Gun Show: Preliminary Findings
After work today, I found myself at the gun show. It was a combination boating/outdoors/gun show, so there were a lot of boats and deluxe campers filling the convention center. As I was making my way through the camper trailers parked outside, I ran into Lester, an old friend and deputy sheriff. Lester told me he was going to the car to retrieve money to purchase a Smith & Wesson his daughter wanted. He bemusedly said it "spoke" to her. That was unusual. Lester is a very practical, non-collector type. We parted ways and decided to meet again inside the show.
Once inside, I found a plethora of Smith & Wessons available, if one were willing to cough up the cash. Among the J frames were two Model 36's priced at $325 and $365. There was a humpbacked Model 49 available for the first $350. A .32 caliber Model 30 was priced at $365, and a Model 37 Airweight Chief's Special was available for $365 as well. For buyer with more money than sense, a nickel Model 36 was tagged at $400. None of these revolvers were flatlatches, or even four or five screws. They were plain old pedestrian S&W revolvers.
It was the first day of the show......I will watch these with interest over the next couple of days.
The K frame camp was also well represented with prices all over the map. There were a few Model 10s and Model 64s that looked to have been re-imported by Century Arms International. There were also refurbished Model 64s and 65s with bead blasted finishes and new aftermarket grips. I was not interested in those. I saw no pre-model 10s, and in fact, no five screw guns at all. There was a very rough Model 13-2 tagged at $230. It was a square butt four inch version, and the price was too high in regards to the condition. I found two different Model 10s that has a bit of finish wear, but which were still darned good shootin' guns. One was priced at $265, the other was priced at $325.
I began to look at 1911s, and I did not find many in my price range. There were a couple of parkerized Colt 1991s priced hopefully over $700 by the same dealer. Of course he declared that Colt no longer sells guns to the public. Right.... A dealer from the Pineville are had his NIB Colts at the show, along with many many other new guns. His blued Government Model NRM Colt was priced at $689. He had stainless and Commander versions as well for about $25 more. Other dealers had plenty of over polished and reblued Colt 1911s available in the $700-800 range. One dealer had an electroless nickel Series 70 Colt Commander priced at $900......Dadgum! I have about a thousand total invested in both of my e-nickel Commanders! There was also a 100% oak leaf engraved and reblued Ithaca with carved grips on a table for $800. That was an interesting gun, but the engraving, although skillfully done, did not have a good flow. Springfield GI45s in parkerizing were priced at $489, with stainless GI45s tagged at $515.
I began to look less at guns, and more at accessories and people walking around. I was hoping to spot the elusive N frame brought in be an uninterested heir. While watching for walkers, I purchased a bulk can of my favorite gun oil, Ballistol, and saved a bit on shipping charges. I also found a like new set of Herrett's skip checkered Government Model grips almost covered on a table. The owner was asking $20 for them. I offered $15. He agreed.
Finally, I ran into Lester again. He was fairly strutting. He pulled a three and a half inch Model 27-2 from his belt to show me. Damn, I wished I had seen that gun first. It spoke to me too....It was a well worn Model 27, with a finish that almost looked like worn off parkerizing. The grips were battered, but correct. Lester speculated that this had been a law man's sidearm, and I suspect he was correct. The old gal still locked up tighter than Dick's hat band, and the rifling was good as well. The weathered finish made it an outstanding gun for carry. It was truly a grab and go no worries N frame. I tentatively probed Lester for the price he paid. He said $265 was the price on the tag, and the dealer would not budge. Damn. I told Lester he should be glad the gun spoke to his daughter first! If you ever want to get out from under it, Lester........
It had been a long day of surgeries capped off by gun show meanderings. I left to get some supper and make plans to return tomorrow.
Once inside, I found a plethora of Smith & Wessons available, if one were willing to cough up the cash. Among the J frames were two Model 36's priced at $325 and $365. There was a humpbacked Model 49 available for the first $350. A .32 caliber Model 30 was priced at $365, and a Model 37 Airweight Chief's Special was available for $365 as well. For buyer with more money than sense, a nickel Model 36 was tagged at $400. None of these revolvers were flatlatches, or even four or five screws. They were plain old pedestrian S&W revolvers.
It was the first day of the show......I will watch these with interest over the next couple of days. The K frame camp was also well represented with prices all over the map. There were a few Model 10s and Model 64s that looked to have been re-imported by Century Arms International. There were also refurbished Model 64s and 65s with bead blasted finishes and new aftermarket grips. I was not interested in those. I saw no pre-model 10s, and in fact, no five screw guns at all. There was a very rough Model 13-2 tagged at $230. It was a square butt four inch version, and the price was too high in regards to the condition. I found two different Model 10s that has a bit of finish wear, but which were still darned good shootin' guns. One was priced at $265, the other was priced at $325.
I began to look at 1911s, and I did not find many in my price range. There were a couple of parkerized Colt 1991s priced hopefully over $700 by the same dealer. Of course he declared that Colt no longer sells guns to the public. Right.... A dealer from the Pineville are had his NIB Colts at the show, along with many many other new guns. His blued Government Model NRM Colt was priced at $689. He had stainless and Commander versions as well for about $25 more. Other dealers had plenty of over polished and reblued Colt 1911s available in the $700-800 range. One dealer had an electroless nickel Series 70 Colt Commander priced at $900......Dadgum! I have about a thousand total invested in both of my e-nickel Commanders! There was also a 100% oak leaf engraved and reblued Ithaca with carved grips on a table for $800. That was an interesting gun, but the engraving, although skillfully done, did not have a good flow. Springfield GI45s in parkerizing were priced at $489, with stainless GI45s tagged at $515.
I began to look less at guns, and more at accessories and people walking around. I was hoping to spot the elusive N frame brought in be an uninterested heir. While watching for walkers, I purchased a bulk can of my favorite gun oil, Ballistol, and saved a bit on shipping charges. I also found a like new set of Herrett's skip checkered Government Model grips almost covered on a table. The owner was asking $20 for them. I offered $15. He agreed.
Finally, I ran into Lester again. He was fairly strutting. He pulled a three and a half inch Model 27-2 from his belt to show me. Damn, I wished I had seen that gun first. It spoke to me too....It was a well worn Model 27, with a finish that almost looked like worn off parkerizing. The grips were battered, but correct. Lester speculated that this had been a law man's sidearm, and I suspect he was correct. The old gal still locked up tighter than Dick's hat band, and the rifling was good as well. The weathered finish made it an outstanding gun for carry. It was truly a grab and go no worries N frame. I tentatively probed Lester for the price he paid. He said $265 was the price on the tag, and the dealer would not budge. Damn. I told Lester he should be glad the gun spoke to his daughter first! If you ever want to get out from under it, Lester........
It had been a long day of surgeries capped off by gun show meanderings. I left to get some supper and make plans to return tomorrow.
Labels: Gun Shows
posted by Xavier at 8:47 PM
2 Comments:
Why Ballisto?
I've been using FP-10 for a while now, and my gunsmith and machinist friends like it a lot. Seems to clean very well, too.
Geek with a 45 was really liking Rem Oil.
Not doubting you, just curious.
Cleaning and lubrication seems to be a black art more than science....
Several years back, I had built a 1911, tightened the slide to the frame, and refinished the piece. When I slide the slide on the frame, it came to a screeching tight halt. It was stuck. I tried a few gentle smacks with a rawhide hammer to no avail. A gunsmith friend handed me a squirt bottle of ballistol, saying "try this." I upended the 1911, squirted Ballistol along the rails, and within seconds the slide began to move, and then slid so slickly it was like oil on glass. I've been a believer in ballistol for stuck stuff and really slickery lubrication ever since.
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