Well, the prices are definitely getting softer. Some tables are out of touch with reality so it pays to shop. There were 2200 tables set up...this is the Grand National Show not the larger Wannamachers. The Grand National is only about 5 acres of guns under roof.
AR prices have really fallen. Deals are being made so no way would you expect to have to pay list price at the show...that's about 4/5 of the sellers....the remaining 20% are going home with what they brought.
I did however divest at a good price an M78 Sako in 22 Hornet and a Taurus 9 shot 22LR snubbie ultra-lite to a local guy. In return I have cash and my son walked away with a 1999 Winchester Model 94...brushed chrome from the SHOT show! They made 2000 and as far as I know it was the only Model 94, besides a comemmerative, that is not blued. The comemmerative's will lose their gilding when fired...this doesn't have that problem and a lot less of them were made than a bunch of the comemmeratives. We snatched it at $300 with perfect rifling...I can't see where it's even been racked 50 times much less fired. I don't have a 94 so I think this is a good one for us to keep.
Ammo prices are approaching or under what you can buy it for from Wideners, Big Dog and Natchez Shooters Supply when you consider shipping...but you have to be careful to watch that you are getting what you think you are getting or you pay too much. The best deal I saw was on 9MM at $195 walk away with 1000 rounds of S&B 9MM 115 grain FMJ.
Things will be cheaper today (Sunday). I'm heading out to divest an unfired 1895 Marlin in 218 Bee and a custom 7MM Remington Mag built on a Spanish Mauser action...I have a buyer waiting for the Marlin. I never had any faith in Spanish metal.....so I've never enjoyed shooting it.
Hunting rifles are garnering more interest right now...but we're just ahead of hunting season so that's understandable. Not a lot of guns moving out...I think the prices will fall some more today before closing time.
I saw two Colt SP1's...one for $975 the other for $1950...same gun different places. Almost made a deal on the cheaper one. I saw a goodly amount of SKS's but AK's were practically non-existant...in fact I saw about 10 AK 74's which were non-existant in the spring.........less than 4 or 5 AK's in 7.62 and absolutely zero Saiga shotguns. The 5.56's looked to have about 75-80% of the AR representation at the show...the remaining AR style platforms were 308 or some other caliber.
Did not see any 10/22 magnums...you hardly ever do.....I wanted to find a used one to convert to 17HMR but the only thing I saw was a Volquartson (sp?) for over $1,500. There was a rise in the number of single shot, break action centerfire rifles....a sign of the economy? Handguns were not moving like they were even a few months ago...rifles have gained some market share and hunting rifles have gained over where they were in comparison to AR/AK platforms.
There were two tables selling water filters and a couple more selling freeze dried foods....but the big deal was the jerkey salesmen...elk jerkey...out of this world. Anyway, the mantra is cash for ammo. I think I'll pick up some of that 9MM today...it goes really quickly at the range and I have gotten rid of odd calibers to boot.