Last one I went to I saw a rough Greener Empire for $200, but she was rough! fixable though.

Do you still find bargins at gunshows or have they been flogged to the point of being boring same old shit everytime?

I've only been to a few when I lived in NSW (don't get many up here). I've been disapointed at every one. My mate Don who is a .303 freak hoveres around the tables of the other .303 freaks and gets alot out of them in the way of small screws and things. But from what I've seen its over priced junk.

Canterbury (NSW) show is on this weekend. Will be on the look out for some SMLE parts (springs and screw type stuff).
Also need some dies and maybe a new scope. I have a fair idea of the going rates for these items, so will post a report when I get back.
Whats disappoints me is all the fishing and craft crap that is creeping in.......
I like the gun shows cause I can actually get close and see what they have to sell. Most shops I go to have all the stuff I want to see under lock and key .

Feral_Goz

You blokes want 303 bits, my mate has heaps for No1 Mk3;

Firing pins - $2ea
Screws/springs - 5/$1
Nose caps - $5ea
Sears/triggers - $2ea
plus postage

all are brand new in grease; let me know what you want.

I gotta admit , I find gunshows here veeery tedious . If I can be bothered going at all , I usually do twice-round-the-hall and if there wasnt anything that caught my eye I depart. Cant even get excited about talking to half the guys there , having had the same conversations with them for too many years now ..... God its terrible being a cynic...
And the same crap is there every year , just gets dearer and still no-one buys it ...

Geez thanks guys, I was thinking of going to the one in Brisbane next weekend but I won't bother now

Ya gotta go Highwall,lets have a meetup.

When I was in Brisbane ,I used to go to the shows at the RNA grounds. I always picked up some different cartridges and other odds and sods I didnt realise I neede before. Any new guns and overpriced stuff I didnt bother about ,but I always enjoyed the day. I,ll go whenever I,m in the area.

Its annoying when you have to PAY $5 at the door just to look at stalls SELLING stuff.

Went to one last year (or the year before?) and they had a couple of Mannlichers which I got all hot and excited about. Went home and after a couple days my sanity returned.

They didn't have ANY cartridges for sale. Is it illegal now to sell and collect cartridges? ie it is illegal to own cartridges for a calibre who do not have a licenced firearm for ???

Sorry to hear that is happening in Australia also.



At local gun shows, these guys bring in old beat up current rifles, and call it a classic and want more for it than I can go around the corner and buy it brand new at Bi Mart or WalMart.



You tell them that and their response is "screw you, go there and buy it and quit hassling me!" And you pay a $5.00 entrance fee for that???



If I don't buy a new rifle, I just get ahold of one used at the gunshops, or pawn shops, and just have it rebarreled into what I want, and finish the stock if I need to.



If it is beat to crap, these bozos call them a classic.



Just like Real Estate people who call a house that is falling down and needs a lot of work: "RUSTIC."



A good friend summed it up best " they call them Gun SHOWS, because it is the same group of guys, and all they really do with their over priced stuff is SHOW IT. Should correctly be called a Mobile GUN JUNK MUSEUM"



Cheers & Good shooting

seafire

Looks like I'm in the minority

I haven't been to a show here in Brisbane that I haven't walked away with a bargain. Last show I went to I picked up 100 new Norma cases in 22-250 for $50. Even with the admission cost it's still cheap.

Although I have to admit, you have to sort through a lot of trash to find the treasure.

Went to the Canterbury show today.
Looked like there were fewer tables, but got the impression that there were less non-gun related tables.
One guy there was doing a roaring trade on aluminium rifle cases. He had to lower his price on the single ones as he had almost sold all of the doubles (think they were going for about $95/$125) I didn't have a close look but saw that the boxes had "Made in China" on them.
Saw another guy asking $1695 for a Beretta 92FS Inox. Seems to be at least $2-300 over priced. Mags were going for $70 each, which is about the norm at the local stores. I'd rather buy them from the local range. CZ 452 mags were going for $55 for the polymer ones, same as at the gun stores.
Couldn't manage to find any .357 Mag. dies. Would have thought they would be everywhere with the law changes......
Managed to pick up some plastic .357 ammo boxes for $5 each. Then found another guy selling them half an hour later for $3 .
Have been looking for a Lyman pin punch set, and managed to find a Gunsmith set about $15 cheaper than I have seen around. Now I can detail strip my 92FS and install the Timney in my Ruger M77 MkII.
My BiL picker up a H&R Plainsman 865 .22 for $95. Looks a bit rough, but for the price you really can't complain. We'll see how it shoots at the range next time.

And as per usual the food in there was pretty bad.

There was also another guy who had a metric buttload of Nolser projectiles, but none in the calibers I wanted. Plenty of .303 projectiles, but not priced well enough to warrant stocking up on them. Most were a couple of $ either side of the store price.
Saw a seller offering Leupold VX1 4-12 for $400. Local store has $450 on them. Was tempted, but didn't give in. I'd have been oblidged to buy a rifle to go with it , and would then have most likely then needed to find a new home.

Best thing I did was make a list of the things I wanted and put down to store prices for them. Stopped me from wasting some hard earned bucks.

Feral_Goz

FG,
get your scopes direct from the US,no import paperwork needed.7-10 days in the mail.

Brisbane's gunshow is on next week-end,can't wait.

FarCanel,
Any suppliers you can recommend?

Thanks
FeralGoz

Check this one out

Grafs

I have to agree with you Bakes & Bad Ass. Normally its the same rubish over and over. Having said that, as I haven't ben to one for a while I will go to the one in Brisbane next weekend.

Sometimes there are one or two good books on hunting though.

MLG,
Look for me on the Carl Scholtz tables

For sale or free to a good home ?

Smart Ass Sulzberger (SAS)!

The boss said if I sell all the rubbish in his shop, he will double my wages. Last show he shouted me a can of coke, which proves conclusivly that I don't work for peanuts

What can I say - except you may be easy , but you sure aint cheap......



Any chance you can find me some .222 Rimmed brass while you are there ? That dickhead Far Canel forgot to give you the stuff I was going to buy off him when we got together in Pomona the other day.....

Hey Muzza what were you doing in Pomona? That's just up the road from me. In fact I was up there today checking out my rifle at a gunsmith there.

I second Grafs there grouse or have been to me !!

A lot of shit at the last Melbourne Gun show I was at.

Muzza,
Usually see a bit there but they want about $20/20 unprimed
How many you after?

BAW - I can use about sixty or so , Shaun had about 60 but they didnt eventuate...May still do if he feels guilty....

MLG- I was in Pomona to a) visit a cartridge collecting mate , and b) have an entertaining evening in the company of one Bad Ass and his lovely wife . Actually it was bloody cold there too.

Muzza
How much of your money can I spend on 60x222R?
(I have original Super brass that just never seems to wear out but case capacity is less than Bertram)

is the Bertram brass any good ? Have to say some of his other calibre stuff doesnt rate very well here or internationally ...

Bertram is absolutely great when NOBODY else makes any!

Well , yeah But...

In relation to the Super brass , which would you prefer to be using , given BB's less than enthusiastic quality control standards... specifically in 222 Rimmed?

Better make that a Diet Coke...

*loads her .303 and glares at you*





Kiss my grits sunshine



(only joking....we still luv's ya )