Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 I went to a gun show yesterday. I brought my very low expectations with me so I would not be disappointed. I was pleasantly surprised to see more wood than I expected, including FOUR Trapdoor Springfield rifles. Prices for old guns, whether military or hunting, were not totally ridiculous, either. HOWEVER, prices for ammunition and components were INSANE. For some reason, vendors continue to sell currently available ammo, primers, powder, etc. for prices that are as much as TWICE what these items can currently be bought for. I'm not making it up -- my local Academy Sports has lots of ammo on the shelves that is half the price of what I saw it being offered for at the show. Not surprisingly, I didn't see much ammo being bought. It is one thing to pay a lot for obsolete or hard-to-find ammo, but for common and commonly available stuff, what on earth are the gun show sellers thinking? Are they completely out of touch, not realizing that lots of stuff is back on the shelves at our local stores, or did they buy up inventory at the wrong time and pay way too much for it? A real head-scratcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderRiverCowboy Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 You misspelled Gun Show they are Scalpers Haven , for the last couple of years. Not my fault they bought to further scalp when ammo was scarce and are stuck with it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 I've encountered the same thing up here. It's so bad, I've stopped wasting time and money going to them, unless it's just a social thing to meet with friends. I've advised newbies and others to familiarize themselves with current prices of types of things they are interested in before entering the shows. Heck, even the fudge some were selling was twice what Cabela's was charging! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantankerous Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 I prefer the SASSWIRE classifieds to any gunshow anymore. Tulsa's big gun show being the exception to in person gun shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 The last 4 gun shows I have been to have all been fun, seeing as how gun shows in The People’s Republic were pretty much extinct and the gun shows in Oregon were a flipping joke. Here you could find a gun at one table for $600 and again at another for $900. It’s wise to shop around. There was lots of wood and steel guns. Lots of revolvers old and new. Prices were fairly high. Reloading supplies and ammo? Stupidly high prices. One guy acted like he was going to give my nephew a deal on SP Primers at $150. I told the dude that I can primers at my LGS for less than $100, same brand. He said “You’re a liar! Go get them if you can!” I smiled and said “I will, dipsh**, and they’ll get my money. Not you.” Thus endeth the conversation. Prices are what they are. Shop around. Pay or don’t pay. Simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 Just got the whole season's show schedule from the Weapons Collector's Society of Montana, if I go to any, it will be in the smaller towns. Used to be, Members got into the shows free, now down to about a third. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 I don't go to gun shows to actually buy anything, it's just something to do and ya never know what deals you might run into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger Mike Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 A local store here frequents all the gun shows as a vendor and their ammo is sky high. 25 for a box of cheaper 300 blackout. meanwhile I get emails from palmetto state with free shipping and 12.99 300 blackout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawdog Dago Dom Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 I found a receipt from a year ago. Federal SPP were $89/1000 plus shipping. That's when the supply chains were supposed to be at their worst. Suppliers are charging more because WE WILL PAY MORE! Let those SPP sit on their shelves for a month or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.D. Daily Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 I haven't been to a gun show since fall 2020; because I was disappointed with the number of vendors. I'd typically go once a year to one of the the Big Reno shows. The misses bought a total of 3 handguns tens years ago. I have only bought a few magazines, 223/5.56 stripper clips & reload ammo from Miwall at gun shows. I stopped buying reloads 10 years ago when I started reloading 38/357, 9mm & 223/5.56. There was a time in late 2010's when it was a push between factory new & reloading components less cases; so, I bought from internet vendors. That ended by January 2020. I sure wish I had purchased more SR, LR & LP primers before they were unobtainium at Big R, LGS's, Sportsmans, Cabelas & Sheels. Miwall has always sold out of popular calibers by Sunday because their booth is always very busy. There are always a lot of CA residents that lived closer than the Cow Palace buying reloads there even before Gunmagedon went into effect. Now you get the Kaliforians that are scofflaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kloehr Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 At a LGS yesterday, ammo prices are up again. Blazer brass 9mm at 50 cents a round again, double what it was a few weeks ago. RSO in the range said it was due to makers cranking out ammo for Ukraine. Not sure the reason is valid, but the price was what it was. And there was still pallet-level stock on the floor. Used car auction prices were expected to drop 4% last month, up 4% instead. That change is attributed to CoViD; Manufacturing temporarily paused 3 years ago, so the 3-year-lease cars that would have come on the market now do not exist. Watch primers... see if the supply dries up again at any price. Same for ammo, will there be supply at high prices or will it disappear again at any price? Panic buying can deplete supplies for only so long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 I haven't been in a couple years, mainly because I can find what I want at a local brick and mortar gun shop or online for cheaper. I used to go Just to See what I might find, and the unload check guy was always asking, "Done so soon?" because I never found anything. As an aside, is ANYBODY loading lead bullets anymore? I frequently check the ammo websites, and 98% of what they have is either FMJ or TMC ammo. I used to buy Miwall .38 Cowboy loads in the 500 count ammo can, and .45 in the 250 count can, but they don't even show lead on their website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 I still go to the shows , it is a social thing , for me . get a cup of coffee , sit and listen to what folks are saying , gives you a pretty fair read , on what folks are thinking CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 Posted February 20, 2023 Author Share Posted February 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said: I haven't been in a couple years, mainly because I can find what I want at a local brick and mortar gun shop or online for cheaper. I used to go Just to See what I might find, and the unload check guy was always asking, "Done so soon?" because I never found anything. As an aside, is ANYBODY loading lead bullets anymore? I frequently check the ammo websites, and 98% of what they have is either FMJ or TMC ammo. I used to buy Miwall .38 Cowboy loads in the 500 count ammo can, and .45 in the 250 count can, but they don't even show lead on their website. Yes, but it is expensive. Obviously we all know the main commercial suppliers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 On 2/19/2023 at 9:59 AM, Dantankerous said: I prefer the SASSWIRE classifieds to any gunshow anymore. Tulsa's big gun show being the exception to in person gun shows. Up here in Canada, I find CanadianGunNutz to be our go to. The Exchange portion of the site is good for almost anything firearm related and more, except handguns now, due to the Federal (mis) government's ban on the sale and LEGAL transfer of handguns*. The site also includes the provision of a TRADER RATING system, whereby the buyer and seller are able to provide a permanent rating of their transaction and how it went. (For example, my transaction records go back to 2003 and are 100% Positive.) It provides a degree of confidence for both parties. *Gangsters, gang-bangers, drug dealers, thieves, thugs, hoodlums and all other assorted miscreants are excepted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORNERY OAF Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 Overheard many times some of the local shops complaining about people buying off the internet. Well, you didn't complain when the prices skyrocketed and you gouged us for a long time. And some shops are still raising prices. I always try to support brick and mortar local shops, but I will be damned if I pay double for ammo or several hundred dollars for a gun. Couple shops near here have primers, 100 bucks/1K....you can keep them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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