Best gun show in Texas?

[MTA]

The Last Mesquite show was pretty bad. Ammo prices were insane, no deals to be seen and just a general feel of tension in the air. I won’t be going again.

Good to know. I havent been to one since 2019. There was always a larger number of individual seller tables there with people who didnt have insane prices but I guess they arent there anymore

 

[Darqhelmet]

Good to know. I havent been to one since 2019. There was always a larger number of individual seller tables there with people who didnt have insane prices but I guess they arent there anymore

Yeah don’t make the drive down. I know it’s not that bad for you but it’s not worth it.

 

[lightflyer1]

The internet ruined gun shows.

Gun shows ruined gun shows. They have been killing themselves for a long time.I keep going every now and then but they just keep getting worse.

 

[Coyote9]

I would have mentioned SAR West but it's a total niche show.

Why? It has an entire building for Western stuff an entire building for military and Class 3 plus several other building of normal gunshow variety

 

[DaBull]

On topic: an early post mentioned San Antonio as a good location for gun shows, but we have not had one for a while...SAXET is supposedly looking for a new location.

Off topic: SAR West in Phoenix is the best gun show I have ever been to. Multiple buildings, huge selection, fantastic prices. Worth the (something like $20 entrance fee). Costa Mesa gun show in LA area was about as good, but then the socialists (called libs back then) banned gun shows in the area.

 

[seeker_two]

The gun shows in small towns tend to have a lot of hidden treasures.

 

[majormadmax]

On topic: an early post mentioned San Antonio as a good location for gun shows, but we have not had one for a while...SAXET is supposedly looking for a new location.

The Premier show in San Antonio was the best show in the state until Nelson Wolff decided to run it off.

SA gun shows have been on the decline ever since. The one on Austin Highway folded, and SAXET lost its venue and cannot find another one.

Gun stores in town have been following the same route. The Powerderhorn and Don's (although the quality of the latter was debatable) are recent departures, and I'm sure there have been more I am just unaware of.

Oddly, it appears there is a rise of indoor ranges despite these trends. Nardis, Mission Ridge, Shoot Point Blank have all popped up in the past few years which is a phenomenon I don't get given the price to shoot at these locations. It's not that SA has severe weather that would necessitate such venues. Sure, it gets hot during the summer; but it's a lot easier to deal with than winter in Alaska!

But the bottom line is gun shows in the Alamo City have been on the fall ever since Premier left. I've been to SAXET a few times over the past years and every time I leave I wonder why I bothered! With prices right now, about all it provides is acknowledgement of how screwed up this gun market is at the moment. I don't need to pay ten bucks to know that!

 

[DaBull]

Oddly, it appears there is a rise of indoor ranges despite these trends. Nardis, Mission Ridge, Shoot Point Blank have all popped up in the past few years which is a phenomenon I don't get given the price to shoot at these locations.

I can say this because I just arrived from CO:

I wonder how much of this new demand for outdoor shooting is related to the influx of Californians who are now free to buy guns and ammo without much hassle. They seem to be pleased with trading their $1M tiny CA house for a $600K TX mansion, leaving plenty of cash to foot the $30 hourly range fee.

 

[dsgrey]

The gun shows in small towns tend to have a lot of hidden treasures.

Some of those not being firearm related. I went to a small one 5 years ago and only walked out with a $12 handmade wallet that I assumed would last one year. I'm still carrying it though it may need replacing next year.

 

[Grumps21]

Living in Houston, I mainly went to Pasadena and Humble, though I did go to Conroe a couple of times. Also went to the FT Worth show a few years ago. We happened to be passing through there on the way home from a road trip on the same weekend of the show. It was wifes first gun show. She couldn’t give three sh!ts about the guns or any of that sort of stuff but she was thrilled to get a colorful iPhone cord and some tactical gloves for her to wear on a motorcycle trip. The Ft Worth show was good I thought. As for the Houston shows, I mainly went to Pasadena. I found that for new guns, they were priced pretty good compared to Academy. Ammo at any show was never a good deal, although I did buy some.38 spec that were severely shelf worn for a few bucks less than academy was charging at the time. I never really went to the shows with the premise of buying anything. Mainly it was me time to look at all the cool stuff, and the obligatory knife sharpening. I did go to two shows since Covid hit, and not even the knife sharpening will get me back. Pretty sure all the guys who wiped out academy stock flipped it at the shows. I mean, there was nothing that was anywhere near reasonably priced. I’m talking mags, ammo, guns new and used. My me time is now pawn shopping.

 

[kbaxter60]

The internet ruined gun shows.

Well, yeah!
Since you can have machine guns shipped right to your house!

 

[kmcn762]

I've been to a good amount of the ones in Texas. I'm a milsurp guy so the availability and prices of old military guns is how I judge gunshows mostly. That and general gun/ammo prices, reloading stuff, jerky, etc.

Best: Dallas Arms Collectors, SA (RIP), Robstown

Good: Ft. Worth, Mesquite (smaller), Taylor, random small towns

Meh: All of Houston, Bastrop, Belton

Overall best I would say is probably Robstown actually, big show with lots of variety. That or Ft. Worth

 

[Ingramite]

This thread reminds me that I need to pick up a new pair of brass knuckles. I wore out my old pair.

 

[rexster314]

Used to plan our year out around the big Houston gun shows. I miss them

 

[Lonesome Dove]

The new generations of gun owners have turned the tables on guns and what used to be gun shows. If it's not modern and cool looking it aint gonna get purchased and the dealers and sellers know this. So they cater to the most profitable arena. Same with the gun stores I've been watching it for two decades at least. And it's not just guns it's everything. Everything changes!

 

[justmax]

Used to plan our year out around the big Houston gun shows. I miss them

Remember when HGCA boasted 2000 tables at the Astro Arena?

 

[Ingramite]

Sign over the urinal at the Kerrville gun show.

Hell, drinking out of the urinal is always the high point of my gun show experience.

What next?

 

[pronstar]

View attachment 306168

Sign over the urinal at the Kerrville gun show.

Hell, drinking out of the urinal is always the high point of my gun show experience.

What next?

But the ice in the urinals, that’s still good to use for cocktails, right?


I never understood why some places do that…

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[smittyb]

So if a guy wanted to go to the Ft Worth show, should he go to the Premier show or the Lone Star show?

 

[GasGuzzler]

Lewisville used to have the best combination of size, ease of access, free parking, and "inventory".