National Gun Day - Louisville 2/28 - 3/1

[ChalupaCabras]

I go every year, but this year I didn't - I still went down to Louisville, but I spent all day at the Ohio Valley Militaria show accross the hall, so I didn't buy a ticket. I

Its an awesome gun show, but I just didn't have time for it this year. It takes hours to walk around either show, so by the time you see everything in one, there is only 45 minutes left in the day to see the other.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I go every year, but this year I didn't - I still went down to Louisville, but I spent all day at the Ohio Valley Militaria show accross the hall, so I didn't buy a ticket. I

Its an awesome gun show, but I just didn't have time for it this year. It takes hours to walk around either show, so by the time you see everything in one, there is only 45 minutes left in the day to see the other.

We made it through in about 4 hours, but in my case I was pretty much only stopping for old milsurp guns. Didn't really even slow down for the modern guns or black powder stuff, books, accessories, etc.. If you were to look at everything, I could definitely see it taking a whole day.

 

[indy1919a4]

So like a question here, For all the folks who have been to this National Gun Day SHow, Have any of you done the Wanenmacker's Tulsa SHow in OK , any comparisons????

 

[indy1919a4]

I go every year, but this year I didn't - I still went down to Louisville, but I spent all day at the Ohio Valley Militaria show accross the hall,

CC, what is the Ohio Valley Military show like, Have never been in there..

 

[ChalupaCabras]

We made it through in about 4 hours, but in my case I was pretty much only stopping for old milsurp guns. Didn't really even slow down for the modern guns or black powder stuff, books, accessories, etc.. If you were to look at everything, I could definitely see it taking a whole day.

Yea, I had hopes of scoring some sweet deals on Milsurps, but I didn't have the $$$ for the show I had been planning on. No joke, my furnace went out last month and took a $1,800 bite out of my wallet. I ended up getting some small items / accessories (Swiss cammo, Polish field gear, German gravity knife, some WWII patches, ect.) but missed out on the gun deals.

There was a vendor there that had two legit No.5 Enfield carbines for $400 and $350, but most of my money was gone by then. I was hoping to snag another Carcano for < $100 like I did last year, but no luck. Only one I even saw was a minty cavalry carbine for $275 - worth it, but out of my budget.

CC, what is the Ohio Valley Military show like, Have never been in there..

This year it was just shy of 2,000 tables of Militaria (patches, uniforms, field gear, army surplus items, military collectables, some guns [Mostly Vietnam and older], some knives, some books,). There was a lot of WW1 and WW2 stuff as usual. There were a lot more Vietnam era items this years than in years past, and even some items starting to creep into the early 80's (PASGT gear, and 16A2 stuff)

I think it's billed as the largest surplus / militaria show in the USA, and its large enough to draw dealers from Europe with items that are hard to find here, so you never know what you will see there (leather shoulder rig for a Steyr TMP anyone?)

I missed out on a WWII Polish army fighting knife, and an early East German commando dagger this year, again due to my lack of funding.

 

[indy1919a4]

There was a vendor there that had two legit No.5 Enfield carbines for $400 and $350,

.

I did not know that they were selling firearms in the Military show part. Are there a lot of guns for sale in that part of of the show or are they the exceptions..???

 

[indiucky]

Doggydaddy went to the big gun show but all I got was a Canadian Dollar!!!!

 

[ChalupaCabras]

I did not know that they were selling firearms in the Military show part. Are there a lot of guns for sale in that part of of the show or are they the exceptions..???

Yes, they do. Face to face sales for cash exclusively. There are a fair number of surplus rifles and pistols - no new ARs, AKs, or the like - but lots of Mosins, Mausers, Enfields, Carcanos, MAS rifles, Arisakas, Madsens, M1 carbines, ect... Also racks upon racks of Lugers (I swear one vendor had over 100 Lugers for sale...), Nambus (different dealer had racks of several dozen), And a gentleman I stop and speak to every year who has whittled his collection of German Reichs Revolvers down to a paltry 20, from at least 50. There are C96 broom handles, Enfield revolvers, antique Colt revolers, Ect.

You can even find semi-auto builds of vintage machine guns for the WWII re-enactors - Semi 303 Bren Guns, semi 8mm Kurtz STG44, 1919 belt feds, ect which will fire live rounds - nestled next to the trap-door springfields, entire rows of Nazi parade daggers, naval boarding pikes, and helmet collections.

What you WONT find are goofs selling dime store pepper spray, "blast knuckles", or flea market nun-chucks. Its a show put on for serious collectors by other serious collectors, and everybody brings the good stuff.

 

[indy1919a4]

You can even find semi-auto builds of vintage machine guns for the WWII re-enactors - Semi 303 Bren Guns, semi 8mm Kurtz STG44, 1919 belt feds, ect which will fire live rounds - f.

Again I thank you CC, I did not know or would have really considered going over to that show... May I ask, any chance, would you have looked at what the Semi Bren & belt feds were priced at???

I will say that one thing that was a little lacking on the Gun Show part this time, was some large righteous Semi crew served weapons.. Oh there was a couple, but the prices were so high, I really though those pieces were more eye candy then an item for sale...

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Doggydaddy went to the big gun show but all I got was a Canadian Dollar!!!!

And it was my very last Loony too! But hey, anything for you brother.

 

[Gunaria]

So like a question here, For all the folks who have been to this National Gun Day SHow, Have any of you done the Wanenmacker's Tulsa SHow in OK , any comparisons????

I went to the last Tulsa gun show that was ran by Wanemacker. It's not run by him any more. :'(

The show is huge! It will take two days to look at it all. More C&R's than you can shake a stick at. The way to do it is get there on Friday night. Get a mo-mo room for two nights. And wear a good pair of walking shoes!

Some of the reports/reviews that I have read on the last couple of Tulsa shows were not all that great. But would I do it again? Hell yeah. With that many vendors, you will find something to buy.

 

[citizenkane]

I went to tulsa a couple years ago. It was huge! I liked seeing vendors I had never seen before. IIRC it's about 4000 tables.