Gun Show observations

[gregj]

The biggest thing I noticed at the Dulles Expo gun show, was the availability of ammo on a sunday afternoon. At the last show, the ammo was practically all gone by then. Today, there seemed to be loads of ammo left at almost every table. I picked up a case of Russian 9mm (made by Tula ) for $199 a case, and they still had almost a full pallet left. Many of the other dealers still had many cases of of the more popular mfgrs (Remington, Winchester, Federal, etc).

I overheard one dealer telling someone business was pretty slow. The crowd seemed normal, pre-Obama scare levels. Another dealer said they will be lowering prices soon to get their inventory levels down before the end of the year for tax reasons. I think Guns and Ammo Warehouse might be having a sale later this year as well.

I also noticed gun prices were still about the same. Didnt seem like a lot of folks were filling out paperwork.

I did see a couple of LCPs, one for 369 and another for 349. It was all I could do to keep from pulling the trigger on one. But I think I'll save my slush fund to build an AR. Never built one before, and now is probably a good time to start figuring out what I want.

[40shooter]

I wanted to go to the show but decided not to since I bought a gun at the dale city show & then the Crickett rifle for my son on Monday. Dark sun had Ruger LCP's for $299 at the Dale City show.

Was the ammo cheaper at the show Sunday or were the prices about the same?

[JacobDW]

LCP = Little Copied Pistol.... LOL.... thats what we call it on the Kel Tec forum.

[flowmaster]

LCP for 279 plus shipping (probably about $20). plus your FFL and you're below 330. no tax because its purchased from someone out of state. http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... ts_id/1859

i went to the show on friday and saturday. there was a decent line there on friday, got there right when it opened. i actually ran into someone from another forum i post on. the good deals on ammo (such as 9mm wolf for $10 a box) were all snatched up in the first couple hours on friday. the vendors from NY that had the ultvinosk or whatever russian ammo in 9mm and 45 and 7.62x39 had very tall pallots when the show started. they might have had some left at the end, but they sold a boat load. last show they were pretty much sold out though.

not as much panic/histeria over buying ammo right at the beginning of this show. last chantilly show there were people 3 deep, money in their hands, trying to get the guy's attention. i remember getting the last 2 cases of 500rds of remington 9mm from one vendor (at 160 each)and that was 1 hour into the show!

i was personally delighted to see bulk ammo that was cheap: 10 slugs for 6 bucks, a box of 5 buckshot for $3. 7.62x39 was 230 for 1,000 and 9mm was 199 for 1,000. 380 was still up there in price, but i did see a fair amount of it on friday and saturday, even at 35 a box. 5.45x39 was 165 per spam can of 1080 and that all sold out quickly from J&C sales.

after the election, the following show was all people snatching up guns. the last show there was all about ammo, and this show seemed to be pretty much pre-obama.

saturday was probably the quietest i've ever seen that place. last show they had to let people in only when others left (because they'd gotten to max capacity allowed by the fire marshall). this saturday there was zero line to get in on saturday at about 2pm.

dark sun had second gen glock 40 cal pistols for 339. one hell of a deal. i think all of those went on friday. the people at dark sun aren't exactly the nicest people, but they have deals sometimes. i then saw at another table (probably trader jerrys) sig p6 pistols marked at $449. i'm sorry folks, that's PW arms import milsurp that's still 350 on the internet.

i didn't see a single sks still in the grease. about 2 years ago they were everywhere. not as many mosin nagants as before, big lack of enfields. several people were carrying around m1 garands for sale. ammo for garands was going for $140 for 192 rds of pyrkal hxp surplus .30-06 m2 ball. that's expensive, but even the CMP is out of that hxp ammo.

[Paliden]

I think the bubble has been hit since the election, but watch for a secnond one once Washington gets off the healthcare and cap and trade and starts on firearms, which is coming. They need to disarm us in order to finsh what all they want. So supply is up now and demand lower, but it will turn back around when they refocus on us.

[BluemontGlock]

Sorry folks, but i am really starting to believe that just like the "oil shortage" fiasco where there is really no shortage, at all...nor was there ever...

but the people with the oil enjoy the rhetoric as it pushes the prices up...and have you noticed just how fast they have become accustom to ther profit margins? Not wanting to give up the huge gains brought on by the concocted economy...who are these people that are the speculators and forcasters...i truley believe they are the same ones with the actual product...there is a group of people that are doing the same chicken little, sky is falling routine, on guns and ammo...

I do not see that the Obama adminstration is pushing for anything (yet)...I am ready to respond if they do, but also refusing to join the current made up "what if" senarios...it appears to me that it is the vocal minority, AS ALWAYS, that seems to have a vested interest in keeping the the aggitation level high, and just as there will always be firearm proponents, there will always be firearm detractors, it is how our system works ( thankfully, we just happen to have the 2A on our side )

...i am starting to see large amount of ammo available in the valley trader from the people that went over the top on ammo hoarding cause Obama was going to laser etch our rounds, same same with the cost of firearms...anybody not able to find 47 models in black ,SS, or poly of whatever they are looking for that is currently produced by a manufacturer? i can only think of some of the neat .45's that are from Para that are hard to find...the limiting factor being $$$, not unavailability...

these artificial markets are (-to me, seemingly-) created by those that feed off our political fears...and have a vested interest in monetary gain...

and also it is just like oil, in that even thought there is no shortage, the prices that firemarms and ammo are reduced back to are never to the "pre-freak-out" levels...same with the cost of food when the price for shipping ( due to the price of oil ) shot through the roof... price of oil came down...price of food (and everything else) stayed up... huh?? what do you know about that...

VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLAR...and not voting, with your dollar, also sends a strong message too...

[WRW]

The original crash was brought on by the election of an official with a strong anti-gun background and a majority of like partied congress.
Now that folks have a minimum of arms, they can afford to look for the better deals on their next purchase, and the prices will adjust accordingly.

[OakRidgeStars]

I seem to remember that back in the early to mid-nineties, the gun magazines of the day named Clinton "gun salesman of the year".

Or it might have been her husband...

[zephyp]

IMO obama will come probably for the guns if he sees absolutely no chance for a second term or if he gets a second term. So, I think sooner or later he's gonna make a play for them. Certain members of congress will be somewhat reluctant as they know they can be re-elected over and over just like uncle teddy. Just my $0.02.

[VBshooter]

If the SCOTUS says the 2nd amendment applies to the states I don;t think he;ll get a lot of anti gun support,, As you noted they want to be elected over and over again! We still have to watch out for D bags like Harold Koh and other appointees stirring things up.

[zephyp]

Yeah, but I constantly remind myself that if enough of them get together they can pass a law taking or giving anything away or to anybody they want. We've already been subjected to trillions of examples of that.

[SELFDEFENSE]

I think the bubble has been hit since the election, but watch for a secnond one once Washington gets off the healthcare and cap and trade and starts on firearms, which is coming. They need to disarm us in order to finsh what all they want. So supply is up now and demand lower, but it will turn back around when they refocus on us.

+1.
They have assembled the largest group of anti-gunners for a reason.

[flashman]

I made it over to the show on Sunday afternoon in lieu of letting the 'Skins raise my blood pressure. The front lot was full and there were plenty of folks inside, but it wasn't crammed like the last couple of shows at Chantilly. Lots more black rifles to look at, but prices still seem pretty high. I did treat myself to a Les Baer Premier II from Trader Jerry. Expensive, but I'm worth it!

Even though it was Sunday afternoon I was able to get large and small pistol primers along with some bullets. Now I gotta fire up the Dillon.