I've never been to a gun show and am thinking about going to the one in Louisville tomorrow. I'm only looking for a K22 Outdoorsman. I know that you never know but do you think I would be wasting my time? Did any of you go today? Thanks for the help.
Need gun show advice please
- Thread starter Dewy12
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alwaysoutdoors
Member
No, I don't think you would be wasting your time. You never know.
Yes, you need to go to a gun show at least once in your life.
I'll bet you will go many more times!
I'll bet you will go many more times!
i just looked at two at a LGS yesterday, one K22 with box papers and all. The other was a model 17. they're out there
Hello Dewy, if you go , take cash! Hope you find that K22.
Good hunting. Best
Good hunting. Best
Just have an open mind when you go and enjoy. Make the rounds first and go back to selected items, (unless it is too great and priced too low), don't leave the table without it. Be sure to do a "thorough" check out, once you bought it at a gun show, there is no return (unless you know the dealer well).
It's time to go... Enjoy.
My guess is that you will not find one. I rarely find exactly what I am looking for. BUT... I almost always find something that I'm not looking for, or something that I forgot I was looking for.
Sometimes it is as simple as a set of mint grips that were priced right, or a nickel plated SAT, or a $5 4" cleaning rod, or an owners manual, or an large side plate screw to replace the buggered one in your otherwise mint Registered Mag, or maybe it is just a great bag of spicy beef jerky that you cannot buy anywhere else. 
The list goes on and on - you never know what you'll find, but maybe, just maybe, you'll stumble across a table with a red picture box (or burgundy hinged patent box) hidden towards the back, filled with an as new 1933 K-22 Outdoorsman with all the tools and paperwork priced at $1,500...
...Now that would say that you're living right...
NOTE: the above gun was NOT found at a gun show, BUT a person I met at a gun show became a friend and when he ran across a collection, he called me and we purchased some very nice stuff - this Outdoorsman included - and it all started at a gun show...Enjoy the hunt, for it truly is the hunt that is the most fun. Take tons of time (and Benjamin Franklins) and ask lots of questions. Gun shows are a great place to learn and make new friends.
Let us know what you find.
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You should have asked earlier, as we have some experts who hang out at that show.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/472115-good-gunshow-today.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/472115-good-gunshow-today.html
I actually saw a .22 Outdoorsman at the local gun show today. It was pretty darn decent - at least 95%. No box or anything else but it did have period correct prewar stocks (I wasn't able to verify originality, of course).
The price tag was not unreasonable, but it was beyond what I was able to spend today so I passed. $995 would have taken it home.
The price tag was not unreasonable, but it was beyond what I was able to spend today so I passed. $995 would have taken it home.
Go and enjoy! They are a lot of fun IMO. Just don't expect t find what you are looking for but be on the look out for that deal you forgot you were looking for.. I almost always buy something (not necessarily a gun) at a great price. But for the 5-10% of great deals there are 90-95% of junk or jacked up prices. So know your stuff.
A very true statement. Today I saw a .32 RP from the 1920s, 98%, original stocks. A beautiful revolver. Priced at $495. I attempted to purchase it on the spot. But the seller is a dealer (FFL) and "Instant Check" was "down" all day. Apparently, BATFE or someone from the govt told the dealers the system might be "down" tomorrow, too. So dealers were unable to sell guns at the show today and probably tomorrow.
Anyway, I came home without the RP. What a joke our miserable "regulators" have become! Does anyone really believe there was an "unavoidable outage" today?
Yes, go! Gun shows are fun. It may take more than one show to find that K22 at at the right price for you but despair not. And take a short list of other stuff you've been meaning to get. Ammo, holsters, reloading supplies, books, and etc are all there. Lots of beef jerky and other unrelated stuff too.
Personally, I've only been going to gun shows for the past 6 years so I missed out on the era when good S&Ws were priced lower than the beef jerky.
But I still enjoy going. Buy most of my reloading supplies at the shows. And picked up two K22s as well.
The top gun is an 18-3 that I traded a 17-3 even up. The bottom gun is a shooter grade pre 17 that I swapped for a model 15-3.
And if you're not trading, don't be afraid to make an offer.
John
Personally, I've only been going to gun shows for the past 6 years so I missed out on the era when good S&Ws were priced lower than the beef jerky.
But I still enjoy going. Buy most of my reloading supplies at the shows. And picked up two K22s as well.
The top gun is an 18-3 that I traded a 17-3 even up. The bottom gun is a shooter grade pre 17 that I swapped for a model 15-3.
And if you're not trading, don't be afraid to make an offer.
John
ldausmc1369
US Veteran
Headed out to KFEC right now to the show. Only problem is dealers start leaving early. Around noon. Louisville shows are the best in this part of the country.
Several years ago, still searching for an unmolested series 70 GM,I stumbled across this one
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Joe Hohmann
Member
You never know what surprises you may find. A few weeks ago I found a new S&W Model 617 6" for $749. This was $30. cheaper than Bud's on-line, and $50. cheaper than my large local gun shop.
Budnjax
Absent Comrade
go to an arms collector show
I live in NE Florida and "gun shows" here are mostly just the same old dealers trying to unload the same old goods. Frequently, not even guns, but knives, tarps, camo gear, survival food, etc. I stopped going to most shows years ago except for the ones put on by an arms collector group. There you're more likely to find cherry used guns at a reasonable price without all the paperwork and b.s. since many non-dealers bring their collectible guns to these shows and are willing to deal. Most are strictly cash sales, so don't expect to use your Amex card. Years ago gun shows here had hundreds of tables with all kinds of ammo, gun parts, etc. Today it's mostly new guns they're selling and the "shows" are mostly a joke. I can generally go to several big gun stores and see more guns there than you'll see at a "gun" show an not have to pay $8 admission plus $5 to park.
I live in NE Florida and "gun shows" here are mostly just the same old dealers trying to unload the same old goods. Frequently, not even guns, but knives, tarps, camo gear, survival food, etc. I stopped going to most shows years ago except for the ones put on by an arms collector group. There you're more likely to find cherry used guns at a reasonable price without all the paperwork and b.s. since many non-dealers bring their collectible guns to these shows and are willing to deal. Most are strictly cash sales, so don't expect to use your Amex card. Years ago gun shows here had hundreds of tables with all kinds of ammo, gun parts, etc. Today it's mostly new guns they're selling and the "shows" are mostly a joke. I can generally go to several big gun stores and see more guns there than you'll see at a "gun" show an not have to pay $8 admission plus $5 to park.
Take your time- enjoy and learn
The more gun shows that you attend, the more comfortable you will get with the experience and with talking to the dealers, and you will also learn the art of negotiation. Like others have said, it may take more than one show to find what you're looking for. Usually there are numerous gun shows in the area from week to week. And don't necessarily jump at the first K-22 that you see just because it's there. You need to define your own requirements (condition, price, etc.), and, pardon the expression, "stick to your guns". I usually have a limited budget and cannot afford to buy a gun just for the sake of buying a gun. I have passed on quite a few pieces in the past (sometimes regrettably so), because I had my sights set on a particular model in a particular condition at a fair price. It may take a few months or perhaps more, but if you're smart and patient, eventually you will find what you're looking for. Good luck.
The more gun shows that you attend, the more comfortable you will get with the experience and with talking to the dealers, and you will also learn the art of negotiation. Like others have said, it may take more than one show to find what you're looking for. Usually there are numerous gun shows in the area from week to week. And don't necessarily jump at the first K-22 that you see just because it's there. You need to define your own requirements (condition, price, etc.), and, pardon the expression, "stick to your guns". I usually have a limited budget and cannot afford to buy a gun just for the sake of buying a gun. I have passed on quite a few pieces in the past (sometimes regrettably so), because I had my sights set on a particular model in a particular condition at a fair price. It may take a few months or perhaps more, but if you're smart and patient, eventually you will find what you're looking for. Good luck.
Old Corp
Member
I'm sure there's some real regional differences in gun shows. The part of Eastern NC where I live has gun shows, and it is a conglomeration of black plastic, cheap autos, Chinese cutlery, homemade jewelry and overpriced ammo.
I would never go 'expecting' to find anything special. I suppose nothing's impossible though.
I would never go 'expecting' to find anything special. I suppose nothing's impossible though.
Skeetr57
Member
Dewy12, I'm sorry you didn't make it to the show. The Louisville shows were the best I ever attended when I lived close enough to go to them. I never went to shows with a particular gun in mind, but often found something I wanted. I once went to a show in Birmingham with two friends, and one of them asked that we keep an eye out for a S&W M17. We split up with an agreement ot meet up at the entrance at a certain time. I got there a little early, so wandered down the first row of tables again, and spotted a S&W 6" Masterpiece in a display case. I couldn't see the bore or chamber size, so asked to look at it, thinking it might be a .22. It turned out to be a K .32 Masterpiece with a gold box, and the price was about half what I would have expected. Needless to say the gun came home with me.
rburg
Member
Clearly, this guy lives in the past. He has my sympathy, but with this kind of outlook, he won't be buying much. I quoted his fantasy outlook just for fun. Lets reverse his numbers, because you park first, then go inside. He suggests $5 parking, but the Louisville show today was $8 parking and has been for a few years. It promotes car pooling or some other scam to avoid it. And then the funny part, the admission. Its been $12 for the last nearly a decade.
Kind of a shame for us tightwads because it sours the entire day. Going to Louisville is just painful. The combination costs you $20 just to get in the door. I'd guess they scare off close to half the folks who are interested.
But there is another show not far off. I think its the weekend of June 7, just a month and a half. And a week or so later there is the RC show in Lexington, a much friendlier venue. Its held at Rupp Arena, which normally has free parking and charges $10. Not only that, but the show came from the Kenny Woods school of thought. Usually wifes and kids get in for free to make it more palatable for dads.
Yes, there were K22 Outdoorsman there early. I saw several priced at the new normal, between $1000 and $1200.
Respect desired - buyer or seller, guns shows or private
Hello Forum;
Maybe not the right thread and if so I apologize and hope the moderators will move it but referencing Dewey12 and going to gun shows brought up some things to my mind that often bothered me over the years of collecting and shooting.
One used to see a generous amount of respect...not just the seller or buyer, but for the piece of art (sometimes) and history that firearms represent. Everyone I know desires the proverbial NIB at or as close to, the original MSRP as they can get. Every seller wants top dollar for the piece he/she is selling. I for one do not mind this as that is what negotiation is all about, and in the end the price will always be what a willing seller gets from a willing buyer, but I still relish the respect on all sides.
If I am selling (and I am not a full FFL, just a C&R) I always have a clean 100% cotton T-shirt, a bore light, strong LED light, a magnifying glass, gun rug or protective mat of some sort, and a good small tool kit with assorted hollow ground screwdrivers, and of course (mandatory)....a pair of cotton gloves. Do I use (and need) all of this stuff?.....YES....whether buyer or seller, if I handle that K22, or that RM, or Colt Python, or even a 60% WWII 1911A1, I am going to handle it with the gloves, ASK beforehand if I may field strip, check bore, even draw the hammer back, check serial number, look for the hidden proofs, etc., and when I'm done I always re-assemble, wiping as I go, with a final buff before setting it back on sellers table, desk or even truck bed.
Do I look like a dang nerd or weirdo?.....Probably so to a lot of people, but two (2) of my best buys ( a 15-3 4", K38 - 8/38") were obtained at less than the initial asking price I feel because the seller said he had never seen anyone handle the piece as I did or even ask any question other than "Is that price the lowest you'll take". Were the pieces overpriced to begin with? Maybe, maybe not.....I was looking for those in particular and in an acceptable (to me) condition, and I gave them no less amount of respect than I would expect a buyer to grant me if I were selling.
When I do sell (seldom but I did let go of the 98% Python and a 90% Nazi Black Widow Luger), and in both cases I felt real respect from the competing buyers and their upfront questions and treatment while handling my guns....so I chopped some bucks after we agreed as I felt both guns were going to "live on in history" and not get Cerakoted, chopped up, rail optics or some other stuff that I just can't fathom at my stage of collecting and shooting.
Anyway forum............just another 2 cents worth.
Hello Forum;
Maybe not the right thread and if so I apologize and hope the moderators will move it but referencing Dewey12 and going to gun shows brought up some things to my mind that often bothered me over the years of collecting and shooting.
One used to see a generous amount of respect...not just the seller or buyer, but for the piece of art (sometimes) and history that firearms represent. Everyone I know desires the proverbial NIB at or as close to, the original MSRP as they can get. Every seller wants top dollar for the piece he/she is selling. I for one do not mind this as that is what negotiation is all about, and in the end the price will always be what a willing seller gets from a willing buyer, but I still relish the respect on all sides.
If I am selling (and I am not a full FFL, just a C&R) I always have a clean 100% cotton T-shirt, a bore light, strong LED light, a magnifying glass, gun rug or protective mat of some sort, and a good small tool kit with assorted hollow ground screwdrivers, and of course (mandatory)....a pair of cotton gloves. Do I use (and need) all of this stuff?.....YES....whether buyer or seller, if I handle that K22, or that RM, or Colt Python, or even a 60% WWII 1911A1, I am going to handle it with the gloves, ASK beforehand if I may field strip, check bore, even draw the hammer back, check serial number, look for the hidden proofs, etc., and when I'm done I always re-assemble, wiping as I go, with a final buff before setting it back on sellers table, desk or even truck bed.
Do I look like a dang nerd or weirdo?.....Probably so to a lot of people, but two (2) of my best buys ( a 15-3 4", K38 - 8/38") were obtained at less than the initial asking price I feel because the seller said he had never seen anyone handle the piece as I did or even ask any question other than "Is that price the lowest you'll take". Were the pieces overpriced to begin with? Maybe, maybe not.....I was looking for those in particular and in an acceptable (to me) condition, and I gave them no less amount of respect than I would expect a buyer to grant me if I were selling.
When I do sell (seldom but I did let go of the 98% Python and a 90% Nazi Black Widow Luger), and in both cases I felt real respect from the competing buyers and their upfront questions and treatment while handling my guns....so I chopped some bucks after we agreed as I felt both guns were going to "live on in history" and not get Cerakoted, chopped up, rail optics or some other stuff that I just can't fathom at my stage of collecting and shooting.
Anyway forum............just another 2 cents worth.
"Personally, I've only been going to gun shows for the past 6 years so I missed out on the era when good S&Ws were priced lower than the beef jerky."
I've been going to gun shows for over 40 years and I missed that era too!!!!
I've been going to gun shows for over 40 years and I missed that era too!!!!
Lobster Picnic
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I like the smaller shows. I'm in NE Florida too and have enjoyed going to gun shows in Deland and Starke. There are fewer new guns, fewer dealers, and more old timers with interesting guns, ammo, and stories to tell.
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