JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
Messages
19
Reactions
1
Hey guys, I am wondering what your thoughts are towards the gun show coming up this weekend in Portland. Do they sell their gun at decent prices, or would I be better suited to look elsewhere??? I really don't want to spend the money to park, entrance fee, and then find out that their prices are higher than, say I could find here. I am looking to buy my first handgun and really need to "test" out several models, so thats why I want to go. Thanks for any advice you guys have.
 
I don't think deals are that great at gun shows. You'll probably be better off buying online or going through coctailer. It's already almost 20 bucks just to get in the door, so you also have to factor in that price. It its a good place to go and try out guns though.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
 
I haven't found the prices at the guns show for guns to be anything different that what the dealers charge in their stores for new guns. You might find a decent deal on a used gun, but you'll have to know what you are looking at to be sure of it. You could still pay $$ for a $ valued gun. Ammo prices, on the other hand, can be better at gun shows. The best ammo prices I've seen were at the Rickreall gun show at the Polk County fair grounds, but that was last weekend.

Personally, I won't pay $8 to park and $9 to get into a Portland area gun show again. I much prefer either the Albany gun show, $5 entrance and free parking, or the Rickreall gun show, also $5 entrance and free parking.

The best prices for hand guns is when they are on sale at Fisherman's or Wholesale sports, or online.
 
90 percent of the guns I buy are from the gun shows. Mainly because I can't seem to find it cheaper. Online prices are tempting but after shipping and ffl fees it kills the price. Even keiths sporting goods in Gresham marks their guns down for the show.
 
As it been already said here you need to know what you looking for. Sometimes you can find a.really good deal and if you dont know what you want I would say do your research before you go.
I go to gun shows here in WA for to reason, parts for my rifles or surplus stuff and most of the time I find what I'm looking for, for decent price.
 
Hey guys, I am wondering what your thoughts are towards the gun show coming up this weekend in Portland. Do they sell their gun at decent prices, or would I be better suited to look elsewhere??? I really don't want to spend the money to park, entrance fee, and then find out that their prices are higher than, say I could find here. I am looking to buy my first handgun and really need to "test" out several models, so thats why I want to go. Thanks for any advice you guys have.

I was in your position a few months ago. I found it worthwhile to head up there and check out what they had. Prices seemed hit or miss for what I was looking for but not too bad when you factor in shipping costs.
 
For new guns it might not be the most economical venue, but the fact that you can see a wide variety of what interests you in one spot, rather than spend a weekend burning gas all over town to see everyones' shop inventory, is a compelling reason to do a gunshow purchase, even with the extra fees to park and get in. The same goes for used and especially surplus guns, which are always hit or miss if you can only frequent a few shops.

Keith
 
Admission (and parking) to a gunshow I consider to be price for entertainment. I enjoy seeing what's there, chuckling at the same guns, same faces for years and years. Once in awhile, I find a real bargain: this usually happens from a "walk-in" guy, with the customary "advertising flag" taped to the barrel. Other opportunities come from the dealers themselves when they've just purchased a "walk-in", and can move it off the table fast for a reasonable offer. Rarely, (but it does happen), a dealer has something he doesn't fully know about. If I have the knowledge he lacks, I can make a great deal. To be legal, a transfer from a walk-in guy needs to be done thru a dealer at a show, and I do not discount the possibility of the authorities posing as a "walk-in" to catch someone not doing the transfer thing.
 
Admission (and parking) to a gunshow I consider to be price for entertainment. I enjoy seeing what's there, chuckling at the same guns, same faces for years and years. Once in awhile, I find a real bargain: this usually happens from a "walk-in" guy, with the customary "advertising flag" taped to the barrel. Other opportunities come from the dealers themselves when they've just purchased a "walk-in", and can move it off the table fast for a reasonable offer. Rarely, (but it does happen), a dealer has something he doesn't fully know about. If I have the knowledge he lacks, I can make a great deal. To be legal, a transfer from a walk-in guy needs to be done thru a dealer at a show, and I do not discount the possibility of the authorities posing as a "walk-in" to catch someone not doing the transfer thing.


i didnt think that it was illegal to buy ftf private party?
 
To be legal, a transfer from a walk-in guy needs to be done thru a dealer at a show

To be legal the buyer and seller have to be in the same state and if you are at an OR Gunshow you have to go through a criminal background check. It does not necessarily have to go through an FFL.

166.438 Transfer of firearms at gun shows.(1) A transferor other than a gun dealer may not transfer a firearm at a gun show unless the transferor:

(a)(A) Requests a criminal background check under ORS 166.436 prior to completing the transfer;

(B) Receives notification that the recipient is qualified to complete the transfer; and

(C) Has the recipient complete the form described in ORS 166.441; or

(b) Completes the transfer through a gun dealer.

(2) The transferor shall retain the completed form referred to in subsection (1) of this section for at least five years and shall make the completed form available to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of criminal investigations.

(3) A person who organizes a gun show shall post in a prominent place at the gun show a notice explaining the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) of this section. The person shall provide the form required by subsection (1) of this section to any person transferring a firearm at the gun show.

(4) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply if the transferee is licensed as a dealer under 18 U.S.C. 923.

(5)(a) Failure to comply with the requirements of subsection (1), (2) or (3) of this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, failure to comply with the requirements of subsection (1), (2) or (3) of this section is a Class C felony if the person has two or more previous convictions under this section.

(6) It is an affirmative defense to a charge of violating subsection (1) or (3) of this section that the person did not know, or reasonably could not know, that more than 25 firearms were at the site and available for transfer. [2001 c.1 §7]
 
Oregon closed the "gunshow loophole" years ago. Any person-to-person private gun sale INITIATED at an Oregon gunshow, even if completed elsewhere, must be done with a background check. BUT, you do not need to involve an FFL; you can do it yourself. Go to the gunshow office and get a couple of free "Blue Forms", fill them out with the specs of the gun, buyer and seller, and phone the number on the form for the Oregon Highway Patrol office that processes the background check. Do be polite as they are actually nice people who want to assist you. You need to put a ten dollar charge on a credit or debit card to complete the check. The OSP will give you a confirmation number for the transaction and background check, which must be added to the form to complete it. The seller is legally obligated to keep that form for ten years, I think; the buyer can keep one as their receipt if they wish, but it is not required. Then you are legal in Oregon for a private gunshow sale.......................elsullo
 
I have found that after a few trips to the Portland show, there is a booth set up for fudge, forget the name of the store. I think I have purchased more fudge from her in the last few months than I have eaten in the last couple of years...if I don't find the items that I want/need...I soothe myself for a couple of weeks with a few blocks of fudge.

Although, I mainly go to the shows for ammo. Even that can be hit or miss at times.
 
If you know exactly what you want, you might be better off calling all the dealers in the area for the best deal.

If you don't know what you want, it's a good place to fondle various bits of ironmongy and get a feel for them so you have a better idea of what you want to get. Is it worth the cost of parking and admission? Debatable. I go just for the heck of it most times and to see what I can't afford (yet). Then I go to lunch at the Dancing Bare...


elsie
 
I don't believe that there are too many great deals on new guns at shows compared to online or even compared to local shops. There are occasional deals on used guns, but only here and there. Most dealers know what they have and they know value. If anything, many used guns are priced well above fair value. When you see the same guns show after show and the price tag sports ragged edges and faded ink, that should tell you something.

There are deals on ammo....especially bulk ammo and factory reloads.... at some shows, and the selection is often better than at many shops. And you don't have to add shipping costs like you do from ammo bought online.

What you can find at shows that you won't easily find elsewhere are a lot of oddball parts and occasional deals on cleaning stuff and accessories that is often priced lower than in local shops....who tend to mark up these kinds of items.

The main benefit of going to a show is that you can see and handle a lot of different guns in a casual environment. Between all the tables at any given show, you can probably find an example of most of the new guns on the market. It's usually pretty busy at a show, so you cannot expect the kind of individual attention to your questions that you might expect to get at a shop.
 

Upcoming Events

Oregon Arms Collectors March Gun Show
Portland, OR
Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

Back Top