Gun Show - Indicator of things to Come?

[FourBee]

This morning at the Fort Smith, Arkansas Gun Show.    37 degrees and light snow  w/ sharp NW winds.   But that didn't stop the SHOW.  
MANY individuals bringing in rifles and waiting in long standing lines.   Lot of guns going in this time.      Some carrying two.   Amid the murmurs in the waiting lines one could often hear the name Obama.

Inside, gun prices up.     AK 47's $675.  
New AR-15's  starting at $975 for the DM's, Rocks & BM's $1100 - $1400,  Colts $1400 >$$$.....

On the other hand, Individuals trying to sell their guns were getting lots of "No can do" from the traders.

[Troyboy]

Same here in Greensboro 2 weeks ago. These prices are way outa control. 400$ sks and 800 mac 90's. What this is doing is putting these firearms outa bluecollar joes price range.

[ncsurveyor]

Same here in Greensboro 2 weeks ago. .....

Struck out in Greensboro's trying to find .380acp ammo also.  The few vendor's that had some were asking $25+ for a box of magtechs.

Anymore, if your looking to score, your best deals are in the parking lot.......

[FourBee]

Same here in Greensboro 2 weeks ago. .....

Anymore, if your looking to score, your best deals are in the parking lot.......

That's the way it was looking this morning.   The men behind the tables weren't ready for such an influx of arms, and the shoppers were looking for a good deal, so that gave way to one on one bartering...

[Questor]

I haven't bought a gun in quite some time, but I suddenly have an urge to buy a Glock.

[DalesCarpentry]

I haven't bought a gun in quite some time, but I suddenly have an urge to buy a Glock.

Funny me too. Dale

[Elijah Gunn]

I went to the local gun store yesterday to see what's happening. They had plenty of whatever kind of weapon you might want. The display cases were full of pistols,and there were a good amount of black rifles hanging on the walls. There was however a noticeable drop in how much ammo was available. I asked one of the salesman if they were having any problems with keeping ammo stocked, and he said that yeah ammo availability is becoming a real problem.
Also, the big box stores around here still have ammo on the shelves. Not as much tho. The stores these days seem to have less of almost everything.

[hillbill]

last show i went to here in joplin  mo was unusally crowded with both exhibitors and customers. lots of indiviuals selling guns. i think they were selling off sum excess guns and investing the proceeds eithr in "keeper" guns or ammo. i got a awesum deal on a nagant that had been a little "over" sporterized but turned out to be a real shooter.

[SM Bob]

The last gunshow I went to was a complete waste of time & money. ($5 to park & $9 to get in)
Once I got inside I was even more pissed off! Everything, and I mean everything, was priced
through the roof! Long guns, handguns, milsurps, ammo, gun cases, crappy beef jerky, even
old rusty dented G.I. ammo cans were going for way more than they were worth. The only
things that were reasonable were some knives and a few swords. After a walk through I left
empty handed and disgusted.  I can get way better deals on line on anything they had for
sale there. I will never go back to a gun show in my area ever again. They suck!

                                         Robert
 

[jhm]

The last 6 or 7 gunshows have had the same problem, over crowded with people in the aisles LOOKING and vary little buying except the AMMO, alot of the reason is the dealers are holding out for the big $$ (PRICE GOUGING) I know several dealers who deal in mostly high end quality hunting rifles and they are having vary little interest in their product, however the hi point/ skye/taruis type dealers are seeing alot of interest.  Am looking forward to the 4/4/09 show in Tulsa.   Jim

[squirrellluck]

want to see some crazy prices go to hoosiertopics.com. Hope this violates no rules

[1marty]

I've given up going to gun shows. The guns are way over priced and most of them I'd be scared to shoot. Last one I went to some guy was selling 8MM ammo. The bullets were green and the box looked like it was under water sometime back. He wanted $25 a box! 

[ncsurveyor]

Last one I went to some guy was selling 8MM ammo. The bullets were green and the box looked like it was under water sometime back. He wanted $25 a box! 

Those are artifacts!  Obviously worth more.   

[rockbilly]

I went to a gun show here in West Texas yesterday; I couldn’t believe how much things had gone up.  The guns all seemed too overpriced, and you needed a co-signer to purchase ammo.  One dealer had Speer Lawman .357 Sig ammo listed at $45.00 a box.  Most of the guns were priced well over what you could buy a new one for several months ago.

I think the gun market will turn around and favor the buyer in the very near future.  Many of the dealers are buying everything they can in hopes the trend will continue, but I think the economical situation will eventually catch up with them and they will be more willing to deal.  The signs of the times were evident at the show, a lot of people were unloading their guns for cash to pay the bills, I am sure most of the folks that came to sell their guns let them go for a price far less than the actual value.  I witnessed one dealer buy a Sako Finwolf in .308 for $550 it had a Nikon 3-9 scope and sling.  Later I seen the same gun on his table for $1250.

I think my buying days are over for a while………matter-of-fact, it looks like a good time to just enjoy what I have. 

[Syncerus]

It's a cycle. What goes up, must come down.

[nw_hunter]

It's a cycle. What goes up, must come down.

I agree about the cycle.

The reason I don't go to gun shows here in the Peoples Republic of Oregon, is.......Liberals like our RINO joke for a republican presidential candidate, John McCain helped to close the SO CALLED gun show loophole here in Oregon. All sales have to be sold with background check, including private sales.

This was one of the causes for gun prices going through the roof here.
Any gun I buy from now on, will be through private transaction only.

Of coarse this means used guns, but............so be it. Enough is enough!

[kitchawan kid]

They may be getting to much for ammo and guns at the shows,but a lest you can have them,not like N.y.

[Brett]

I view gun shows as just another entrainment venue like going to a movie or a ball game.  I don't go looking for or or expect to find any bargains at them.  I just go to get out of the house on a cold winters day, look at all the goodies and chat with fellow gun enthusiast.    If I do run across a steal then that's an added bonus.  Last one I went to I found a nice set of boot grips for my M60 at a very reasonable price. 

[gypsyman]

I do gun shows for a living. And the one thing I can tell you for sure, I doubt price's will fall anytime soon. I'm paying more for primers now, than what I sold them for less than 2 years ago. And when I look at ammo price's in a couple distributers catalogs,even I cringe. I see $17/box of 20, for Win. .44mag H.P. And that is dealers price. If you can run into a deal online, just remember shipping costs. I certainly don't blame anybody for shopping around. Right now,a good deal is just finding what you need.  gypsyman

[williamlayton]

Honestly, I have found gun show prices to be up to par with stores for way more than two or three years.
Blessings

[PASingleshot]

I was just at a show here in PA.  I've wanted a black rifle for a long time but could not afford one.  Now that I can buy a cheaper one, the prices have skyrocketed.  There was no shortage of AR's in the $1100 & up range.  NOT FOR ME.  I ended up buying a Saiga 308-1 for $549 (I know, russian, but I bought it from an American small businessman).   The used SKS rifles that were hammered were over $450 and beat Yugo guns were well over $400.   Ammo was out of this world.  Crazy is all I can say.    I bought a new hi point 9mm carbine at a local shop last week for $165 and at the show the lowest price on one of those was $210.

[Singleshotsam]

Honestly, I have found gun show prices to be up to par with stores for way more than two or three years.
Blessings

Remind me not to move into your neck of the woods lol!  ;

Around here most gun shops are an average price.  I stay away from those... The gun shop I frequent will order you any gun for 10% above his cost.  For me it's worthless to look elsewhere.

 If this next gun show coming up is as ridiculous pricewise as the last one was, I'm going to stop going to them. 

[Cabin4]

Yes, Eric Holder is going to finally close the American "gun show loop hole" that does not exist. There are gun dealers there selling legal versions of Shoulder Mounted Bazookas and fully automatic assault weapons with a 5 shot clip that you have to pull the trigger each time to make it go bang. The Mexican people are under attack, weapons and drugs are free flowing back and forth across the border and we as Americans must give up our constitution and right to protect ourselves and property to save them from their internal threats within Mexico. If we build a wall it will only serve to create a solid impenetrable barrier that will alienate us from the culture and good will of the drug cartels and illegal’s crossing the border.

[Syncerus]

Mexico is simply a pretext for more gun control; their problems are clearly not caused by the availability of US firearms. The full-auto rifles and grenades currently in use are clearly not purchased legally in the US.

The only cure for Mexico is US legalization of controlled substances, and that isn't going to happen any time soon. Mexico is going to burn.