Saturday, November 24, 2012

FG's Quickie Orlando Gunshow Review - Nov. 24, 2012

From reader FG:
I just returned from the Orlando gunshow. It was an interesting morning.
The doors were scheduled to open at 9am, but they actually started letting people inside of the building at 8:50am. At opening, the crowds were light and I walked right in. There were about 5 people ahead of me in line. As is legal in the state of Florida, people were selling privately owned, un-papered weapons both outside of the main entrance, and in the fairground parking lot.
The show admission price has increased yet AGAIN, and they're now charging nine dollars. Orlando is now the second highest priced show in the state of FL, with Miami holding the lead at 10 dollars.
http://www.floridagunshows.com/events.aspx
The Florida Highway patrol was zip-tie locking the actions of all public weapons entering the show. (This is normal for the Orlando show.)
The BATF "we're here to help you" table with two friendly agents is once again back at the Orlando show with plenty of free advice, and heaping stacks of you-paid-for-it-so-take-one, handbills and brochures.
The show is held on the fairgrounds proper and they're using two buildings. The main entrance building is the smaller of the two, and the bulk of the firearm vendors seem to be located in the larger, second building.
I did a quick walk through to get a feel for prices. As might be expected, prices in general tended to be up. Some shockingly so. The stark reality of another 4 more years of "Barry and company" seems to have settled in both for the vendors, and an anxious gun-buying public.
Some quick (new guns) show prices:
Colt Patrolman AR-15 Carbine - 1350
Glock pistols (prices were all over the map) 515 - 670
Kimber Custom 1911, .45acp, stainless - 850
Mossberg 12 gauge pump shotgun, pistol grip - 289
DSA FAL, in standard length - 1200
New - S&W alloy .38 special snub-nose revolver - 375
Century AK -670
Kel Tec PF-9, 9mm pistol - 289
Generic AR-15 carbines (many new local vendors) 650 and up
AR-15 pistol (very nice, local FL gunsmith / vendor) 699
Colt / Umarex 1911 style .22 pistol - 499
Used / surplus guns
SKS - 495 (!!!!)
M-1 Garand - 1200 (!!!!!)
Bulgarian AK -600
Nice Imbel FAL with upgraded wood furniture - 1200
12 gauge single shot shotguns - 100
S&W Model 22 revolver, NRA excellent, .45 acp - 575
Used (generic MFG) AR-15 - 650
There was plenty of ammo, I only glanced to two prices:
.45 acp, JHP, 50 rounds, GA production - 29
.38 special - JHP combat, 50 rounds, GA production - 23
Misc gear:
Ammo cans, G.I .50 cal size - 10-12 dollars (like new)
AR-15, 30 round C mags with window- 15 dollars each
AK steel (commie MFG) 30 round mags - 24 dollars
Riser, 1/2 inch, PRC scope PIC mount - 15 dollars
AR-15 handle mount scope PIC rail, PRC MFG - 15 dollars
In less than an hour, the crowds had gotten so thick in the second building that movement was getting difficult, and it was virtually impossible to get close enough to the vendor's tables to view their wares. I'd had enough.
I had to swivel my head with a double take as I left the building. The entrance line was so long that it had doubled back in on itself to fit in the fair courtyard.
My very rough guess would place that line at 400 people... or more.
Let the buying (and selling) begin.
The Orlando gunshow is being held Nov 24-25th at the Orlando state fairgrounds located on 4603 W Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808.
Hours for Sat. are 9 - 5, for Sunday, 10 - 5
My advice? Go EARLY.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

1200$ for a realy good M-1 garand. BUY IT. I just turned down 3500 for my 1956 type 1 NM. the prices hear are going off the map.(my guns are not and never will be for sale) Cheap Ass AR-15s are selling for 800+. Colts are 1800+. Mags are pure gold,with off the books NOS rifles and mags selling in the "silly ass high" range. Local gun shops and wallmart can't keep up with ammo.(guys are buying it and re- selling "off book" for 2x and 3x store price) Yes sir the panic is full on this go round.

Roger said...

Fort Lauderdale gunshows are much the same. $10.00 to get in, long lines, crowded to the point of being difficult to move around and high prices.
When will obama be awarded his Arms & Ammunition salesman of the year award?

MamaLiberty said...

The last show I went to was a terrible disappointment. Even though we got there just as the doors opened, it was immediately apparent that there were only about half as many vendors as usual, and most of those were selling junk stuff or flea market items. Very few guns of any kind, and most of them expensive. Very little ammo at all, and all of it much too high.

Crowd was thin, and many familiar faces were missing. Very little merchandise going out the door either. Nobody selling much.

We went on Sunday morning because we couldn't get away Saturday, and I'll never go on Sunday again. Door price was the same, $6. for less than half the show. Not sure I'll drive the 80 miles to get to that show again any day.

Guess most of us out here are like me. I'm buying when I need something, which isn't much, but I'm not selling anything.

AJ said...

Last show I went to (Nov. 17) was smaller than expected, but it was chock full of deals. Got a whole pile of G3 mags for less than $2 each, with over half of them appearing new. Century AK for $400, Mossy T-bolt for $100 with accessories. 9 and .45 ammo for less than $10/50. A like new Sheridan air rifle for $40, and so on. There were some good handgun deals, too. AR platform guns and parts were pricey (generics for $650, Bushies for $750, Colts for $1200+), though mags were widely available for less than $10.