gun shows

[BRISTOL1]

being new to this please overlook my lack of education in your field.

in a south carolina gun show can a person buy a new gun or is it only used guns.

if new guns can be purchased is it wise to buy at a show (here today and gone today) and can one be purchased at a much lesser price.

i am interested in a Glock 22 gen 4 40cal. will i most likely be able to find one and for less than local dealers.

thanks,

 

[biganimal]

yes one can purchase a new or used gun at a gunshow in SC. the price may or may not be better than a local shop and the dealer at the show may or may not be local to your region. only research will aid you in saving money on a gun purchase.
you have several options in buying a gun
order from an online dealer then have it sent to a local FFL holder
buy at a gunshow
buy from a local shop or store
any way you do it is ok but
first and foremost do the research

I don't usually shop at gun shows because the entrance fees keep going up and I don't like to spend $7-$8 and not find anything i want to buy. If I do find something of interest the entry fee adds that much more to the purchase price, thus meaning no real savings. imagine if walmart charged you to enter the store to shop..........

I try to find the best price online then hit the local shops and see if they will match or beat that price. If so then all is good. If not I locate a FFL that has the cheapest transfer fee and have it shipped there.

 

[Frost]

There are a couple of guys in the area that will do transfers.
There is no gun show loophole.

 

[BRISTOL1]

i found an ad regarding one of the local shows and it states (dealer rules) that the dealers are bound to not sell at wholesale, sounds to me that the shows are fixed. they all sell within a range and no one is to go out of that range.

just don't like that kind of talk, dog gone it where is the spirit of retail. if everyone held their prices to the same amount, then i would not have a need to go to one of the shows.

it's almost as bad with the local dealers. i have priced a particular pistol at several dealers and keep getting the same price (close, really close). if i had the money i would give them a headache. i would sell for less (lot less) just to give them a reason to take a look at their operations. can't stand a minopoly (spelling) just don't like it.

thanks,,,

 

[BRISTOL1]

one other note, about the transfers.

i don't like the idea of buying before i see the item. once you order it, it's yours even if you don't like the scratches on it or the fact that something about it just doesn't look right.

thanks,,,

 

[craigp]

There's not as much markup in the majority of firearms as you may think. Plus retail isn't wholesale. Depending on volume, some dealers get better prices on items they buy so to keep it as fair as possible to all and attract as many vendors as possible, the shows set a few basic rules.

If you decide to buy something over the Net before you see it, you're the one who's decided to try and save a few bucks, the risk is yours. Sorry but when you by stuff off Ebay it's the same way, you pay, they ship. Nobody's going to ship it to you to look at before you buy it.

The best thing about the show is you can look at a lot of different firearms in one place, saves you the gas of traveling from store to store. Take a pad an pencil and look around, not every dealer is the same price so do some legwork. Write down the dealer and their location when you find what you're looking for that way after you've looked at the same thing in a dozen different places, you've got a map to the places with the best prices. Some dealers offered discounts for cash versus charge cards. Look around and enjoy.

 

[fordnut]

I have been to more than a few gun shows. There are Dealers and also non-dealers at the shows.

Some Dealers sell for a lower price than the store front dealers. A few have good prices, but, there are some that try to sell for more than list prices.

I have some non-dealers that I have done a lot of deals with. Have bought from them, and, sold to them...

One of the biggest things you need is to do...know what you are looking for and do your homework. Know what the manuf. price is. Also, you just need to figure how badly you want the piece.

If you are looking for a popular piece, be ready to pay a premium price. If you are looking for a S&W Shield, or, a Kimber Solo...you will have to pay the price...

Shows are fun...and, you might find a deal. You just got to know what you are buying...

Steve

 

[Dave29461]

If you examine the firearm before taking possession you can refuse to accept the shipment for cause. Blemishes, scratches that were not noted by the seller are 'cause'. Just not liking the gun is not a satisfactory reason for refusing the shipment. Buds Gun Shop is good example of an online merchant who has some good prices and some bad. They buy guns by the hundreds so they can sell lower. Gun shows are for entertainment and research. I buy more ammo and reloading components than guns at the show. Parts are another good reason to invest in a ticket. Last but not least, once you get to know the vendors, you can deal with them.

 

[PCShogun]

one other note, about the transfers.

i don't like the idea of buying before i see the item. once you order it, it's yours even if you don't like the scratches on it or the fact that something about it just doesn't look right.

thanks,,,

Not necessarily true, As Dave (above) says, I have sent stuff back due to scratches on a new firearm. I went to the dealer who accepted the item that was going to be transferred to me, told him "No, that looks terrible", and had them ship it back. I paid for the shipping both ways though so you do have that risk.

I have purchased one firearm at the shows. I typically buy ammo there as you can find some excellent deals (like 10 boxes of 9mm Mak for $50), other than that, I look at the entrance fee like the price of a museum entry fee; I may not buy anything but I got to see some pretty cool stuff. Some of the folks you see walking around can be pretty interesting too.