Gun shows worth seeing

[Tonymin]

I live in the Bay Area and have been to all the local gun shows. They aren't worth much. I went to the recent Reno gun show and it was 1000% better. I now have the gun show bug and want to travel to see the good ones.
Which shows are must see on my list? In order of distance needed to travel. And they have to get better the further I go. Obviously C&R is my interest.
Thanks

[pitfighter]

SAR Phoenix.
SOS Ohio.

[omega]

Roadrunner gun show at the Cal Expo is the only one worth going to, they have plenty of C&R

driving to Reno isnt worth the trip, most of the good stuff cant be brought back to CA anyways

[The War Wagon]

I was at the Houston Show (Astrohall - next to the old Astrodome) Thanksgiving weekend, 1996. Wife was out with some friends that Friday, so I went to the show with 3 hours to kill.

At the end of those three hours, I suddenly realized I'd seen about a quarter of the floor! RAN through the rest of it on the way to the parking lot - couldn't BELIEVE what a great show it was. Probably THE last great gun show I've EVER been to.

[TRAP55]

I haven't been yet, but I hear the big Tulsa, OK show is on par if not better than the Reno show.

[bigbossman]

I haven't been yet, but I hear the big Tulsa, OK show is on par if not better than the Reno show.

Reno times 6. I went there once - it is HUGE.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

So the ones up north are better than our awesome OC and Ontario shows?

[maxit]

SAR Phoenix.
SOS Ohio.

ditto on the SAR show, biggie.

also SHOT show in L.Vegas

and Sports Fair at Raahague's Range in spring isnt too bad either.

[JKB1957]

Wanenmacher's Gun Show, Tulsa. Something like 4K tables over 8 acres. Never been there, but I will.

[Jimja]

Here are a couple of great shows

http://www.tulsaarmsshow.com/frames.html

This is probably my favorite:

http://www.nationalgunday.com/The%20Great%20Eastern%20Gun%20Show.htm

It's actually two shows, a militaria show and a gun show. I went this spring and will be going again in Feb/March of next year.

[chuckdc]

Tulsa is supposed to be the biggest of them all.

What used to be the Astrohall show is the Houston Gun Collectors Assn. show, which they have 3 times a year. It's a big one and takes several hours to even get through just cruising and not spending a lot of time. It usually runs about 1500 tables. What I like about the HGCA shows is that they have true "show" displays in the middle, where people set up exhibits of their collections and explain the items. It's also a good buy and sell show, but the displays are the icing on the cake. One of the shows for 2011 was "themed" for the 1911 and there were a couple of Singers, and one of the original prototypes/Army test guns, among others. The last one I went to, there were several folks with NFA stuff for sale, including a Thompson in the "trunk" style case just like in "Road to Perdition", some M2 carbines, at least 3 M3 Grease Guns, Stens, an MP40, an M2 .50 cal, etc.

I do need to take a road trip to the Tulsa show, though.

[TRAP55]

So the ones up north are better than our awesome OC and Ontario shows?

The Pomona Show back in the 80's was 9 exhibition halls, that were packed, and vendors lined the outside walls between the buildings. You couldn't see it all in three days. Sadly, those days are gone in commiefornia.

[jl7422]

Just went to the Tulsa show for the first time. It is very big, but I managed to see it in the 2 days allowed. No great deals that I saw--plenty of average guns at average prices. I won't be going back to it for awhile--if ever.

For my money the big Reno show, and SARS in Phoenix are the best.

[44fred]

The Pomona Show back in the 80's was 9 exhibition halls, that were packed, and vendors lined the outside walls between the buildings. You couldn't see it all in three days. Sadly, those days are gone in commiefornia.

Those were the days! It was certinally a full day, that's for sure.
Made some good friends and better deals in the parking lots :-)

[McNally M.]

Basically any gunshow not in CA but in the southwest will be better than any show in CA. Such is my opinion anyway.