Miniature Gun Show report

[doublesharp]

The gunshow I attended Saturday is about 1/100th the size of Tulsa with Tulsa being 12 + acres and this show being a shade larger than a basketball court at about 5000 sq ft.

How, you may ask, could one have fun at such a tiny show? You've got to have your mind right. I met my forum buddy GF at a mutually agreed spot about 1/2 way and we rode together to the show. Got there at my favorite time, about 10 minutes before the announced opening time. This is small time America. No lines or forced milling about until 8:30. We paid and walked in. I'm a sucker for .22s. Right off the bat I found a new in box Henry .22 pump with octagonal barrel on a dealers table. He had $300 on it and asked for an offer. $250 I say and I own the gun. Stash it in GF's truck and continue the search. Frakes knows everybody. Well I spotted a Marlin Camp 45 carbine. Ask was $450 and he went 425 without any prodding. I see these sell at 600 plus so I wondered why? Turns out the dealer has it on consignment and wants to sell. I balked because of the paperwork but Frakes introduced me to the dealer and he is from my hometown. He does transfers for $15 and I made a friend. I didn't buy the Marlin even though it came with 3 clips.

EEWWW Doublesharp called a mag a clip......au contraire my nomenclature police friends, so does Marlin, as you shall see in the upcoming photo.

About that time, maybe 10 am, the show got much brighter, not because rburg showed up but because he brought his lovely wife. We bsed for a few minutes and then Dick's pard Joe makes an entrance with his lovely bride. All I've got to say is here are a couple guys that definitely married up, Way UP! Burg is going thru cigar boxed buying lefthanded holsters and other assorted trinkets for dimes on the dollar. He's got a pocketful of loot because he sold GF one of those airweight revolvers made out of unobtanium. Joe goes out to the car and comes in with a little case full of diamonds and emeralds that has more dollar value than my retirement account. We get within 600 of each other on a big gaudy diamond ring but I decide my wife hasn't been that good so I remove myself from negotiations. Not sure if he's going to want to split at 1500 or not. In the meantime Frakes finds a sucker that trades him a 99% 27-2 6" w/targets for a 28-2 6" truck gun and $150. The deal of the day I'd say.

About noon we head for the door. Dick, Joe and their lovely ladies head for the candy store and a fancy lunch while me and Frakes went to the big Honda/John Deere/Stihl store and acted like buyers. Then we went down to Hinkle's hamburgers and had some world famous gutbombs and bean soup. All was well with the world when we parted ways, both of us with new treasure.

I got home and kept thinking about the Camp45 and how few I'd ever seen. A Gunbroker search showed the price quoted was as good as I thought. I contemplated going back Sunday but didn't want to do another 120 miles so I just chalked it up to one that got away. This morning I called the shop about 10 minutes after he opened and he still had the Marlin so I'm there within 10 minutes. $425 later I'm out the door with gun, nice rifle case and 3 mags, err clips. I'm no longer haunted by the one that got away.

 

[bamabiker]

Sounds like it was well worth the trip. I'd like to find a good deal on one of those rifles.

 

[sipowicz]

I can't believe they used "clip" on the instructions...if anyone ever has a damage causing misfire, and are sued, I'm sure this will be pointed out by the defense in court..."you're honor, we could not find the "clip"...

 

[Bob R]

Sound like a good time with good people at a very nice small show.

Although, from the title I was expecting something else.

bob

 

[Peter J.]

I am sure the word "clip" is used to help make the FUDD buyers understand.

 

[rburg]

I don't even remember a gun show. The reason Frakes knows everyone is because they could have held it in a phone booth. Ok, it was tiny.

The part you missed was after we ate our burgers at the "Downtowner" (makes it sound upscale) we headed across the street to the Cocoa Safari, a little candy shop we've been hitting for a few years now (maybe 5, I can't remember). From my perspective, they only make one worthy item. She calls it Pecan Toffee. At the January show, I bought about a half pound of it.

Its one of those little shops in an old store front. The owner hires cute young girls to man the counter. They didn't have much of the stuff I wanted out on display, but I'm old and cagey. When she put the 4 pieces she had on the scale, I told her to look over in the trays for more. She found them. Then she added that many more. So I said how about a little more. Finally I saw she put in the last she had. So I said "thats enough."

I saw her slip to the back room and heard her tell the owner on me.... The owner told her "thats what we're here for". Guess customers aren't supposed to buy them out.

Then we headed down toward the water and west to the old Lumber Mill. Its now an antique mall. We kind of split up. My wife found and bought me a Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. I need to read those again. All I found that I needed was a stirrup off an old saddle. They wanted all of $3.75, but after tax it came to $4.01. I'm going to rig it so my wife can get into my other jeep. I can't wait to watch her lead with the wrong foot. Then we drove home.

We saw Ken Schaffer the dentist there. He tipped us off to another tiny show this upcoming weekend. Its not far, so maybe I'll take it in. We're kind of suffering withdrawal from losing the Paris show, so maybe this one will ease the pain a bit.

Yes, all I bought at the show over the weekend was a ratty old holster. But its a Galco, looks brand new, and I've got a gun that will fit it. It was also cheap.