Gun show report

I'm home, it's over- until April, at least- and I'm glad. I'm beat. That show covers 14 acres, and I have no idea how far I walked over the last two days(many sections twice). And all on concrete floors, just to make things fluffy-bunny-level happy.

Don't mistake me, it's a good show. Lots and LOTS of stuff, guns and parts and ammo and accessories and tools and materials and knives and... you get the idea. From cheap to "There are how many zeros after that number?!?" Like the Holland & Holland double rifle in .470 Nitro Express, for only $28k. Or the J.P. Sauer & Son drillings(double-barrel side-by-side shotgun with a rifle barrel below the shotgun), the really pretty one, 16 gauge and 9.3x74mm, was, as I recall, $32k. And so on.

I found a bunch of stuff, replacement screwdriver bits, cannon fuse(for smoke bombs; no cannon as yet), etc. And some somewhat beat-up Carbine magazines. Northridge had a box of them 2 for $5, all had some kind of damage and they decided they didn't want to mess with them. I found a few I think are repairable, and if they're not I've got spare springs & followers. The main thing I picked up was a lovely little BSA bolt-action .22 rifle, a "Sportsman Five", so named for the five-round box magazine. Which wasn't there, of course: some subhuman piece of crap had stolen the mags for both of these the guy had, so the rifles went at a discount. Perfect bores, tight actions, good sights, slightly beat-up stocks. I picked out one. I'd have been tempted even without some information from two people, a gunsmith and a friend. The smith has done a lot of business with companies in Britain and says the magazines are not hard to find, but businesses- due to the idiot laws stomping on them- don't want to export them. Friend knows some people over there, and thinks they may be able to find a magazine if I can't locate one here. I'll post a picture of the rifle later.

I almost bought an Iver Johnson top-break revolver in .32S&W. Lovely little thing, very good bore and chambers, tight barrel/frame fit. The owner named a very good price and while I was thinking "I need to work the action and check it" the guy next to me laid down money(Gee, thanks, Dad).

I have to observe, in case you haven't noticed, people have gone insane on prices on firearms of many kinds. I looked a a nice Webley Mark II, in what we call .38S&W and the Brits called .380/200, and was very interested until the guy said $695. Eeep. Try a Mark VI Webley, .455, with a cut cylinder, asking price- depending on which one you saw- $795-995. Except for a couple in quite good shape with uncut cylinders, $1700 to 1900. I repeat, eeep. Same for a lot of rifles, too. Just about anything connected with M1 Carbines and Garands has gone through the roof. Some parts aren't too bad, but some... barrels starting at $200, and the least expensive Carbine I saw was $700; every other one ran about $800 and up. We're not talking all-original and correct here, we're talking standard GI rifles. Least expensive Garand was $900 as I recall. A lot of people were asking "You've got to be kidding" prices for Mosin Nagant rifles and other milsurp stuff, too.

And ammo, let's not forget ammo. A can of 7.62x54r Hungarian light ball, 440 rounds, that I bought late last year for $38 is now going for $72. If you shoot you're aware of this stuff. A bag of 140 rounds of South African .308 that used to go for $26 is not selling for anywhere from $62 to $75. And Lithuanian .308, 200-round battle pack, anywhere from $115 to 140. Makes me very damn glad I already handload. Components have gone up, but it still beats paying the going prices for a lot of stuff.

Prices and all, this is still a damn good show. Lots to see, lots of people to meet(next time some idiots starts talking about guns and 'white suburban males', they need to be dragged to a good-size show), and at this one good food at the snack bars. Well worth attending if you can, they run one show in April(which I can't make) and one in October.

I'm for a shower, a drink and bed.