Poll: Do you attend gun shows?

[Mecanik]

Unless we can correct the political situation in Washington and Oregon I don't see the Gun show getting any better. If we can get Trump/Republicans to pass some kind of federal firearms protection act we might be able to save the gun show from extinction but if we don't the democrats will continue to hammer away at us till it's no more. I hope I never live to see that happen.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

yes i go to gun shows.i think the question should be "do gun show vendors not know about the internet?" seems like a lot of vendors i come across have some pretty astronomical prices on merchandise that can be had by the click of a mouse for much, much cheaper and are not willing to negotiate at all...to each his own i guess. they have every right to ask whatever and i have every right to not buy. i usually come home empty handed

 

[Mecanik]

Pricing at gun shows is hit or miss because of ignorance for sure. A lot of vendors are not computer literate and have no access that information. When prices drop on the global or national level they have no idea what happened. All they know is what they paid for it and it must be worth at least that. Also the internet price is somewhat missleading as there is sometimes the FFL charge and shipping included into the final price. If the vendor is selling something he had to pay shipping to get he will ask more for it. ALso the fact that it's sitting in front of you and there's no waiting involved is worth something. Being able to look at it and handle it to examine it is worth something.

 

[CLT65]

I used to go to every gun show I could, back in the day. Nowadays I only go to the club shows, like Roseburg, Albany, Rickreall. They are more like what I remember gun shows being. I usually walk right by the tables full of row upon row of new guns, and look for the tables full of old junk.

I go for entertainment or to see what kind of interesting old stuff I can find, or on very rare occasion find an interesting old rifle or something. I especially like to find old reloading gear, and talk to the old timers. To each their own; that's just why I go. If I went looking for good deals on new guns or ammo I suppose it would be different.

The last show I went to was the Canby show on Saturday. I know, not a club show, but it was fairly close so my son and I went. What a waste of time. I spent a total of $7 and that was just getting in the door. I think a lot of those guys don't realize that the panic is over. I saw some aweful high priced primers and .22 ammo. Once again I am reminded why I only go to club shows.

 

[Mecanik]

Talking to old timers is a hoot. They have stories that can only be told by someone that's been there and done that. I'm getting close to being one of the old timers but it's still nice to talk to the really really old timers. I remember when primers were 79 cents a box of a hundred and Hornady bullets were 3 to 5 dollars a hundred or and powder was 75 cents a pound for military surplus 4831. I remember my dad buying me my first rifle, a mint condition model 91 Argentine Mauser still in the cosmoline for $19.95 from GI Joes in Portland.

 

[etrain16]

I was thinking about this again - you know what came to mind was this - gun shows are kind of like newspapers. Back in the day, everyone read the paper and gun enthusiasts went to gun shows. Each had it's place and each did what folks needed really well. But as time has passed, new technology has replaced the need for the newspaper. By the time a newspaper is printed, it's effectively out of date, whereas online you not only get current, breaking news, but you can tap many, many sources for news, getting different points of view, and often, without having to pay. As a result, fewer and fewer people are buying newspapers, who are forced to either go online with their content or die.

I look at gun shows in a similar way. Limited offerings, paying just for the privilege of looking for something you may not even find (such as not finding an article on something that interests you). It's almost like gun shows are a step behind everyone else. Now, online purchasing allows you to essentially browse a gun show from the privacy of your home, checking prices, even getting it shipped to you without the hassle of driving there hoping you might find what you want at a reasonable price.

In some ways, I lament the death of the newspaper. I grew up reading it almost daily. It was a shared ritual that we all did, much like watching the evening news or new episodes of Seinfeld, etc. I suppose in some ways, the apparent dying out of the good gun shows is similar to the death of the newspaper. The main loss, in my opinion, being that chance to talk to other gun folks - but then, I get plenty of that at the range, so that's probably enough public interaction for me

Anyway, in a world of change, it would appear to me that gun shows have seen their heyday and are just hanging on as the old guard gradually begins to go away. Will the younger generation revive them? Maybe they will, maybe they'll just stick with technology to do their gun show stuff.

 

[PDXSparky]

I just got back from Phoenix where I spend 2 whole days at a gun show. I flew down there to visit my shooting buddy who involuntarily moved there in the spring. I didn't buy any guns, but I did buy magazines: 9 STen, 5 Uzi, and 1 MP5 mag (and other stuff).

 

[JackFrost]

The last gun show I attended was looking in the mirror while flexing...Free Admission to boot! "giggity giggity"
On a more serious note, I stopped attending shows back in 08-09 while still living in the PDX area. Prices were nuts, parking was nuts and paying to get in was nuts! I went to the local show in Redmond at the fairgrounds back in September to pick up a batch of lowers and that is only because the dealer I use had a table there and he lives way out in the pucker weeds so it was more convenient to get them at the show. But still, $5 to get in the door and I saw tables with $19.99 PMAGS "ON SALE" Glock 17 mags "ON SALE" for $29.99. Those prices are nuts!
PMAG's have been under $10 bucks for almost a year now and several online retailers have been running specials for $7.99! I just can't see where the benefit of a show is unless you are looking for something very specific or have an item to sell or trade. OTT I have no use for them, almost everything I saw was WAY overpriced!

 

[PDXSparky]

I'm really curious about this statement. Where can you find 9mm 115 Grain TMJ Copper casing for less than $10.00 per 50 shipped? I have been searching everywhere!

-Greg

Maybe not less than $.20 a round shipped currently, but pretty close and if you watch, sometimes you can. Bulk Ammo for Sale Online Free Shipping Available

 

[skeezix]

I used to go more often than I do now. I feel like there used to be more bargains than you find these days. PLUS the last time I was going to attend a show in P-town, it would have cost me about $20 just to get in the door, with the outrageous parking fee. I'll stick to the smaller shows where folks still let you park for free.

 

[Alexx1401]

Maybe not less than $.20 a round shipped currently, but pretty close and if you watch, sometimes you can. Bulk Ammo for Sale Online Free Shipping Available

Monarch, .18 per round, this is some kind of imported steel case. As long as you buy $25 worth or more. The USA Winchester Steel case is under .21 a round if you buy 150 at a time. This is Academy. If there is not one in your state there is no tax. Been using this place a lot for .22 ammo ever since I found out about them. Also for the USA 9mm since I found out about it.

 

[MrElectric03]

If I see one is coming up I'll keep it in mind and if I'm not doing anything that day I'll go. It's usually not worth it though. Most guns are over priced IMO so I don't end up buying any. Maybe I don't get there early enough. I really enjoy reloading and hardly ever see any reloading gear.

 

[CoastRange57]

I have not been to one around here in two years. Even then it was more or less just a lookey thing. Unreasonable prices, idiots for sales persons who believe and act like they know more than you with out knowing one small thing about our backgrounds.

They might appeal to somebody who has beginning or limited knowledge in the sport, but to someone like myself who is an experienced gun person, my time is much better spent doing other things. I can find anything I want on line or in this sites ads. My four boys don't do gun shows either. We hit one in Redmond in March, but were there about 30 minutes and that was it.

The reference to the death of newspapers is a valid point. When the Oregonian stopped delivering the newspaper every day a few years back, they broke me of the habit of going to the box every morning, sitting down with a cup of coffee for at least 20 minutes to read the paper. That sent me to the laptop for about 10 minutes to check e mails, check RSS feeds and look at Twitter.

Coastal and BiMart have everything gun and ammo, I have access to an independent ammo manufacturer, and ebay and Amazon, Midway can get me everything else.

 

[Bigbaddude]

Only show I go to is the big one at the Jackson Armory but I am think about going to a few more cause I am on the hunt for a old muzzleloader project and prefer to check them out in person before buying one.

 

[Mecanik]

There's a show tomorrow (saturday) at the ACSSW if anyone is interested.

 

[Norwestr55]

Rickreal show is tomorrow (and Sunday) also.

 

[Ruger Rich]

Yeah I go to 3 or 4 a year. I've bought a few there. Many years ago at the Expo Center I picked up a Ruger Model 77, tang safety, in 300 Win Mag from a gunsmith who was retiring. It had been his personal hunting weapon and he had pulled every gun accurate trick he knew on it. I still have it and it's a pleasure to take to the range because it makes me look like a really great shot. The neat thing about shows is they give a good idea of where the market is on certain guns. Plus it's real cool to be around a bunch of like thinking people.

 

[Doc In UPlace]

Not anymore, no.

Beside the increasing membership fees, the mobs and the insane parking hassle, seems like no one brings the rare collectables anymore.

It's like a gun store, but held in a loud, huge places crammed with wannabe ninjas all set up on picnic tables. There is just little point to it. Did I mention running into clueless browsers who don't watch where they're going?

If I want a great deal on ammo, there are online retailers who will ship free and beat every gun show price on PPR.

Might as well browse the local brick-n-mortar stores and support local shops; they'll be around long after the gun show sellers leave town. I think the gun show is on its way to join the drive-in and the DoDo birds.

 

[Mecanik]

The one thing you can rarely buy at a "gun store" is antiques. Most of their guns are new and many people have no interest in new guns. It use to be that a dedicated gun shop would carry some trade in's here are very few dedicated gun shops left because you need a retail store along with it to pay the rent. Big stores don't like to trade, they just like to sell. The gun show is one of the only ways to see antiques for sale and they're being attacked by democrats as "evil gun outlets" so vendors are more reluctant to bring in their antiques. We need congress to pass some gun friendly laws restricting the states from passing anti gun legislation.

 

[keltek]

No deals at gun shows anymore, serious price gouging, even accessories and magazines are overpriced. I find much better deals, both new and used firearms at local brick and mortar stores. Even ammo at NWarmory is cheaper than most gun shows, $200 for 1000rds of new brass 9mm 124grain.