I drove for about two hours to go to a gun show over the weekend. This was the first gun show I have been to for more than two years, and the first time I’ve gone to that location. Overall, I was disappointed by the prices, the lack of variety, and the cheap stuff made from Chinesium that was piled on too many tables. I had 12 things on my list and ended up buying only one.
It wasn’t a total waste of time. I got surplus Multicam pants for $25, some useful medical items like chest seals, some inexpensive cleaning supplies like bore brushes, and 500 rounds of sub-sonic .22LR ammo. Only the latter was on my shopping list. Overall, I bought more prepping-related items than I did gun gear.
I got a chance to put my hands on the Kel-Tec 57, a pistol introduced at the SHOT Show in January. I thought this might be a great gun for someone like my wife, who doesn’t shoot much, is unlikely to make a tactical reload, and wants a soft-shooting gun. Because it shoots the 5.7×28 round, it would be an upgrade from her .22LR carry gun without adding much recoil. It also holds twice as many rounds. Alternatively, it would make a handy back-up gun, giving me 20 rounds of 5.7 instead of five rounds of .38 Special.
However, I had previously decided I didn’t want to logistically support yet another new (to me) caliber. Seeing the gun did nothing to convince me otherwise. The current generation of Kel-Tec Sub 2000s represents an improvement from the early version I own. Maybe future versions of the 57 will be better.
Very Few 2011s
I am interested in buying a 2011 in 9mm because I shoot the 1911 style single action guns faster and more accurately than I shoot Glocks and other striker-fired pistols. This may be because when I competed in the USPSA handgun and three-gun events, I often did so with 1911s. It’s also because they have crisper, lighter triggers. I only saw three 2011s at the show, and two of them were the Prodigy, something I’m not interested in. Only one dealer had a 2011 from Kimber, and it wasn’t the CDS-9, which is what I am interested in putting my hands on.
Notice I didn’t say I was interested in buying it. I find the gun appealing, but without putting it in my hands, looking down the sights, and pulling the trigger, I can’t say I want it. None of the local gun stores have this in stock, nor are they likely to, so unless I see it at a gun show or when traveling, it’s likely I’ll never get to see how it fits in my hand.
The other double-stack 9mm 2011-type of gun in which I have some interest is the XP Pro from Fusion. Not only did no dealer have this in stock, almost nobody had even heard of it. This gun is larger and perhaps flashier than the CDS-9. I think it is built more for competition than discreet carry. Still, it’s easy to take off the mag well to make it more concealable.
High Prices
I don’t understand why prices at this show, where many sellers do not have the overhead of a retail store, are higher than prices at online sellers and in some gun stores. Perhaps they aren’t buying at volume, so they don’t get the discounts.
Whatever the reason, ammo and accessories like weapons-mounted lights were both more expensive than I can buy online. As a result, I didn’t buy any suppressed .300 blackout ammo. The only reason I got the .22s is because I negotiated. I offered to pay $2.50 less per 100-round box if I bought five boxes. The dealer agreed, which still put me above the online cost, but on par by the time I included shipping and sales tax.
One guy made holsters, but they were the same price as the Crossbreed holster I wear daily. While I am willing to support someone who melts and forms Their own Kydex, I don’t want to pay the same for his homemade holster as I do for a commercial model. First, I know the commercial model is going to fit. Second, if I lose a screw or need a replacement part, I know a company like Crossbreed will be around. How am I going to follow up with this seller if something goes wrong? Go to the show again in April and make a fuss?
If you want a decent holster that has a blem or may have been returned by the original owner, go to https://www.crossbreed-seconds.com/ and search for your gun. The last holster I bought there cost $20. It was not quite as good as new, but it was damn close.
Holster Issues
I’ve been at gun shows where they make the holster right in front of you. You pick out the color, the style, and hand over your gun. They form the Kydex to the gun in a heat press and then trim and assemble the holster while you wait. They can fit any gun you bring, even if it has special accessories that don’t fit in a commercial holster. That I would pay for.
Likewise, I’ve seen them custom mold earplugs to your ear during a show. There was nothing customized like that at this show, another downside of living well away from large cities.
There were few holsters for sale, and most of them were pretty standard stuff. I have been having a hard time finding a holster to fit a 1911 with a rail. Most of the standard 1911 holsters are made to fit the original design, which doesn’t have a rail.
With leather holsters, it seems there are two varieties: “generic” holsters that fit a list of guns and are made in China, Turkey or somewhere else offshore. I have one from Tagua. It is made in South America, and it fits most Glocks, the S&W M&P, and probably a bunch of guns from Springfield Armory, Sig and Canik. But “fit” simply means the gun will slide into the holster. It doesn’t mean the holster grips the gun or provides any retention. On the other end of the spectrum are high-end leather holsters made for a single model of weapon that sell for $200 to $300. Of course, it fits the gun like a glove and is made by hand. I just wish there was a happy medium somewhere in between. I guess $65 Kydex holsters are going to continue to fill that void for me.
Non-Gun Stuff
I’d say about 40 percent of the tables sold something other than guns and ammo, and half of those were selling items that were not even related to the gun industry. The former included targets, first aid supplies, tactical gear, magazines, gun parts, and reloading supplies. That’s where I bought most of my prepping stuff. The latter included jewelry, coins, beef jerky, fundraising raffles, T-shirts and pepper spray. I’ve purchased wallets, reading glasses and other items at these booths in the past, so I guess I can’t complain about them either.
I spent $5 to buy a raffle ticket to support the Marine’s Toys for Tots program. After I got home, I took a closer look at the ticket and saw the prize was a Sig 320. Heck, if I had a Sig 320, I’d be tempted to give it away, too! I almost hope I don’t win.
Almost.
