Monday, November 30, 2020

GUN SHOW REPORT

by Bob Walsh


Two or three months ago I went by the gun show in Lodi.  I didn't even try to get in.  I was there early on Saturday and the parking lot was jammed.  I couldn't see the end of the line.

They had another one this week end so I went, fairly early on Sunday.  Minimal cars in the lot.  I walked right up, paid my money, and walked right in.  

It isn't a huge show, but neither is it tiny.  I could guess about 5,000 or 6,000 sq ft in one building.  (It used to fill two buildings.)

I only saw one gun that I was remotely interested in for the price being asked.  For some reason or other it seems to me that everybody at a gun show charges high retail for guns.  Of course right now they can get it.  

I also stopped at my regular target vendor.  I get targets from him, good quality printing on heavy, stiff paper for 50 cents each.  

Then came my real purpose.  Reloading supplies.  I did get a large bag of polishing medium for $10, which is only slightly high.  There were two vendors selling powder, one also had primers.  The powder was going for $45-50 per pound.  I can still get it in local gun stores for $25-30.  The real killer was primers.  The last primers I bought were about $140 per 5,000.  Fortunately I was smart enough to stock up.  They are now asking $125 for 1,000.  I would have to be DESPERATE to pay that.  I ain't desperate.  There was also one bulk ammo seller asking $240 for 200 9mm reloads.  Used to go for $199 for 600.  Sometimes even less.  That is over $1 each for generic 9mm reloads.  There were also bullets available for only modest gouging, about $30-40 for 200.  

The last time I was at the range I was shooting the breeze with one guy out front waiting for the doors to open.  He was picking up a brand new 9mm for which he had zero ammo.  NOBODY around here has 9mm (except me and people like me).  

I suspect this will go on at a minimum until the Georgia elections in early January.  If those elections go badly it will go on for at least another two years.  Maybe even four.

People get the government they tolerate.

1 comment:

Trey said...

I wish I had heard about this job training.

Alamo Staff Trained On How To Perform Cannon Demonstrations
Some days, job training at the Alamo looks just a little bit different. In November, the Alamo sent 11 staff members to artillery school to learn how to safely perform cannon demonstrations. They will incorporate what they learned about cannon firing into Alamo programming in the future.

I'll bet it was a blast.