The shows I’ve been to in Richmond, VA have been very low key. No weirdos in sight except maybe the guy selling the pink tazers. Some militaria collectors. Most dealers don’t mind you handling the weapons unless it’s something valuable like a Garand in good condition.
I usually see some AKs and SKS’s. I really haven’t seen any killer deals at gun shows.
They have a strict “unloaded only” policy. Any weapons people carry in are inspected at the door and get a tag strung through the action so it can’t be loaded or fired.
Customer service isn’t high on several of the tables, so be prepared to be answered in grunts and sideways glances.
ASK before you handle any weapon. Some folks are easy going, some freak out at you.
SKS ammo (7.62 x 39) right now is through the roof. 1000 rounds used to be around $100. If you see 1000 for that price, buy two! (or three, if you want to ship me one! I’m good for it!)
At a show in Minneapolis a few years ago, there WAS an accidental discharge. Luckily the guy was aiming at the floor.
Too many of the folks there take themselves too seriously, so I recommend a funny t-shirt. Mine was “Let’s get social!” A hammer and sickle, but the hammer was a martini glass. They love commies at those things. (Note, another extremely non-republican here)
Some of the stuff you see will just make you say W.T.F. That is what is so fun about them. Freaky good people watching, but in my experience they really try to cram as many tables in as possible, so the crowds get annoying after a while.
I used to go to gun shows all the time, but I eschew them nowadays for the most part. I like modern military-pattern weapons, but most of the guns I see at the gun show consist of shotguns, handguns, hunting rifles, and junky C&R weapons. And at least half the tables have no guns at all… they’ll be selling beef jerky, backpacks, or whatever. Occasionally I’ll find a good deal on ammo. But most of the time I can get ammo cheaper from a mail-order outfit.
If you buy a gun from a gun dealer you must fill out a 4473 form, which is a federal requirement. After the dealer calls in the information via telephone, the U.S. government then gives (or denies) you permission to purchase the gun. The process usually takes about 10 minutes. I *hate * that damn form, but this is IMHO, so I’ll just end it there.
Depending on the state, there might be another form you need to complete in addition to the 4473 when purchasing from a dealer. Ohio has no such form.
If it’s a private sale, you may or may not have to complete a form depending on state law. Ohio has no form - private sales are completely undocumented. (As they should be.)
And lastly, do not buy a gun if you live in another state, and do not sell a gun to someone living in another state. Even if it’s a private sale.
Most of the gun shows I’ve seen have prominently featured knives (which makes sense) and coins (which doesn’t). Even the posters often say “Guns, knives & coins.”
Despite the dramatic overgeneralizations of the card-carrying Democrats, the show won’t be limited to card-carrying Republicans. A lot of hunters attend the shows, as well as military, ex-military, law-enforcement, sport shooters, collectors, and teenage boys. And, yep, the crazies. The downright loonie-bin consipiracy-theorist swastica-on-a-rebel-flag don’t-tread-on-me neo-nutso join-my-militia-or-die-in-the-apocalypse trigger-locks-are-a-gummint-conspiracy inbred IQ-of-a-310-grain-hunk-of-lead whack jobs.
But there are usually only a few of them. Smile at them and hand them a Nixon-in-'76 (“He’s tanned, rested, and ready”) button. That’ll keep 'em puzzling for hours.
Right on pretty much all counts, in my experience. Some of the rudest pricks I’ve ever see were actually trying to sell guns at gun shows. How they made a living or sold anything I’ll never know. They act like they don’t WANT to sell you anything.
ALL ammo is getting expensive. 7.62x39 ammo and rifles were cheap for years as the massive stores of Eastern Block countries were being emptied out starting in the early 1990s. Those days are all but over. But it was great while it lasted, and there are still some real good deals being imported, although the designs are pretty old (i.e., cheap, but they’re not exactly a substitute for a Glock).
