doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gun shows

Just returned from the biggest show here in Eastern PA. What a waste of time. A huge bunch of crap. Since the late seventies there has been a steady deterioration. More dealers of jerky and knuckledusters and other junk with zero business at a gun show. Many hundreds of tables loaded down with plastic guns, about two decent doubles and nothing unusual. I think that maybe I�ll save myself the bother in future. Time to hang it up.

I remember when even Allentown was a decent show. Honest original condition stuff has been scarce at gunshows on the east coast since the late '80s, IMO.

A trip to Beinfeld's in January is what you need...

Sorry to hear Allentown has slid so far. I remember getting a pretty darn nice CEO-Grade Remington there that I still heve. And, hard to believe, but the paper dealer that use to be in the first aisle on the left side as one came in had the original hang-tag for a high condition A-Grade Ansley H. Fox I'd bought from Randy Shuman about five years earlier!!

Not an unusual complaint. The promoters commonly hold the shows more and more often reducing the income for the better dealers who leave. They are replaced with beanie baby and beef jerky dealers and things continue to get worse. Portland was a great show when held 3 times a year. Then it was bought out and became a 6 times a year show which was bad enough then the new owners got a divorce and each ran it 6 times a year. Now MUCH smaller, no good dealers and hardly worth attending. The Washington collector's show had internal problems of some sort and now there are NO good shows in the Northwest. It is better now to hit the small, out of the way club shows... 40-60 tables but neat guns and few but serious customers.

The only good close to NW show is the Big Reno Show which is still 3 times a year, closely run for gun related tables and high quality merchandise. I hear the Idaho shows are better than Or/Wa but haven't attended in a while.

Our shop attends Tulsa, Ok., Denver Co collectors show, Reno, and the Beinfeld January show.

The Nations Gun Show held in Chantilly every year used to be really decent. Now it's all black guns, blow guns and jewelry and jerky. They have the show 4 times a year and its pretty much always the same stuff. I pretty much quit going because I don't need anything anyway, and the stuff they have there I have no use for.

What would be my chances of finding the 12 ga., exposed hammer, 32" and tightly choked, fluid steel pigeon gun I've been casting for, at the Vegas show in January?

SRH

Hi Stan,
The Vegas show always has some interesting guns for sale. I found a nice WC Scott Live Pigeon gun there in 2016, and this year a William Evans "Paradox" hammer gun. You will see many major dealers from across the country and probably 300 plus private seller tables. No black guns, or jerky. Definately worth attending if you like vintage/antique guns of all types.

Stan tell me exactly what you are looking for