Gun show?

[Ranger60]

Just for fun I called the Belton promoter, he says he can handle over 200 tables, has at least one large dealer taking 14 tables, several others. Says he does have some foofoo tables for the wives, but not many. Guess I will make the run from Austin and check it out. Note, I am just reporting what I was told, do not come looking for me if you do not like the show! *L*

 

[cowboy45]

wow, so noone has been to the Belton show? Guess I'll have to go now...

It's a nice little show. I've done it a couple of times. Not much flea market crap. I'll be ther helping my elderly father; I think we have 7 tables, 4 full of guns and the rest with knives and leather and misc.. Most of his stuff is not new and a lot you can't walk in and buy readily. If you see a glass case full of short barreled S&W's, that's it.

 

[majormadmax]

We might go up, we're suppose to look at a rifle in North Austin early in the afternoon and if we're that close, we might make the effort to stop by...

 

[TheDan]

I'm going to go tomorrow. Looking for a Winchester 1300 and something in 10mm either or 44mag

 

[majormadmax]

We went up, and to be honest, it wasn't worth the time or effort.

We were already up in north Austin picking up a good deal on a SKS-M, and even the seller mentioned the show and encouraged us to drive up. It was about another 45 miles to Belton but since we were "ahead of schedule" for the things we were doing today my son and I decided to go. We got there and it was pretty crowded, but nothing close to the big SAXET show here in SA...more along the lines of the TGS Live Oak show. At least parking was free and it was only $5 each to get in with the online coupon.

We walked through the entire place in less than a half hour. I only recognized one vendor from the SA show, but found no deals anywhere. Most of the milsurps I saw were overpriced (as they seem to be at all shows these days) and none of the other rifles I looked at were much of a bargain. It was pretty crowded and the aisles narrow, so at times it wasn't easy to walk around; but for the most part it wasn't much worse than any other show we've been to.

If you're in the Austin or Killeen area it would be worth going, but considering it is a 150+ mile trip each way for us I wouldn't have gone just for the show. Honestly, even being 45 miles away had I known what it was going to be like I wouldn't have bothered. It meant getting home about 2-3 hours later than we would have. It was a nice local show, but since we have the huge monthly SAXET show 15 minutes away from us, I'll stick with it.

Cheers! M2

 

[country_boy]

Agreed. Ive been getting good deals at Academy ever since saxet left austin. Its about 30 min. from where I am to Austin then plus 45 min. I dont bother after the first time.

 

[Randman]

Thanks for the heads up. Wonder if it's a good show for the seller that wonders around with a gun or two to sell? If vendors prices are high, it can help out the individual seller. Just a thought

 

[majormadmax]

Randman

While a bit of a drive for you (105 miles, 1 hr 45 min), I would recommend the SAXET show in SA this weekend. It is about 4-5 times bigger and as you may have heard, very well attended.

I only saw a few guys walking around with items for sale (that is, they had signs for the guns; although there were a lot of people carrying without signs) and I didn't notice any private sales.

There may have been some that I didn't see, especially since we didn't get there until after 1:00pm; but I usually notice several at the SAXET show.

Since Belton is 41 mi/45 minutes from you, I would wait and go the extra 60 miles/hour drive to SA for a better chance to sell the guns you have.

Speaking of which, what have you got?

Cheers! M2

 

[Randman]

Randman

While a bit of a drive for you (105 miles, 1 hr 45 min), I would recommend the SAXET show in SA this weekend. It is about 4-5 times bigger and as you may have heard, very well attended.

I only saw a few guys walking around with items for sale (that is, they had signs for the guns; although there were a lot of people carrying without signs) and I didn't notice any private sales.

There may have been some that I didn't see, especially since we didn't get there until after 1:00pm; but I usually notice several at the SAXET show.

Since Belton is 41 mi/45 minutes from you, I would wait and go the extra 60 miles/hour drive to SA for a better chance to sell the guns you have.

Speaking of which, what have you got?

Cheers! M2

I sold an AR at the last SA show I attended back in Jan or Feb, can't remember when now...I like that show, but it was PACKED out and parking was a bear. Austin would be such a nice city without all the Liberal scum...Sorry, just had to throw that in...

I am getting ready to build a couple more AR's, I usually build 2 or 3 at a time, then decide which one I like the best, then sell the other/others. So I would be looking at the July show if it were Belton, or next month in SA..

The wife is heading to SA today, so I might tag along and hit the show while she does her thing on the other side of town...

 

[majormadmax]

I sold an AR at the last SA show I attended back in Jan or Feb, can't remember when now...I like that show, but it was PACKED out and parking was a bear. Austin would be such a nice city without all the Liberal scum...Sorry, just had to throw that in...

Funny, that's the same thing the guy who sold me the SKS-M yesterday said, and he was leaving on Monday!

The wife is heading to SA today, so I might tag along and hit the show while she does her thing on the other side of town...

Errrr....the SAXET show is next weekend (5-6 June), not this weekend!

 

[Ranger60]

I went to Belton and totally apollogize, was nothing like I expected, rather small, but at least had some things I needed, like Tokarev Mags and 38S&W ammo (1 box), couple AR15 grips I like and on a whim, an Enfield top break in 38S&W. More than I normally buy! *L*

 

[Randman]

Glad I didn't go then to SA.....lol...

Which comment?

 

[majormadmax]

I'm glad that someone found something there. I didn't really mean to bad-mouth it, if it seems I came across that way. Considering the buffoonery that's been going on with Austin gun shows, at least the folks in Belton are doing something for the gun enthusiasts in the area. We tend to take the big SAXET show here, and the smaller and crappier TGS show in Live Oak for granted, I realize that it's not easy to drive 100+ miles to attend those.

We went to the Belton show by our own choice, and although it wasn't huge and the sight of ammo being sold in a separate area seemed odd to us; I still contend it was better to go and know it wasn't big show than not and wonder what I missed.

Plus, I got to spend the day with my 12-yr-old son, something that is getting rarer and rarer as he inches towards being a teenager. I value any and all opportunities I have to hang out with him, even if it means being stuck in the car for several hours. It won't be too long before he's busy with his friends, and I end up going to gun shows by myself again...

Cheers! M2

 

[SteveSpread]

best place within driving distance for a Gun Show is going to be the San Antonio SAXET show at 410 and Marbach on the west side of SA the first weekend of every month. the problem there is parking. don't try and park outside of the paid parking area - tow trucks are circling and they WILL tow your car away. i had a customer have his car towed away in 10 minutes. no bullshit.

Belton has two show promoters up there - High Caliber and The Real Gun Show. both shows are small, about 250 tables, or half the size of the old Austin SAXET show. depends if a decent sized dealer makes it there. i think lately the largest dealer there has been Love's Guns out of the Temple area. sometimes you'll see AJC Sports or S.A.W.S. (Jeff Schramm) there, but if there is a larger show nearby they won't show up. for July, there is a show in San Antonio and Belton, but both are 4th of July weekend so you can figure out that some dealers may take the holiday weekend off, or only downsize to one show venue because of the anticipated low turnout. God knows i'd rather be elsewhere than a gun show on a holiday weekend!

i'll be displaying at Belton in July, but i don't expect it to be an off-the-chain show either.