Saturday, May 22, 2010

Spoiled...

Went to the gun show in Knoxville today.

It was good to touch base with so many old friends. After being in a new city and trying to find my feet there, coming back to where I can't go three tables without someone pulling me aside to ask how I've been, what I've been doing, did I get any cool guns lately? (and how's my momma 'n' 'em?) was pretty neat.

Still, as gun shows go, the Indy 1500 has me spoiled. The one here in K-town is maybe a third of the size, and the pickings are limited in proportion. I deliberately brought no cash money, figuring that if I saw something I absolutely could not live without, I could always whip out the checkbook or hit an ATM, but even if I'd had ten grand burning a hole in my pocket, I might have walked out with a French 8mm Ordnance Revolver and a Remington Model 8. Well, there was a .25 ACP Mauser that was cute and within negotiating reach, but it needed grips...

I guess I'm getting pickier.
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16 comments:

Anonymous said...

*sigh* Rub it in, why do you not? :)

Out of random, completely unmovitated curiosity, did you see any decent prices on SP101s...?

6:58 PM, May 22, 2010
Michael in CT said...

For the next time you see something shiny without grips:

http://www.gungrip.com/

8:00 PM, May 22, 2010
George said...

Yes, the large shows (like Phoenix's Crossroads) resemble a huge supermarket but the smaller shows (like Az. Arms Assn.) @ the local VFW hall have real individuals (not just dealers) with real collections, not always for sale. I stumbled across some Safariland ROGERS holsters, left-handed. I think I bought 8, for different firearms @ $15/each!!
And, another time, an N-Frame Smith .44 Special snub 3" for $350!! Had to run across the street to the atm from the VFW.
Maybe 50 tables, total, free parking, $10/admission...

9:37 PM, May 22, 2010
Ed Foster said...

The Model 8. Don't rub it in. Every time I see one I either don't have the peso, someone has cut the stock down for a midget, or it's in .25 Remington.

Big thing when I was a kid was tapeing a 100 yard smallbore target inside a tire, then sending it bouncing down a hillside.

From 45 to 60 yards the guys with the Marlin 336's and Remington 8's usually got on target a bit faster than us poor kids with '03 Springfields, Lee Enfields, and '98Mausers.

The Remington 8 had a certain cache, being thought of as sort of a "lawyer's gun", or something the local hardware store owner might bring into the woods.

When I was 15 or 16, I had the family '03 Springfield and some G.I. ball, and Jim Augeri had his 35 Rem. 336 Marlin. We were shooting into the ends of some firewood, and the buggers would soak up a dozen rounds of 30-06 before splitting. With the .35 Remington they busted in 2 or 3 shots. Major loss of face, major case of envy.

Yes, I now realize it was because he was shooting softpoints, but at the time it was mortifying.

And I still have a gut reaction when I see a clean Model 8. I expect to see it in the hands of a well spoken older gentleman with L.L. Bean dark green whipcord trousers (with the leather pockets), Irish setter low boots, and a meershaum pipe filled with a custom blend.

10:05 PM, May 22, 2010
Will said...

George,
another LH holster buyer, I see.
Yep, done the same. Bought some for guns I didn't even own, but thought I might some day. Hell, bought some the sellers had no idea what they fit, but they were left-handed! And cheap!

3:59 AM, May 23, 2010
staghounds said...

Ed Foster, didn't know you knew my grandfather! I still have a picture of him with one of his M8s.

And what's wrong with .25 Rem? Sure the .35 is the loudest and hurts the most, but the .25 is just fine for groundhogs in the East- and hasn't been offered since what, 1930?

6:14 AM, May 23, 2010
blindshooter said...

I have been knocking around some local shows with my M1A match rifle looking to trade for some AR stuff. Love the way some of these guys will try to "take" your stuff. One Dealer had three SA rack grade plastic stocked M1A's tagged at $1600 and he is telling me my rifle is not worth $1800 but he would trade a generic AR shorty built from a cheap kit....I don't think so. I understand they have to make money but not all at once off one customer.

Tam, some time back you were mulling over an AR of some flavor, did you decide on anything?

8:51 AM, May 23, 2010
Anonymous said...

Pffft, everyone knows the true test of a gun show is the beef jerky. So, how's the jerky in the Land of Orange?

Shootin' Buddy

11:37 AM, May 23, 2010
Anonymous said...

"I guess I'm getting pickier."

That is my problem. I'm pretty much only interested in pre-lock S&Ws. I don't care about semiautos, rifles of any kind, or most shotguns (28g doubles make me pause). I can go through large shows like the "Nation's Gunshow" in a couple hours tops unless the book dealers have a bunch of E.Keith or Skelton stuff (they rarely do). If the reloading suppliers have casting gear, I may linger there a bit longer, but I'm all stocked up on primers, powder, and cases.

Chris

11:40 AM, May 23, 2010
George said...

Will--Good Job! I have a 'holster bin', which is an old, heavy wire milk crate, filled to the gills with stuff bought and tried, all LH, of course. Mostly for 1911 and .38 snub, some N-frame Smith and Browning Hi-Power...

2:13 PM, May 23, 2010
Gewehr98 said...

Ooh, ooh! A Remington Model 8!!! I've always got room for more of those here...

WV = "whanc" Yup. That's basically me in the presence of JMB's recoil-operated autoloading rifle.

6:48 PM, May 23, 2010
Tam said...

"Ooh, ooh! A Remington Model 8!!! I've always got room for more of those here..."

I need one like I need a hole in the head, but I want one so very badly.

Some things just can't be explained by logic. :D

6:52 PM, May 23, 2010
Will said...

George,
except for the container (plastic), pretty much matches!

2:58 PM, May 24, 2010
Tam said...

I've slimmed down the holster selection. I have two longneck beer cases: One filled with 1911 holsters and one filled with S&W revolver holsters. I've pretty much sold all the other holsters.

10:30 PM, May 24, 2010
Beaumont said...

Having grown to love my granddad's Model 8 in .30 Rem, I'd love to find one in .35 , altho
I wouldn't necessarily dismiss one in .25 or .32. Since you didn't buy that one, maybe it will turn up at the next show.

wv: spare.

12:23 AM, May 25, 2010
Will said...

Tam,
no holsters for the Ruger .22 Mk pistols? For my Govt Target Model, I have at least one each left and right belt holster, plus an X15 Bianchi shoulder rig (special ordered) for it. Can't pull that fat barrel through the spring break though, has to come out the top. At least my 7.5" Redhawk pulls through it's X15 rig. Hmmm, maybe I should consider milling the barrel like the later slabsided versions.

3:45 AM, May 25, 2010

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