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Saxet runs a gun show every month in San Antonio (medium sized shows). Coming up this weekend. I will NOT be there.
Last month (and things were just starting to heat up after the Sandy Hook tragedy) I went. Show starts at 9:00, and I figured I'd "play it smart" since I figured on a crowd, and get there about 8:00. I was already running low on .22s and knew it wouldn't get any better.
I was up and about very early, and figured I'd go extra early, grab a cup of coffee and read the paper in my car. Wrong! Hit the parking lot at 7:00, there was already a line. chilly day so I took my 2 coffees, pulled on an old hunting jacket to stay warm, and got in line. Had a good time chatting with the folks around me --- and almost every one of the guys was "hoping to find an AR".
Before 8:00, 2 guys with shopping carts started "working the crowd" selling high-cap magazines, and they had a big piles of them. Other guys were walking up and down with AR's, SKSs, and AKs, with a "for sale" sign on them, looking for customers. Guy next to me stopped each one and checked it out ---- most were going for well over $1K. I stopped a guy with an new-looking AK (although I was bought my own a couple of motnhs back) and he was asking about $400 MORE than I had paid. He sold it too, as I saw him going back to his truck for another one.
When the doors finally opened, the parking lot was full, there was a two-block line of cars waiting to get into the lot, and the line went clear around the building. Like "Black Friday" at WalMart. Everyone made a bee line for the mag guys and the AR guys.
I poked around for ammo, no bargains, but did get a fair supply of .22s. Everything else was way over-priced. (So were my .22s, but the local LGDs were already "dry") On 7x39's and 5mms, some of the ammo guys refused to sell one box --- take a case or nothing. And guys were taking it. Once I had my ammo, and having paid for the ticket, I just snooped around. Saw USED pieces for more than the price at Academy. But the panic had already started. I saw a ton of AR's for sale, and they were going fast. where they dealers got them on short notice, I don't know.
Guns shows used to be just a fun way to spend a couple of hours and run into guys you knew- - - - - and if I found even ONE bargain, that was great.
Wouldn't go to this one if you paid me. BTW: any truth to the rumours that anti-gun groups in some parts of the country are picketing shows?
Last month (and things were just starting to heat up after the Sandy Hook tragedy) I went. Show starts at 9:00, and I figured I'd "play it smart" since I figured on a crowd, and get there about 8:00. I was already running low on .22s and knew it wouldn't get any better.
I was up and about very early, and figured I'd go extra early, grab a cup of coffee and read the paper in my car. Wrong! Hit the parking lot at 7:00, there was already a line. chilly day so I took my 2 coffees, pulled on an old hunting jacket to stay warm, and got in line. Had a good time chatting with the folks around me --- and almost every one of the guys was "hoping to find an AR".
Before 8:00, 2 guys with shopping carts started "working the crowd" selling high-cap magazines, and they had a big piles of them. Other guys were walking up and down with AR's, SKSs, and AKs, with a "for sale" sign on them, looking for customers. Guy next to me stopped each one and checked it out ---- most were going for well over $1K. I stopped a guy with an new-looking AK (although I was bought my own a couple of motnhs back) and he was asking about $400 MORE than I had paid. He sold it too, as I saw him going back to his truck for another one.
When the doors finally opened, the parking lot was full, there was a two-block line of cars waiting to get into the lot, and the line went clear around the building. Like "Black Friday" at WalMart. Everyone made a bee line for the mag guys and the AR guys.
I poked around for ammo, no bargains, but did get a fair supply of .22s. Everything else was way over-priced. (So were my .22s, but the local LGDs were already "dry") On 7x39's and 5mms, some of the ammo guys refused to sell one box --- take a case or nothing. And guys were taking it. Once I had my ammo, and having paid for the ticket, I just snooped around. Saw USED pieces for more than the price at Academy. But the panic had already started. I saw a ton of AR's for sale, and they were going fast. where they dealers got them on short notice, I don't know.
Guns shows used to be just a fun way to spend a couple of hours and run into guys you knew- - - - - and if I found even ONE bargain, that was great.
Wouldn't go to this one if you paid me. BTW: any truth to the rumours that anti-gun groups in some parts of the country are picketing shows?
