show with this particular rifle, which he has never actually used, since he lives in a shotgun-only area for deer.
DAWN: She is here with her boyfriend, DARRYL. At the last show, DARRYL bought her a Taurus Model 66 in .357 Magnum. She fired it twice and is afraid of it, but at DARRYL'S insistence she keeps it in a box on the top shelf of her clothes closet in case someone breaks in. She is dressed in a pair of blue jeans that came out of a spray can, a "Soldier of Fortune" T-shirt two sizes too small, and 4" high heels. DARRYL is ignoring her, but nobody else is.
DARRYL: He has been engaged to DAWN for three years. He likes shotguns for defense, and he's frustrated that he can't get a Street Sweeper anymore. So he's bought a Mossberg 500 with the 18-1/2" barrel, a perforated handguard, and a pistol grip. He plans to use it for squirrel hunting when he isn't sleeping with it. He plans to marry DAWN as soon as he gets a job which pays him enough to take over the payments on her mobile home. His parole officer has no idea where he is at the moment.
ARNOLD: He is a car salesman in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has a passion for Civil War guns, especially cap-and-ball revolvers. He has a reproduction Remington 1858, and is looking for a real one he can afford. He owns two other guns: a S&W Model 60 and a Sauer & Sohn drilling with Luftwaffe markings that his grandfather brought home in 1945. He has no idea what caliber the rifle barrel on his drilling is, and he last fired the Model 60 five years ago.
DICK: He is a gun dealer who makes his overhead selling Jennings J-25's, Lorcin .380's, and H&R top-break revolvers. He buys the J-25's in lots of 1000 direct from the factory at $28.75 each, and sells them for $68.00 to gun show customers. He buys the H&R's for $10 at estate auctions and asks $85 for them, letting you talk him down to $78 when he is feeling generous. His records are meticulously kept: he insists on proper ID and a signature on the 4473, but he doesn't mind if the ID and the signature aren't yours. Other than his stock, he owns no guns and he has no interest in them.
ARLENE: She is DICK's wife. She hates guns and gun shows more than anything in the world. Her husband insists that she accompany him to keep an eye on the table when he's dickering or has to go to the men's room. She refuses to come unless she can bring her SONY portable TV, even though she gets lousy reception in the Civic Center and there isn't any cable. When DICK is away from the table, she has no authority to negotiate, and demands full asking price for everything. She doesn't know the difference between a rifle and a shotgun, and what's more, she doesn't care.
MARK: He doesn't have an FFL. He buys a table at the show to sell nylon holsters, magazines, T-shirts, bumber stickers, fake Nazi regalia, surplus web gear, MRE's and accessories. He makes more money than anyone else in the hall.
ALAN: He's not a dealer, but he had a bunch of odds and ends to dispose of, so he bought a table. On it he displays used loading dies in 7.65 Belgian and .25-20, both in boxes from the original Herter's company. He also has a half-box of .38-55 cartridges, a Western-style gun belt he hasn't been able to wear since 1978, a used cleaning kit, and a nickel-plated Iver Johnson Premier revolver in .32 S&W. He's asking $125 for the gun and $40 for each of the die sets. He paid $35 for the table and figures he needs to get at least that much to cover his expenses and the value of his time.
GERALD: He's a physician specializing in diseases of the rich. He collects Brownings, and specializes in High-Power pistols, Superposed shotguns, and Model 1900's. He has 98% of the known variations of each of these, and now plans to branch out into the 1906 and 1910 pocket pistols. He owns no handguns made after the Germans left Liege in 1944. He regards Japanese-made "Brownings" as a personal insult and is a little contempuous of Inglis-made High-Powers. He does not hunt or shoot. He buys all his gun accessories from Orvis and Dunn's.
KEVIN: He is 13, and this is his first gun show. His eyes are bugged out with amazement, and he wonders what his J.C. Higgins single-shot 20-gauge is worth. His father gives him an advance on his allowance so he can buy a used Remington Nylon 66. He's hooked for life and will end up on the NRA's Board of Directors.
------------------
Just one of the Good Guys
Here in the People's Republic, I haven't seen any great deals at a gunshow in many a moon. Especially when you've got to pony up $14 for parking and admission.
Better bet is to find a little gunstore in your home town. Someplace where the owner works behind the counter. Get to know him. Then see what you can work out.
Better bet is to find a little gunstore in your home town. Someplace where the owner works behind the counter. Get to know him. Then see what you can work out.
Good Guy:
I recognize Rambo, Mark and Kevin.
Thank you for the great info and introduction(s). I certainly am now forearmed (no pun) when, as and if I go to another show.
When you finally give up "the road", consider writing a book along these same lines ... you will keep hundreds (or more) young people from many a pitfall ... like that young woman I saw "buying" a small revolver. She walked up said she wanted a gun, felt it some, popped out her credit card and zap - cometh the yellow sheet. "I'll pick it up at the store tomorrow, okay?" she says; "See you tomorrow." he says.
Seems we have a Police Chief waiting period in this town, so tomorrow's pickup is kaput (it wasn't mentioned while I was in earshot near her elbow). 'Course she could have driven across the bay and got it tomorrow ... no wait after the "normal" Fed check.
Again, thanks - I see a lot of truth in your witticism.
Andy
I recognize Rambo, Mark and Kevin.
Thank you for the great info and introduction(s). I certainly am now forearmed (no pun) when, as and if I go to another show.
When you finally give up "the road", consider writing a book along these same lines ... you will keep hundreds (or more) young people from many a pitfall ... like that young woman I saw "buying" a small revolver. She walked up said she wanted a gun, felt it some, popped out her credit card and zap - cometh the yellow sheet. "I'll pick it up at the store tomorrow, okay?" she says; "See you tomorrow." he says.
Seems we have a Police Chief waiting period in this town, so tomorrow's pickup is kaput (it wasn't mentioned while I was in earshot near her elbow). 'Course she could have driven across the bay and got it tomorrow ... no wait after the "normal" Fed check.
Again, thanks - I see a lot of truth in your witticism.
Andy
Terrible prices at many tables, with some tables selling the same or better merch than you saw at the previous tables for way less money. Walk the floor, then buy (unless it's something like a .45 Luger, or some such rare beast). Buy copies of Shotgun News and Gun List to carry with you, so you can compare prices and not get taken for a "mark."
Look the part of the badass with nerves of steel who can quote prices of the top of his head that way.
Have an idea of guns you may buy in mind so you can research. It pays to know that real Moisin-Nagant sniper rifles come with scopes and rings numbered to match each other, etc., depending on what you're looking for.
Look the part of the badass with nerves of steel who can quote prices of the top of his head that way.
Have an idea of guns you may buy in mind so you can research. It pays to know that real Moisin-Nagant sniper rifles come with scopes and rings numbered to match each other, etc., depending on what you're looking for.
If they're anything like the ones around here, expect way way overpriced stuff, with the entrepeneurs waiting behind the tables for suckers like spiders in a web waiting for flies. My advice: Pay the asking price for a gun - maybe - only if it's private sale transfer (no 4473) - if there are any at all, then it might be worth the money to not have the feds know what you own. Otherwise, they come down a lot on price, or no sale.
Oh, yeah, there are usually a few non-gougers, so compare and contrast prices for the same thing - I'll often find stuff for half the price at one booth than at another, for the exact same item, esp. hi-cap mags and small items like muzzle brakes, stripper clips, what have you.