# Are gun shows good deals?



## bangbang (Jan 18, 2007)

I went to this site, and found many gun shows that are coming to town:

http://www.gunshows-usa.com/north_carolina_gun_shows.htm

There are two coming through Charlotte right around my birthday (Feb 18) and I should have my permits by then.

Have you experienced users found better deals at these gun shows? Are you more likley to talk them down in price at these shows, or is the price already too low to beat? Can you usually find a better price online? Of course, any price you find online will need adjustment for FFL fees and shipping (do you pay sales tax in online situations?)

Also, is it possilbe to buy a gun in a county other than the one the permits were issued in? For example, if I go to the next county over and try to buy a gun, will the permit be valid?


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## grizz5675 (May 22, 2006)

*gun shows*

gun shows are a good way to find what your looking for because of variety ,more so if your looking for a collectors piece.You stand a pretty good chance at finding a good deal on new or used gun but beware like anything, if you buy a used gun there could be problems with it especially with rifles,make sure you look the gun over.The timing is always a factor as well, if you buy towards the end of the show you will have a little more barter power but you might wait to long and someone may buy whatever your looking at before you get a chance and sometimes it's better to buy immediatly because the dealers are wanting to make that first sale.


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## martial_field (Oct 16, 2006)

U can often find new guns at gun shows that sell for less than gunshop prices. I would be careful about buying a used gun at gun shows unless you are very confident in your ability to assess the condition of a used gun. If something goes wrong, U may not have anyone to take the gun back to.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Some people claim that the shows in their area suck. Here in Texas, the ones in Houston are awesome. They hagve the best prices U can find.

Now, the crappy little show that comes to my town isn't even worth the admission price.

What U wanna do is go to a show in a large city.


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## Thor (May 11, 2006)

Of the few gun shows in Minnesota that I've attended, I've found the guns to be about the same price as retail stores. Once in a great while, I've seen some good deals on guns, but it seems to be the exception to the rule. What I HAVE found is that accessories are generally a good bit less expensive. I bought my EOTech holoscope at a gun show and it was a good $30 less than any other place, possibly more. And, I was also able to find accessories that the normal gun shops don't carry.


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## Spartan (Jan 1, 2007)

Another thing you can do at a show is use different companies against each other. For example, I got my XD45 at a show a few months ago. I would go around and a few places had one, so I'd use the old, "Well, those guys have the same thing for cheaper, can you beat it?" Or, "Those guys have the same marked price as you, but they'll give it to me for that out the door."

I ended up getting the gun for almost $100 cheaper than my local places sells it for, plus I got three mags.


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## Glockamania® (Dec 21, 2006)

*Just accessories.*

I've found better deals on accessories at gun shows. There's one here every 3-4 months and I've bought targets, magzines and ammo.

For firearms make sure you make some price comparisons via online vs. at shows.


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## rfawcs (Feb 11, 2006)

I've found that new firearms are priced about the same as can be found at a gunshop. There usually is a better selection as there are more dealers in one place, so I don't have to drive all over the area.

The real advantage for me is the abundance of used and older handguns. I have a soft spot for Colt handguns, especially revolvers, and there usually are at least some I'm interested in. I got my Boa, one of my Pythons, several semi-autos, 2 Cobras, a Trooper, and two Police Positives at gunshows. There are others, but that's all I can think of right now. Prices can range from great to so-so; it depends on how much a particular piece is in demand.

Of course, if I come across a wow-I-can't-pass-this-up, well, ....


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## milquetoast (Nov 25, 2006)

The nice thing about gun shows is, even if you don't buy anything, you can still have a good time, looking at all the cool toys. Then later, you can gripe about the high prices, yadda yadda.

At a gun show, you are likely to see a bunch of dealers, selling stuff at dealer prices. You will also see a couple of guys just trying to clean out their gun safes. You can find some good prices at those tables.

Much of what I buy at gun shows is accessories, ammo, cleaning gear, etc. The last show I went to, there was a company selling Federal American Eagle .45 ACP for $200/1000, and AE .223 for $200/1000. How you gonna pass that up? A gun show is the place where you are most likely to find a holster for a High Standard Sentinel, or stocks for a Star Model F, or a spare magazine for a Schwarzlose .32, or a good price on a used spotting scope.

Also, I think you can buy loopholes there. Not sure what those are, but I keep reading in the newspaper that there are lots of gun show loopholes out there. Got to get me some.


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## jpruett79 (Sep 23, 2006)

personally i haven't found very many good deals at the booths but sometimes if you are VERY VERY careful you can find really good deals from guys walking around trying to unload something they have. I came across a great deal on a old colt 1911 but when i ask were the guy was from he was from three states away and we all know thats a NO-NO.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

If you go to a show that has at least two big vendors you can get a good deal if you know the local prices too. I bought a ss 1911/.45 for $630 and a sc 1911/.45 for $710. I saved $100 on the ss and a $190 on the sc. So you can do it but you got to be up on your game and know all the prices of what you want. Timing is everything as mention before. These were before tax prices. Never pay list price to a large vendor.


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

I haven't found a whole lot of deals at gun shows, and chances are the one down by you is the same show we deal with up here (Dixie Gun and Knife, I assume? Possibly C&E?). Go in prepared or you will be screwed. Know what you want and price it at local dealers before the show, then head out to the show. If you find it at a better price, pick it up. Same price, go back to the dealer (if you get it at the show for the same price you could get it from the dealer there is one big issue: if something is wrong with the gun who do you take it to? A dealer is much more likely to help you out if you bought it from them because they don't want to lose your business). In many cases I have found much higher prices. Like my K31. The prices should be between $129 and $169, but most for sale at the gun show were $250 to $350. Ammo is usually priced the same as gun stores, which is generally higher than WalMart. If a gun at the show is priced way lower than one at the shops, ask a lot of questions about why. Ex: the shops have a gun for $600 and you find it for $250 at the show. Why? A problem I see a lot at shows is guns marked "new" are actually used. Inspect heavily, try to invest in a bore light (I noticed whipping out a bore light at a gun show is a good way to get them to tell the truth).


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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

If you're a handloader you can get great deals on bullets, primers and powder and not have to pay shipping. 


I'm still looking for those loopholes too Baldy. :smt033


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

2400 said:


> If you're a handloader you can get great deals on bullets, primers and powder and not have to pay shipping.
> 
> I'm still looking for those loopholes too Baldy. :smt033


Big 10-4..ROTFLMAO!!!:smt1099


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