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Did the Abilene gun show security last weekend. Attendance was a little off. It was rainy there last weekend which usually helps gun show attendance. Wonder if the election results cooled the ardor of those who buy for end of the world regulation and restriction?
Saw the usual suspect firearms there, that I've been seeing at the regular exhibitors' tables for some time now. Nothing new and the price tags are looking shopworn. Prices on them haven't been lowered though.
Prices on ARs and AR 15 components haven't dipped yet. I have a brother-in-law who has gotten into building ARs in a big way so perused some lowers, filing away what I saw for a potential future project.
Scuttlebut at the friendly Friday night set-up gab session was that ... wait for it ...
... Revolvers are hot (just since the election) and are making a come-back, and the latest hot AR 15 thing is "retro" rifles along the vein of the Colt SP-1. "Retro" ARs are said to be becoming more popular than ARs with doodads.
Now you must consider that most of the gun show exhibitors are even more geezerly than I am. This is the first I've heard either rumor and I have no idea if either is true. What do y'all think?
Few things new that I saw that come to mind.
Smith & Wesson 3 1/2-inch Model 27 with target stocks - $875 (don't care at all for the look of the 3 1/2-inch Model 27 with the target stocks. Ruins the whole "bad boy" look of the piece but that's only one opinion).
Mid-1960s Smith & Wesson Model 36 round butt, 2-inch blue "diamond" stocks - $450. This one gets a mention because of its condition. I have no need of a Model 36, but it was lying there on its right side on the table looking like quite the jewel. Picked it up to idly examine it more closely and turned it over to see large "gloppy" blotched staining where the rust was chemically degraded. Suicide gun? Was user grade and about $200 too high in my view.
Winchester Model 1885 Low Wall .38 WCF. Nice blue and silvery receiver with faint case colors. Excellent bore. Would have loved to take it home. Only $1850!
A 1951 Marlin 39 .22 for $750. Good used condition. I'd love to have one and this one would do nicely. Seems a bit high. Quite high, actually. Show promoter has it on his table so I'm sure something could be worked out.
There's a guy there who has a raft of desirable Colt products. All pre-1970 stuff with much pre-war stuff included. Oh, maybe a Python or two could have been made after 1970. All excellent to NIB condition. Few with boxes though. Government Models in .45 and .38 Super. Aces, Woodsmans, Detective Specials, the odd high condition Police Positive Special or Official Police. Only thing is, his prices would lop one's head off. He's a collector showing off his collection and his collection is observed to be growing over the past three years or so. He's not selling anything that I can observe and he always seems to have even more Colts each time I see him.
Something new he had was a grouping of First Generation Single Action Army revolvers. Eight of 'em. Some pretty nice including a 1913 vintage 7 1/2-inch in the rare .38 Long Colt caliber in really fine shape. His pride and joy among these SAAs was a low 5-digit nickel .44 WCF gun. Now this one had quite degraded nickel and thick scaly rust build-up where the nickel was missing. Frankly, it looked like someone threw up on the gun. Came with shrunken ivorys which I think I remember showing on his factory letter. Was shortened to 5 1/2inches from the original 7 1/2 inches. It may have been "really sumpin'", but I can't become enthused about such a plug ugly gun.
As always a sea of black plastic, rifles and pistols, most of which I cannot gen up much personal interest in viewing closely.
Saw the usual suspect firearms there, that I've been seeing at the regular exhibitors' tables for some time now. Nothing new and the price tags are looking shopworn. Prices on them haven't been lowered though.
Prices on ARs and AR 15 components haven't dipped yet. I have a brother-in-law who has gotten into building ARs in a big way so perused some lowers, filing away what I saw for a potential future project.
Scuttlebut at the friendly Friday night set-up gab session was that ... wait for it ...
... Revolvers are hot (just since the election) and are making a come-back, and the latest hot AR 15 thing is "retro" rifles along the vein of the Colt SP-1. "Retro" ARs are said to be becoming more popular than ARs with doodads.
Now you must consider that most of the gun show exhibitors are even more geezerly than I am. This is the first I've heard either rumor and I have no idea if either is true. What do y'all think?
Few things new that I saw that come to mind.
Smith & Wesson 3 1/2-inch Model 27 with target stocks - $875 (don't care at all for the look of the 3 1/2-inch Model 27 with the target stocks. Ruins the whole "bad boy" look of the piece but that's only one opinion).
Mid-1960s Smith & Wesson Model 36 round butt, 2-inch blue "diamond" stocks - $450. This one gets a mention because of its condition. I have no need of a Model 36, but it was lying there on its right side on the table looking like quite the jewel. Picked it up to idly examine it more closely and turned it over to see large "gloppy" blotched staining where the rust was chemically degraded. Suicide gun? Was user grade and about $200 too high in my view.
Winchester Model 1885 Low Wall .38 WCF. Nice blue and silvery receiver with faint case colors. Excellent bore. Would have loved to take it home. Only $1850!
A 1951 Marlin 39 .22 for $750. Good used condition. I'd love to have one and this one would do nicely. Seems a bit high. Quite high, actually. Show promoter has it on his table so I'm sure something could be worked out.
There's a guy there who has a raft of desirable Colt products. All pre-1970 stuff with much pre-war stuff included. Oh, maybe a Python or two could have been made after 1970. All excellent to NIB condition. Few with boxes though. Government Models in .45 and .38 Super. Aces, Woodsmans, Detective Specials, the odd high condition Police Positive Special or Official Police. Only thing is, his prices would lop one's head off. He's a collector showing off his collection and his collection is observed to be growing over the past three years or so. He's not selling anything that I can observe and he always seems to have even more Colts each time I see him.
Something new he had was a grouping of First Generation Single Action Army revolvers. Eight of 'em. Some pretty nice including a 1913 vintage 7 1/2-inch in the rare .38 Long Colt caliber in really fine shape. His pride and joy among these SAAs was a low 5-digit nickel .44 WCF gun. Now this one had quite degraded nickel and thick scaly rust build-up where the nickel was missing. Frankly, it looked like someone threw up on the gun. Came with shrunken ivorys which I think I remember showing on his factory letter. Was shortened to 5 1/2inches from the original 7 1/2 inches. It may have been "really sumpin'", but I can't become enthused about such a plug ugly gun.
As always a sea of black plastic, rifles and pistols, most of which I cannot gen up much personal interest in viewing closely.