Share your best gun show stories.

M

MagnumWill

New member
I live in Colorado, and the Tanner Gun Show just swung through town again. I have gone a number of times, and it's fun to see a lot of the stuff the vendors and LGS's bring out. But there's always something amiss with some of the people you meet :)

I had one guy tell me that the giant .50 muzzlebrake on a Mossberg 500 was for breaching doors. OK, he was mistaken for the other one, fair enough...

A Mosin-Nagant labeled as a "Mauser M44". OK, that's pushing it a little bit.....

A Polish Tantal AK74 for..... $950? :eek::eek::eek:

I'm sure some of you have much better/sillier/worrisome experiences than I, so let's hear them. :)
 
Most recently, a table from a highly regarded local store had an interesting pricing system for their long guns. Sticker on the box says $419.99, tag hanging from gun says "Our EXCLUSIVE Price! $479.99"........:confused: All of their long guns that I saw were priced like this, apparently their "exclusive" price just meant a large mark-up in price. I would've loved to have heard their answer but the table was quite busy so I didn't hang around.

The other tables I looked around had prices that actually matched up, imagine that. :rolleyes:
 
I went to a gun show a couple of years ago. I bought some ammo for slightly less than I could have gotten it for online. Then I got bored. Then I went home. :D
 
I told this in another thread.I went to support a friend of mine who was hosting a gun show last weekend.

I barely made in the door and already regretted going.Guy came in with a UNLOADED gun,while checking the (unloaded gun).The person checking guns in was sweeping us while UNLOADING it.Eight shiny rounds from a .45 came rolling out on the table as we stood there,man was i miffed.

Once inside the tables were filled with all the latest Glock stuff but nothing else.All i wanted was some ammo and a mag for my H&K.I was told H&K was fading away and every one was going to glock and Sig.Funny thing is,i was also loolking for an x Sig 220 mag but they didn't have any of those either,so much for everything going Sig and Glock.

As i was cruising tables 2 guys kept getting in my way,i noticed that everywhere i was so were they.They just kept getting right up next to me and around me so i couldn't really see most of the stuff on the tables.I finally found and got the gun i wanted,i stopped by to say by to my friend and left,i had enough.

I did tell my friend if he ever had another gun show i would be more than happy to work for free as the check in person and told him why.:mad:
 
I've only been to two gun shows so far. The first time I walked through pretty quickly, the second (just a few weeks ago) I had a rather productive time. Getting good prices on ammo and the icing on the cake with a good amount of Garand rifles on display. I always get a kick out of seeing them and thinking of this stories some of them could tell.
 
Happily, . . . I took a friend I'd just introduced to shooting to his first gun show, . . .

Helped him pick out a beautiful, NIB, Colt stainless 1911 with a rail, . . . 100 year anniversary edition, . . .

(If I had the disposable cash that day, . . . ummmmmmmmmmm, . . . I digress)

Anyway, . . . for a grand + tax, . . . we both went home with a smile, . . . and some day, . . . I'll getta shoot it.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
My best gun show experience was a year or so back. I was there looking for a Remington 870, but not just any 870. No, I wanted the Magnum Marine model; the one with the stainless finish and extended magazine tube. After three passes through the rows with no luck, I came across the only one in the building...and though it was slightly used, close examination revealed it to be in like-new condition. As an added bonus, it came with a Tac Star side saddle ammo carrier already installed. The best part: The price tag said $530.00, but I managed to get the dealer down to an even $500.00. As I walked off with my prize, which was not in a box and plainly visible, I encountered numerous other gun show patrons who would spot the gun, immediately stop, and just gawk at it in unabashed jealous admiration. Quotes ranged from "Oh, my God!" to "Dude, that is just gorgeous!" More than 10 total strangers tried to buy it from me that day. Of course, I politely turned them all down. That stainless masterpiece is now my primary HD weapon. :cool:
 
Stopped by the gun show in Minneapolis over the weekend and saw someone with a S&W Sigma 9mm with a price tag of over $400! If memory serves the price on the tag was actually $499, but it could have $459. Either way, completely insane price.
 
That's funny, I haven't had good luck with finding cheap ammo at the gun shows. Luckily my LGS carries a ton of surplus so I can get relatively cheap :).

I took a friend of mine to the show, and as we were walking around looking at the ammo, there was some ammo just tossed into sandwich bags with a price on it. They could have very easily been range pickup reloads or bona-fide, but I told him "I treat these bags of ammo as buying a bag of hypodermic needles. Sure, they look clean, but you never know if one of them will end up killing you." :p


I'm not a big buyer at gun shows, but my biggest purchase was finding a super-clean Romy-G pistol grip foregrip that I could modify and put on my Romy AES-10B RPK. Hand pick through the box, got it for five bucks. Score! :D
 
Well, the Blue-Book says;

Well, you left this topic wide open so this time have to pick on a dealer. .. ;)
Walked up on a table where a dealer was looking up prices on in order to show the customer what his handgun was worth. Problem is that the Blue-Book he was using, was about five years old. I politely brought it to his attention and he just blew it off and said that it was close enough. The customer smiled and walked away. Later, he thanked me. ... :)


Be Safe !!!
 
This one time, at a gun show, I got a flute stuck in my 12 gauge.

:rolleyes:

Ok that did not happen. What I do see at the big gun shows are more De oppresso liber DUIs and Tridents than actually exist in the entire world and they stories they tell? Oh dear.
 
What I do see at the big gun shows are more De oppresso liber DUIs and Tridents than actually exist in the entire world and they stories they tell? Oh dear.
Click to expand...


:D One of the reasons I like going to gun shows.
 
My first gun show at age 19, a dealer had a DPMS marked at $1,199 and said it was as good as a Colt. I didn't know any better, but I'm a naturally dubious person, and I'm glad for that!

So as not to offend any happy DPMS owners, this was BONE stock, not even a rail.
 
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Went looking for a 12ga. Missed the 870 I had sold a while back and wanted to replace it. After walking through the entire show and seeing overpriced 870s with all kinds of garbage hanging from them I get to the last table and see a High Standard riot gun. 18" barrel, full length mag tube, rifle sights. Excellent condition. The tag said $225, I got it for $200. One of the best purchases I ever made. Slickest action, most accurate shotgun I've ever seen. Glad I didn't find an 870.
 
I asked for my free handgun,,,

Not a gun show in reality,,,
But the sign at the Evil Pawn Shop says:

It's Like a Gun Show Every Day!

A few weeks ago I was in the Evil Pawn Shop,,,
Happily filing out the paperwork to receive my new NEOS.

I casually mentioned to the Evil Pawn Shop Guy,,,
This is my 5th new handgun purchase,,,
"The next one is free, right?"

Actually the numbers are:
8 = New guns (7 handguns & 1 rifle)
6 = Used guns
9 = Transfer fees from Gunbroker & Buds

He didn't bat an eyelash as he answered,,,
"Of course, but I get to choose the free one."

I told him that was fine by me,,,
I've brought the subject up several times now,,,
Just as a subtle reminder that he freely agreed to a free gun.

He says he's still searching for a really nice firearm,,,
I can't wait to see what he chooses for me.

I wonder if it will require a Form 4473?

Aarond
 
I went to a gun show in Suffolk VA, years and years ago, when I saw a man sitting in a wheel chair behind a table. Through bites of his cheeseburger he mumbled "Semper Fi" since I was wearing a jarhead T-shirt. He looked familiar but I couldn't really place him til he introduced himself. Gunny Hathcock! He gave me his card, signed my book and invited me to his school! All because I needed some magazines for my Enfield and stopped in.
 
Thanks globemaster3. Got him to sign the book right next to the burger thumb print he left on the inside cover! Even better was getting to know the man socially. Great influence in my life and career in the Corps.
 
I was never good at math; but !!!

Once at an Illinois show walked up on a table with an older couple selling some really neat, old-school "stuff". There were two sets of mold blocks, one for a .36 and the other for a .45. Both for a Maxi-ball. Had a price of $10.00 each. Asked him if he would take $8.00 for the .36. He said no, but he would take $12.00 for both. I said; really?? .... YEP !!

I took them both and later picked up another for a .54 ..... :)


Be Safe !!!
 
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