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Gun shows- Wilmington MA March 3+4 and Springfield MA March 9+10

Far right hand corner. Expensive.

Near the baseball bats wrapped with barbed wire lmfao

Has anybody here ever purchased an upper from the AR guy from VA? He had a large display of optics and AR uppers
 
Haven't been to a show in years. Anyone know if they allow people to bring in "Massachusetts forbidden" rifles to peddle or are they still not allowed?
 
Missing a front sight screw for my 1940s(?) Colt Woodsman. Been looking for one for years. Maybe I go tomorrow.
 
Rockrivr1 said:
Just got back from the show. There were around 300 tables of the advertised 500. Had a good selection of gun dealers. B&K, Avid, Mass Armament, Tombstone and a number of smaller guys selling guns. There were a number of C&R type guns and plenty of overpriced ammo. I walked out of the NY ammo guy’s area as he was asking full rape prices.

I found what I was looking for at a good price. Did see a Nambo for a really good price as well but I’m broke so it was reluctant pass. Probably the first show that had less junk than usual.
Click to expand...
Thanks, you just saved me $6
 
Just left, place was dead. Saw a few decent deals on rifles I already have. Mags are f'n outrageous and people are actually paying the money for them. I'll definitely be listing a bunch of my collection.
Recognized a few dealers and spent some time talking, catching up. Almost bought an old Colt NJ state police revolver from Brian at B&K.
One thing is for sure... I feel sorry for anyone just getting into guns, even if within the last 5 years.
 
SKS Ray said:
One thing is for sure... I feel sorry for anyone just getting into guns, even if within the last 5 years.
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Yep. I say this all the time to younger members of my family. Save your money and sanity and find another pastime... maybe bird watching! 🤔

Bonus benefit: You won't become an automatic felon (in MA), risking PP status, personal bankruptcy and having to do prison time. :(
 
SKS Ray said:
Just left, place was dead. Saw a few decent deals on rifles I already have. Mags are f'n outrageous and people are actually paying the money for them. I'll definitely be listing a bunch of my collection.
Recognized a few dealers and spent some time talking, catching up. Almost bought an old Colt NJ state police revolver from Brian at B&K.
One thing is for sure... I feel sorry for anyone just getting into guns, even if within the last 5 years.
Click to expand...
First gun show I went to....full auto, unfired M16, Vietnam vintage, $2,200.00. I grabbed a card from the guy, went home and discussed with my father...year was 1980 or so.
He gave me the "what do you need that for speech ".....I walked from it.
I reminded him about it 6 yrs later
 
probably one of the most dead shows I’ve been too. A lot of junk and over priced rifles. Typical insane mag prices. I get needing to make some profit but damn. And of your standard crowd of creatures

I got a good deal on some ammo cans. I wish I could’ve seen the hay day if gun shows
 
SKS Ray said:
Just left, place was dead. Saw a few decent deals on rifles I already have. Mags are f'n outrageous and people are actually paying the money for them. I'll definitely be listing a bunch of my collection.

One thing is for sure... I feel sorry for anyone just getting into guns, even if within the last 5 years.
Click to expand...
I was shocked when a member recently posted a picture of prices at the Marlboro show on preban Glock mags. gun show premium and all, it was sure a shock!

guys were saying they felt bad for new guys a decade plus ago when I got bit by the bug. inflations a bitch.
 
Palladin said:
Thanks, you just saved me $6
Click to expand...
Its more like $10 or $11 now.

Basically the money anyone wasted going to one of these shows, you can go to the mill and one or two other shops, see more guns and ammo and at better prices. Other than nostalgia or social stuff, not sure why people bother with these anymore.
 
drgrant said:
Its more like $10 or $11 now.

Basically the money anyone wasted going to one of these shows, you can go to the mill and one or two other shops, see more guns and ammo and at better prices. Other than nostalgia or social stuff, not sure why people bother with these anymore.
Click to expand...

$15 at the show.
 
SKS Ray said:
Just left, place was dead. Saw a few decent deals on rifles I already have. Mags are f'n outrageous and people are actually paying the money for them. I'll definitely be listing a bunch of my collection.
Recognized a few dealers and spent some time talking, catching up. Almost bought an old Colt NJ state police revolver from Brian at B&K.
One thing is for sure... I feel sorry for anyone just getting into guns, even if within the last 5 years.
Click to expand...
Brian’s a fair man.
 
I haven’t been to the Wilmington show since 2014 or so. Been a while. First and last gun show I went to 😂
I remember my buddy paying $225 or $250 for a preban drum AK mag back then.
I can only imagine what it’s like now
 
drgrant said:
Its more like $10 or $11 now.

Basically the money anyone wasted going to one of these shows, you can go to the mill and one or two other shops, see more guns and ammo and at better prices. Other than nostalgia or social stuff, not sure why people bother with these anymore.
Click to expand...
I started going to gun shows maybe 15 years ago, so I didn't completely miss out on the fun but I sure didn't see things in the heyday. I think Marlboro was the first one I attended. Money was tight then and the kind of stuff I was looking at was priced just a little higher than what was offered at popular shops in the area at the time but I bought a clunky old thing that needed a bunch of work anyway somewhat for the novelty. Even then I was (somewhat prematurely, but unfortunately correctly) thinking the days were numbered. I remember the eye patch guy, holsters, ammo cans, jerky, the NY ammo dealers, bins full of "pre ban" mags that looked a little too new, all the junk laser and optics displays, several actual gun dealers, and the ATF table! I think the last show I went to was Concord about 10 years ago. I grabbed a bunch of surplus rifle ammo, but I don't think it was priced much differently than I could have gotten it at Riley's at the time. I _still_ have CCI #41s and Golden Tiger x39 from my last gun show purchase.

They were cool to experience, mostly because of the range of stuff all in one place and getting to see a bunch of other gun nerds all having fun together. Never really found any great deals though, except maybe ammo cans. The cover charge was less than shipping them and I got to hand select the least abused ones.
 
My first gun show purchase was around 2010-2012. I bought two “pre-ban” USP9 magazines.

Not much later I realized the vendor had just dremeled off the date code on a newer mag.

Still, I continued to go to NE gunshows right up until they kicked Shooting Supply out. Now Carole and Homeless Jeff Spicoli can get f***ed.
 
i don't know if people go to buy guns. i'm thinking they think it's more like a giant yard sale and hope to score a bargain. a lot of people get great joy ploughing through boxes under tables looking for a score. a lot of guys just like getting away from the wife for a few hours. but unless you're an ultra newb, to think you're going to find a bargain on that new gun you've wanted, save your entrance fee. if you keep going year after year, then bitch in this thread...
 
greencobra said:
i don't know if people go to buy guns. i'm thinking they think it's more like a giant yard sale and hope to score a bargain. a lot of people get great joy ploughing through boxes under tables looking for a score. a lot of guys just like getting away from the wife for a few hours. but unless you're an ultra newb, to think you're going to find a bargain on that new gun you've wanted, save your entrance fee. if you keep going year after year, then bitch in this thread...
Click to expand...

You can definitely find things if your patient and look through loads of junk that usually follow gun shows around. I went looking for one thing and found it going through a junk table. Found a 1918 1911 mag holder and two period correct two tone Colt mags for a great price. If you look good stuff is there.
 
greencobra said:
i don't know if people go to buy guns. i'm thinking they think it's more like a giant yard sale and hope to score a bargain. a lot of people get great joy ploughing through boxes under tables looking for a score. a lot of guys just like getting away from the wife for a few hours. but unless you're an ultra newb, to think you're going to find a bargain on that new gun you've wanted, save your entrance fee. And if you haven't gone in many years, then bitch in this thread...
Click to expand...
Fixed it for you. [thumbsup]
Rockrivr1 said:
You can definitely find things if you're patient and look through loads of junk that usually follow gun shows around. I went looking for one thing and found it going through a junk table. Found a 1918 1911 mag holder and two period correct two tone Colt mags for a great price. If you look, good stuff is there.
Click to expand...
True. [rockon] The problem is that almost all of the vendors I have purchased from in past shows are no longer doing the shows or only show up sporadically now. Some have closed or retired. Some don't see the worth in it anymore. Some still go, but just don't bring much really interesting inventory. One key vendor has turned out to be a Bonded Warehouse so screw them. Dave the parts guy is no longer with us (R.I.P.)... so it's getting harder and harder to justify the cost and effort. I used to do all the shows. Now, it's just Marlboro. Could be any one of them, actually, but Marlboro is usually the most convenient for me.
 
Rockrivr1 said:
You can definitely find things if your patient and look through loads of junk that usually follow gun shows around. I went looking for one thing and found it going through a junk table. Found a 1918 1911 mag holder and two period correct two tone Colt mags for a great price. If you look good stuff is there.
Click to expand...
I will concede this. There are still people that show up with ancient and/or milsurpy junk and parts for same, because they know they won't pull controversy or scrutiny from the miserable c*** promoter and her cohorts. So if this is your thing, your time may not be entirely wasted. But if your interest is in modern stuff it's beyond the pale at this point.
 
I actually purchased a gun at the Wilmington show several years ago from Tombstone. It was a Beretta 92fs Compact that I had been looking for for some time, but no shops I had been to seemed to carry it. I went to one other show after that, but haven't been since; the crowds at that last show was a future deterrent for me, since I do hate crowds.


Frank
 

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