My First Gun Show - Tips?

[jyl]

I'll be going to my first gun show in November (SF show at Cow Palace). There are a few specific items I'd like to buy, but I'm going in part just to see.

Is this an okay gun show? What should I expect? Are there typically good deals, and on what? Do I need to get there at the open?

How should I prepare? I'm assuming I should bring cash rather than planning on using credit/debit card. What paperwork do I need to bring, in case I find a gun I want to buy?

Are there common scams a newbie like me should beware of?

As I said, this is my very first gun show ever, so no advice will be too obvious. Thanks, everyone.

[BigAL]

It's been a while since I went to a Cow Palace gun show. I used to just buy ammo from Miwall and maybe some reloading supplies. Never found a smoking deal on a gun I wanted, but I handled them anyways since I paid admission.

But I will say always be skeptical of someone you don't know who you are going to buy a gun from. It helps to do your research first and find out what you want, what it's worth, and what you are willing to pay before walking in.

ETA: If you run into a guy who is grossly obese and dressed in military fatigues who starts telling you about his experiences in Delta Force and how he singlehandedly slaughtered a whole platoon of NVA in 1965 and why ARs/Glocks/1911s/(Insert gun here) suck, run away!

[pidooma]

The Cow Palace gun show is probably one of the better shows in the SF Bay Area.

I'm sure there are deals to be had there, but I think you can end up getting a lot of the stuff that's there from the Internet cheaper, but at least you get the chance to fondle the stuff in person at the gun show and you don't have to wait for it to show up.

Miwall is typically there, and their prices are usually pretty decent for ammo.

For purchasing a firearm, you'd need the same kind of paperwork you'd need in a store. Some type of ID and for handguns, also proof of residence and HSC card.

I don't think there is any paperwork required for purchasing beef jerky, knives or airsoft though. About half the vendors at least at the show these days seem to be selling only one of the three items listed above.

If you see the fat, topless guy wearing a tie-dyed sarong and selling "glowing" crystals... run!

[Ericthenorse]

I think I may be related to the obese guy in the fatigues....

[bear]

I like it, it's usually a pretty good show, I can easily spend 2 hours there, and not spend more than $20, like on patches or primers.

Bring your HSC card, very important. If you don't have one, you can get one there, go to the test booth, the test is easy, they issue on the spot. Cost about $25.

Bring a backpack, wear good walking shoes, there's no place to sit.

Bring license / ID from CA.

Bring utility bill. Electric is always a good one. Must be less than 90 days old.

Bring a Safe Affadavit, filled out with the make and model of a safe. All they need is a piece of paper. (The existence of safe is not independently verified.) No serial number is required on the form, only Make and Model.

If you have one, bring your C&R FFL Type 03, and your COE.

Bring $100 dollar bills, lots, depending on what you're interested in. Bring small bills too.

Pay for the parking! I got my window smashed when I parked across the street from the McDonalds one block east.

[jyl]

Thanks everyone, this is exactly what I needed to know.

One thing - I don't have a gun safe, but doesn't that just mean I have to buy a firearm safety device (e.g. trigger lock) when/if I buy a gun (assuming I don't bring the safety device with me along with proof it was recently purchased)?

I've been a bit confused about the gun safe requirement, but my impression is that I'm not required to own one. Currently my guns are stored in locked and hidden cases.

[jyl]

Thanks again for all of this information. I'm planning on getting a gun safe when we move to a new house. For now, I'll probably just thread DOJ-approved cable locks through my handguns and store the cabled and unloaded guns in their locked cases. As I read sec 12035, I should then be in compliance three ways - not a "loaded gun", used a "locking device", and used a "locked container". With the ammunition also locked up.

[COLT_45]

What??????

Im Pretty Sure You Can Store A Loaded Firearm In You Home, If Not ,,well Lets Say A Lot Of People Are In Violation

[rastro]

Im Pretty Sure You Can Store A Loaded Firearm In You Home, If Not ,,well Lets Say A Lot Of People Are In Violation

yOU cAN sTORE a lOADED fIREARM iN yOUR hOME, bUT yOU wOULD bE hELD cRIMINALLY rESPONSIBLE iF a cHILD gETS a hOLD oF iT aND iNJURES oR kILLS tHEMSELF.

Jyl mentioned 12035(b):

(1) Except as provided in subdivision (c), a person commits the crime of "criminal storage of a firearm of the first degree" if he or she keeps any loaded firearm within any premises that are under his or her custody or control and he or she knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child's parent or legal guardian and the child obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes death or great bodily injury to himself, herself, or any other person.
(2) Except as provided in subdivision (c), a person commits the crime of "criminal storage of a firearm of the second degree" if he or she keeps any loaded firearm within any premises that are under his or her custody or control and he or she knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child's parent or legal guardian and the child obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes injury, other than great bodily injury, to himself, herself, or any other person, or carries the firearm either to a public place or in violation of Section 417.

Just FYI. I grabbed the info from DOJ.

Its better being (in a) safe than sorry!?!?!