GUNS/RLTD Gun show report

Doc1

Doc1

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Today, I went to my first gun show since the Covid crisis shut everything down. This is one of, if not the largest show in Mississippi. First off, I've never seen this show so crowded. Secondly, I've never seen such stupidly high prices!

Here are a few examples. One guy was trying to sell 1000 large pistol primers for $180! Another was trying to sell 25 round boxes of 12 GA birdshot shells for - are you ready? - $75/box!!! Understand that 12 GA birdshot is one of the few types of ammunition for which there has been no shortage. You can go into the local Wally Worlds and buy it for $5-$6/box. Another guy was trying to sell a 1000 round case of cheap 9mm FMJ rounds for $1760!

Hey, it's a (supposedly) free country, so they can ask anything they want to, but I didn't see much in the way of ammo or guns being bought. The above examples were extreme examples, but most centerfire ammunition was being sold for between one and three dollars per round. There were very few reloading supplies available and what was there was astronomically priced.

I spent a grand total of $20.50. I'm still good at finding bargains, even at an expensive gun show! My take included an almost full one pound can of Pyrodex black powder substitute for $12, four items out of a grab bag box including a large sharpening stone, a leather Italian police pouch, a kydex double mag pouch and a locking security cable, all for $6. Lastly, I picked up a one ounce copper Trump coin for DW for $2.50.

All firearms were expensive, but proportionately not as expensive as the ammunition.

Best
Doc
 
S

Sentinel

Veteran Member
Thanks, Doc. I went to a show in Cape Girardeau, MO, two weekends ago. The ammunition was high, but not as high as what your saw. 5.56 for about $1.00 a round and the same for 9mm. Cheap Palmetto State Armory ARs were close to $1,000 and Mini 14s were running over $1,200. The show wasn't that crowded and it didn't appear anything was selling. I had several vendors complain when I asked them how the show was going. Gee, I wonder why people aren't buying???
 
blackguard

blackguard

Veteran Member
Went to a show in OKC a few weeks ago, box of 1000 small pistol primers were $400 ! AR prices were a little higher but not outrageous
 
Ravekid

Ravekid

Veteran Member
I haven’t been to our big area show for a while. It is mostly people who are just really into guns who go because that is the only type of person who will stand in line for an hour or longer just to get into the building. Not to mention pay the entry and parking fees. A friend went and took photos of the line. He arrived 10 mins before the doors open. Eventually got in after standing in line for almost two hours.

I don’t even know why people go. Some of the more popular shops in the metro area stopped renting vendor space because it made no sense as the prices were the same or higher than what they sold in the store. I wouldn’t mind going, but the waste of time waiting in line, the prices, it is all just too much.
 
db cooper

db cooper

Resident Secret Squirrel
Raggedyman said:
quit going to gun shows about 5 yrs back - 'bout the same time I realized there weren't really any deals to be had there any more.
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Same here. I either buy a gun from a dealer or private sale, so much cheaper.

In the 90's or so there were deals. Cheap Norinco SKS's for $75. I still have one and in terms of durability and non-stop functioning, it's likely the best gun ever owned. Just checked Gunbroker.com & high asking prices are $800 for the same thing.
 
NoDandy

NoDandy

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thanks for the report Doc. I have not been to a show in some time. Last I went, prices were not that bad. I bet now they are stupid.
 
mistaken1

mistaken1

Has No Life - Lives on TB
For some number of years now online shopping allows one to buy quality accessories (not chinese junk) at great prices and have it shipped to the front door.

When one does find quality accessories at a show the dealers price it as if they never want it to sell. It is almost as if their plan is to keep it in their best case show after show as sellers moved down the line to view the cheaper but still overpriced, high profit margin chinese knock-offs.

Same with firearms, online offers a better selection at better prices but at least at the show with the over-priced firearms one knows what one is buying based manufacturer/model.
 
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day late

day late

money? whats that?
Doc, I don't know if you do this, but I do. Lead tire weights can usually be gotten from your local car mechanic. They are happy to get rid of them because they have to pay to have the lead safely recycled or whatever. I melt them down and pour my own ammo for my BP weapons.
 
ShadowMan

ShadowMan

Designated Grumpy Old Fart
I totally stopped going to gun shows out here on the Left Coast YEARS and YEARS ago. An ABSOLUTE total waste of time. Nothing but crap guns (if they even have any) at highly inflated prices and anything else gun related is at totally bloated prices. Mostly it's just nothing but craft garbage and junk. Not even worth the price of admission.

Now when I worked the gun shows in Denver and Colorado Springs.....those were GREAT!! Lots of choices and great buys. Lots of fun. I really miss those.
 
Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
I believe the gooberment mandated they not be. Thus current ones are not, but if you can find older ones they are.
 
S

shane

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Used to do/sell at Texas gun shows back in the 80's, different world back then,
nowadays most all the best deals, if any, are working crowd outside in the long
waiting lines to see what they have for sale that you might pick up on the cheap.

Panic Early, Beat the Rush!
- Shane
 
V

vestige

Deceased
shane said:
Used to do/sell at Texas gun shows back in the 80's, different world back then,
nowadays most all the best deals, if any, are working crowd outside in the long
waiting lines to see what they have for sale that you might pick up on the cheap.

Panic Early, Beat the Rush!
- Shane
Click to expand...
Like a pen hooker at a stockyard
 
ComCamGuy

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
A lot of the time it depends on what you are looking for. I’m not usually after the latest and greatest. Older guns and parts can be found at the olde and smaller shows. Bins full of loose parts and things that look ugly and worn can be diamonds in the rough, like my old green pakerized hi-power I got for 300 because they thought it was an FEG clone
 
Shooter

Shooter

Veteran Member
I got my first show this year next weekend, a little local show, Ashland Nebraska, I started doing shows in 1975, some years did up to 35 shows a year. would be about 6 to 8 now but covid has many cities not allowing them,

People dont know how to buy at a gun show, I watch them walk by. glance at a table. and move on, you need to stop at each table and look, I mean really look, take at least 2 minutes at each table. there may be some spring or part that you gun takes that might be good as a spare, and if your looking for something ask, every dealer has boxes under his table that they dont have room to put out, as you sell stuff you put more out .

but the best deals are not from the dealers. its from the people walking in, hundreds ask me at every show"you wanna buy this?" I sell brass and reloading stuff, I have people who bring me in lots of brass every show, but I also look at what anyone is selling, can get some great deals
 
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Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
I stopped going to shows after the first one I went to here in Austin. Insane prices, poor selection. The people walking around selling personal stuff didn’t have what I wanted. These days, I only want two things: a .50BMG and an original 1970’s Colt Python, nickel plated, 6” bbl, with original box & docs. I’ll never get either one though, due to price.
 
P

Publius

TB Fanatic
Price Gouging? Just three days ago I went to a local gun store to get some gun oil that Walmart did not have and I walked in there and the place was bare I got the oil I wanted but that gun rack had only a few rifles and all the ammo and reloading supplies were sold out. Normally they would have 100+ long arms on display plus a used gun rack and at lest 30 pistols.
 
N

night driver

ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
Dennis Olson said:
I stopped going to shows after the first one I went to here in Austin. Insane prices, poor selection. The people walking around selling personal stuff didn’t have what I wanted. These days, I only want two things: a .50BMG and an original 1970’s Colt Python, nickel plated, 6” bbl, with original box & docs. I’ll never get either one though, due to price.
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Gave up on your Jaykl??
 
Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
Well, it’s not available yet for one, I’d get it from PSA for another, and with my gig ending I couldn’t afford one anyway.
 
tech

tech

Veteran Member
day late said:
Doc, I don't know if you do this, but I do. Lead tire weights can usually be gotten from your local car mechanic. They are happy to get rid of them because they have to pay to have the lead safely recycled or whatever. I melt them down and pour my own ammo for my BP weapons.
Click to expand...
Most tire weights are no longer lead...another sad page in American history...if there are any lead ones, I scoop them up. Maybe a few pounds in the last five years :(
 
tencup

tencup

Inactive
My experience at the show on Saturday was the best prices on firearms were buying from other show goers... no background check prices was below retail
 
Blacknarwhal

Blacknarwhal

Let's Go Brandon!
I would go fairly routinely to one show out here; the entry fees weren't terrible and the place had a lot to offer. I'd post reports here after each. It was always kind of fun to see the ebb and flow, how many actual gun sellers there were and how many fluff booths there were. I remember one year where almost no one was actually selling a gun, as opposed to scopes, cases, and assorted whatnot.

Made for a nice afternoon out and plenty of exercise walking through the aisles, even if I didn't always go home with anything. Curse you, river!
 
Con-tractor

Con-tractor

The Mad in Genius
Gun shows have been bad price wise for awhile, but just like some gun stores you can occasionally find weird things you need. Like a mag for a Winchester model 100 lol.

I have a great gun store I like he always has unique weird stuff at a good price, but he also sells Glocks for 700-800 bucks for idiots.
 
W

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
Lots of free gov't cheese in people's pockets, and lots of newbies. I'd suspect inventory would be pretty watered down, and prices high.

OTOH, I drove past the neighborhood indoor range/smithy/gun shop Saturday afternoon, and their lot was was packed. A heck of a way to mint coin in this umm.......political/social environment. Wow.
 
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Doc1

Doc1

Has No Life - Lives on TB
day late said:
Doc, I don't know if you do this, but I do. Lead tire weights can usually be gotten from your local car mechanic. They are happy to get rid of them because they have to pay to have the lead safely recycled or whatever. I melt them down and pour my own ammo for my BP weapons.
Click to expand...

I've been doing that for many years. As others have noted, most wheel weights aren't lead anymore; they're either zinc or iron. Still, a fair number of lead ones turn up at the scrapyards (as well as other forms of lead). If you are using scrapyard lead to cast for black powder weapons - specifically for muzzle loaders - look for roofing lead. That's nearly pure, soft lead, unlike wheel weights, which are too hard to be good for muzzle loader use.

These days, I keep two pots. One is for wheel weight and other alloy lead and the other is for pure lead for my percussion revolvers.

Best
Doc
 
33dInd

33dInd

Veteran Member
Don’t collect it anymore
Butt
I got 500 ingots melted and stored
In case I ever start reloading again
 
slbmatt

slbmatt

Contributing Member
Old battery cable ends work well. Used to have a guy who would buy wheel weights
and old battery cable ends. And the gun shows here! Over priced.
 
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