Gun Show Purchase Stories
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Coach1
- Regular contributor
- Posts: 210
- Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:09 pm
- Location: Apex North Carolina
More
OK Greener. You were likely setting me up for this... but I'll bite - What sight? Big Dot, fiber, tritium? The only sight I can think of for $2 is a large nail.
"You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need." The Rolling Stones
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greener
.3" high front sight with a .055" tenon to fit my Colt slide. Need some filing to get it the right height and a little filing to get the tenon to fit.
I have a 1911 with a Bomar rear sight. The front sight came off a while back. It was replaced (by a gunsmith) with one that turned out to be too short. I've been looking for one the right height for some time and even was considering getting the slide milled for different sights, replacing the slide with one already set up with different sights or a .22 conversion kit because I couldn't find any supplier with 0.235" or so front sights. So, instead of $200-$350 to fix the pistol, the $2 from a local parts guy sounds pretty good.
I have a 1911 with a Bomar rear sight. The front sight came off a while back. It was replaced (by a gunsmith) with one that turned out to be too short. I've been looking for one the right height for some time and even was considering getting the slide milled for different sights, replacing the slide with one already set up with different sights or a .22 conversion kit because I couldn't find any supplier with 0.235" or so front sights. So, instead of $200-$350 to fix the pistol, the $2 from a local parts guy sounds pretty good.
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Coach1
- Regular contributor
- Posts: 210
- Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:09 pm
- Location: Apex North Carolina
Good news
Greener,
Well, that sure sounds like a good solution at a great price. Patience won out on this one.
Thanks for sharing. And good luck with the elevation adjustments.
Well, that sure sounds like a good solution at a great price. Patience won out on this one.
Thanks for sharing. And good luck with the elevation adjustments.
"You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need." The Rolling Stones
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bigfatdave
- Master contributor
- Posts: 705
- Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:22 am
- Location: near Camp Perry
I have found a few guns at shows
One of the 10/22s came from a show and was a really good deal price-wise, and then they guy handed me a junky grocery bag containing 3-400 rounds of CCI minimags and at least three magazines (can't remember for sure, there were at least three "Eagle" mags and one factory mag in the gun)
I bought my first long-gun at a show, a Yugo SKS unfired in Cosmoline, still fun to shoot but I've since discovered that my rifle tastes run to the light and handy rather than the heavy battle-rifle type. It was an OK price then and the gun is worth more now even though I've fired the snot out of it. (literally, the wood bleeds Cosmoline when hot)
Yugo Tokarev, OK price but in very good condition, and it might be a first-run ... I really should figure that out before I shoot it more.
CZ82 was a steal at a small local show, I think it might become my favorite surplus gun due to cheap ammo and toughness/reliability.
Deals are out there at the shows near me, at least!
I always manage to find ammo at shows, there is one table that always has 124grain 9mm+p Gold Dots for ~25 cents/round in nice plastic boxes I can re-use, as well as more exotic ammo in factory boxes for cheaper than I can ever find it online or in LGS. I've found a gas-nut tool for an M1 carbine for next to nothing, magazines for about everything, targets, cleaning supplies, and all manner of gun-related stuff for good prices at the big show near Toledo (if you're in the area, the maumee valley gun collectors association puts it on, google MVGCA and it pops right up)
MrsBFD found a guy who happened to be liquidating estate-sale gems, she makes jewelry and got some really good deals on stones from him.
My second-favorite holster-maker sets up shop and makes holsters on the spot at shows in the area. AND he'll let you stash your stuff under his table while you wait on the holster!
One of the 10/22s came from a show and was a really good deal price-wise, and then they guy handed me a junky grocery bag containing 3-400 rounds of CCI minimags and at least three magazines (can't remember for sure, there were at least three "Eagle" mags and one factory mag in the gun)
I bought my first long-gun at a show, a Yugo SKS unfired in Cosmoline, still fun to shoot but I've since discovered that my rifle tastes run to the light and handy rather than the heavy battle-rifle type. It was an OK price then and the gun is worth more now even though I've fired the snot out of it. (literally, the wood bleeds Cosmoline when hot)
Yugo Tokarev, OK price but in very good condition, and it might be a first-run ... I really should figure that out before I shoot it more.
CZ82 was a steal at a small local show, I think it might become my favorite surplus gun due to cheap ammo and toughness/reliability.
Deals are out there at the shows near me, at least!
I always manage to find ammo at shows, there is one table that always has 124grain 9mm+p Gold Dots for ~25 cents/round in nice plastic boxes I can re-use, as well as more exotic ammo in factory boxes for cheaper than I can ever find it online or in LGS. I've found a gas-nut tool for an M1 carbine for next to nothing, magazines for about everything, targets, cleaning supplies, and all manner of gun-related stuff for good prices at the big show near Toledo (if you're in the area, the maumee valley gun collectors association puts it on, google MVGCA and it pops right up)
MrsBFD found a guy who happened to be liquidating estate-sale gems, she makes jewelry and got some really good deals on stones from him.
My second-favorite holster-maker sets up shop and makes holsters on the spot at shows in the area. AND he'll let you stash your stuff under his table while you wait on the holster!
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Coach1
- Regular contributor
- Posts: 210
- Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:09 pm
- Location: Apex North Carolina
Show stories from Oh-hi-oh
BFD.... Good stories from Ohio. Thanks for sharing.
It looks like the shows there are a great mix of diverse products and good deals. I have not found the kind of ammo bargains that you and others find "out there". But I do enjoy the local shows whether just window / comparison shopping.. or find something I did not realize I Have To Have until I walked in the door.
It looks like the shows there are a great mix of diverse products and good deals. I have not found the kind of ammo bargains that you and others find "out there". But I do enjoy the local shows whether just window / comparison shopping.. or find something I did not realize I Have To Have until I walked in the door.
"You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need." The Rolling Stones
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dan10mmman
- New member
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:05 pm
- Location: Des Moines, WA
Hey fella's Gun Shows are great. Here in Washington [the state] we have a lot of shows. The ones I attend most are put on by the Washington Arms Collectors. The show at Puallup is a big one. Hundreds of tables, and lots to look at and choose from.
The "oh my god, theres a Democrat in the White House" gun rush finally seems to be over, although not everyone has got the idea yet. Prices are coming back down, [not fast enough] there is plenty of ammo available. Sales still seem to be down at the show though.
You have to look but there are bargains out there waiting to be found. One Saturday I got to the show later than usual. There is this guy, in the middle of a row near the back of the building. He has a lot of accessories and some reloading stuff. I notice a pile of .40 180gr fmj's. 200 to a bag and he has a lot of them. they are priced at $25.00 marked down to $14.00, so I ask how much for all of them? He asks me how many are left? I start counting and get inturrupted two or three times. I tell him that there is twentythree or twetyfour. He says "How about $40.00?" I had my wallet out befor he was done talking. There ended up being 25 packs of 200ea. So 5,000 fmj bullets for my 10mm and it cost me $40.00. Deals like that do not happen every time, but if you dont go, you dont know.
Another time I was at the show and ran into a gent that had a Para-Ordnance/Peter Stahl 45 with a six inch Omega slide, ported even. Traded him for my Para P-16LDA. Like I said befor, you just never know whats going to pop up at the Gun Show. I've been going to Gun Shows most of my life and the stories go on and on.....
The "oh my god, theres a Democrat in the White House" gun rush finally seems to be over, although not everyone has got the idea yet. Prices are coming back down, [not fast enough] there is plenty of ammo available. Sales still seem to be down at the show though.
You have to look but there are bargains out there waiting to be found. One Saturday I got to the show later than usual. There is this guy, in the middle of a row near the back of the building. He has a lot of accessories and some reloading stuff. I notice a pile of .40 180gr fmj's. 200 to a bag and he has a lot of them. they are priced at $25.00 marked down to $14.00, so I ask how much for all of them? He asks me how many are left? I start counting and get inturrupted two or three times. I tell him that there is twentythree or twetyfour. He says "How about $40.00?" I had my wallet out befor he was done talking. There ended up being 25 packs of 200ea. So 5,000 fmj bullets for my 10mm and it cost me $40.00. Deals like that do not happen every time, but if you dont go, you dont know.
Another time I was at the show and ran into a gent that had a Para-Ordnance/Peter Stahl 45 with a six inch Omega slide, ported even. Traded him for my Para P-16LDA. Like I said befor, you just never know whats going to pop up at the Gun Show. I've been going to Gun Shows most of my life and the stories go on and on.....
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greener
dan, sounds like a deal on 10mm. The ammo seems to be hard to find. In August, I wandered around Anchorage with my son-in-law looking for 10mm. We could find .45 Win Mag, but 10mm was non existent. Saw a guy looking for 10mm around Richmond this weekend.
Part of the joys of reloading, you don't have to count on the stores stocking the ammo.
Part of the joys of reloading, you don't have to count on the stores stocking the ammo.
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Coach1
- Regular contributor
- Posts: 210
- Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:09 pm
- Location: Apex North Carolina
10 mm rounds - and a big deal
Dan, Welcome to the GTO forum. Glad you are here and thanks for sharing.
Although not any deals close to what you got.. I have found that the afternoon of day 2 is often more productive for negotiating a little better price with the vendors. Of course, you risk the chance of having all the really neat gear already sold out.
Although not any deals close to what you got.. I have found that the afternoon of day 2 is often more productive for negotiating a little better price with the vendors. Of course, you risk the chance of having all the really neat gear already sold out.
"You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need." The Rolling Stones