Guns Shows Today

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I managed to hit two guns shows today ... Lakeland and Orlando.

The Lakeland show was a classic blued steel and walnut gun show with classic guns and a few black rifles. Sadly, there was very little reloading material there compared to years past. But this was a show with lots of 1885's, older levers, revolvers, and P-08 / P-38's etc. Just about all of the people browsing were in their 50's and the sellers were mostly in their 60's and 70's.

One item I noticed was a lady with about ten older unopened metal cans of DuPont SR-4756 ... I think they were a lime green color. They were $10 each, but I couldn't remember what 4756 was good in so I passed them up. I suspect @Sixgun will educate me if he drops by this thread.

On the drive home, my wife told me the Orlando show was today as well. I thought we'd make the stop and grab a $15 hot dog and see what was up. This is your typical black rifle / tactical show. Everything AR-15 with pink anodized hand guards, Kydex holsters, tactical scopes and sights, body armor, etc.

It turned out, this is the show the reloading guy went to. I grabbed some 4227, CFE BLK, and a can of N310. It was strange to see a reloading table amongst a sea of AR-15's. He said he would normally be at the Lakeland show but he had an appointment in Orlando on Monday so he decided to just stay in town. Otherwise, the show was uninteresting to me ... except for the very expensive hot dog. The average age of the browsers here was probably early 30's at best, while most of the sellers were in their 50's.

It was interesting to observe the age gap.

[Sixgun]

I’ve pretty much stopped going to shows, noticing the decline in quality 20 years ago.

I did go the the “exalted best-in-the-country” once a year Timonium show this past March. This is the show where you get yourself an education on what 150 year old guns looked like when they were new……..3 hours later I told my bud, let’s get outta here……all the old guys with the superb collections died off and their wares distributed by the internet. A full 1/3 of the Tinomium fairgrounds building was empty.

People are buying from the internet which has destroyed the old style gun shows and the new style of dealers can’t make it as tables are not free……gun shows will continue but with a major bummer for guys like me who used to remember what they used to be like….usually men who knew what they are doing and non of this “family affair thing with baby carriages”…..I have nothing against people with baby carriages but some places and affairs are a man thing only as far as I’m concerned.

As time goes on you will see gun shops closing up and being replaced with small buildings that are labeled as “transfer businesses.”

Sure, it’s nice to be able to go to Amazon and get what you want delivered to your door but it is slowly destroying the brick and mortar businesses of all kinds of merchandise…..Welcome to George H.W. Bushes “new world order”.—-006

[Bill in Oregon]

Have one coming up early June in Abilene. I'll prolly go, although it would be highly irresponsible considering the home repairs that demand my and my bank accounts full attention ...

[Walt]

It used to be that the largest gun shows in NM were held at the state fairgrounds, that is until our way far left governor declared that no firearm transactions will take place in state-owned buildings. Yep, she's the one who went down to the Mexican border with a large contingent of State Police officers and visited an area where very little illegal immigrant activity normally takes place and declared the state safe and a sanctuary for immigrants.

[veeman]

In Illinois they call them gun shows, but they are mostly Knife shows, and gun parts shows. very little in the way of reloading stuff.

[COSteve]

I'm shocked to say this . . . . but I have to agree with Sixgun!!
(on his point that the gunshows of today are fast becoming obsolete).

Even as recently as 10 yrs ago one could stop by tables and talk with people who knew what they were selling but no longer. Today the shows are just not worth going to, even the large Tanner show in Denver has become just an AR fest with guys who only know how to dress their 'Barbie' rifles and not much more.

Plus, everything around here is priced at 120-125% of retail and no one understands the art of negotiation. Nope, the last Tanner I went to was in 2017 and it was a total bust to me. A huge show but nothing worth seeing.

My friend went to the Denver Tanner show last fall and he said it was a total bust as well with nothing but guys hawking AR stuff. I'm sorry to say that I'm done with them. I'll miss seeing some of the sellers I got to know but they don't go anymore either.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

The Lakeland show used to be the show to go to in central Florida. It was only twice a year and sponsored by the Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club ... not a typical gun show promoter. It seems to have shrunk from what it was 10 years ago and is now held in a new location. Still, the tables are manned by people who are passionate about their particular field and are happy to talk with you and educate you.

In the early 90's, I would sometimes attend a show in Houston that was so huge that there were tables on the other end that you couldn't see due to the curvature of the earth. It was truly amazing.

Now, all of the other shows like Orlando seem to have devolved into AR shows or more generally 'tactical' shows. I guess one new thing I learned at the Orlando show is that suppressors are now a thing. I would rarely see much Class III at public shows but at this one there were several tables who's primary product was suppressors. I assume they are still NFA items requiring a tax stamp and an anal probing by the ATF/FBI.

[marlinman93]

I just got home from the Colorado Gun Collectors Assn. show in Greeley, Co. and believe me the quality shows still exist there! 800 tables of nothing but collectible firearms from every maker known, and not a single AK47 or black gun in the building! I picked up another old Ballard there, and our group of 4 guys were all excited about the variety of quality old guns there.
I sold a bunch, but only bought one gun, and an old Fecker target scope. The gun is a bucket list gun for me. A Ballard #6 Scheutzen model with full factory engraving, and a heavy #5 weight George C. Schoyen .32-40 barrel. Made the trip 18 hr. trip worthwhile for me!