We hit the road this morning about a half hour later than expected and because of rain added another 15 minutes on top of that. We wound up in the parking lot at the Orange County Fairgrounds at about 0945. I had hoped to be there by 0900 when it opened. No matter though because as it turned out while we had a lot of fun looking at guns we did not buy one. They just did not have anything that I wanted and had something Brendan wanted but I talked him out of it. He was sort of salivating over a Mossberg shotgun with pistol grip. When I explained that it would be about near impossible to practice with that at any local range he saw the light. He started looking at Mossbergs and Remington 870s with either conventional or collapsible stocks. When he realized how much money he had already spent on AK mags (two of them), T-shirts (two of them), an AK-47 bayonet, a pocket knife and 3 bullet key chains he realized he had spent over a $100 and did not have enough left for a shotgun. I told him if he wanted one to go for it but maybe he should first look at some stores like Dicks Sporting Goods or Gander Mountain. I explained to him that when I go to a gun show, unless I see a really great deal on a new rifle, shotgun or pistol I would not buy it at the show because chances are I could get a better deal at a store that sells guns. I also clued him in that mostly I am looking for a good deal on something used at any gun shows I attend. He decided that maybe the old man knows something after all and held off for now.
As for me, I was in the market for some ammo cans and a Marlin XS7. There was not one new Marlin in .308 to be found in the place let alone the specific model I was seeking out. I also wanted some odds and ends like a good bore light, some .50 ammo cans and maybe some gun cleaning supplies. The ammo cans usually go for $6.00 apiece from a certain vendor at this show and today was no exception for single cans at that price. I was disappointed to find out that they were not less expensive if bought in groups of 4 or more. They usually price em at 4 cans for $20 but would not do so today. I bought only 2 of em - all I really needed for now but would have taken 4 had the price been right. I also picked up a field surgical kit (small one in OD pouch with scissors, hemostats, a couple of 18" sutures, and two surgical blades. Not a bad thing to have in with the survival or hiking gear. I don't know if it was a good price on that or not, but you don't see em often so I figured I'd go the $22 for one. As for the bore light - forget about it. All any vendor had was the same junk type I got there last time, or one other type that looked even junkier. I have a junk one already (the thread stripped within a year) and a better one I have had for many years. I will buy a better one at a sporting goods or gun store at a later date. I also brought Brendan a small AK 47 sticker, some strike anywhere matches (impossible to get where I live), and a really neat cut metal sign that you have already seen in the picture herein.
We left at about 1230 and headed out to eat with an idea of maybe going back in. We stopped at Gander Mountain before eating, looked around at prices on rifles and shotguns and left there empty handed too. I was a bit miffed at myself for forgetting my bait bucket and portable air pump. I had wanted to buy some minnows for my turtle tank - fish on the fin for my turtle - gives him exercise as he tries to catch them and nourishment too if he actually does catch any. Oh well, next time for that. After Gander Mountain we got ourselves some nourishment at a Ruby Tuesday. The service was good and the food fair to good. Not bad at all. We then moved onto Dick's Sporting Goods just about right next to the restaurant. It turned out that neither they nor Gander Mountain had the Marlin XS7 in .308. GM had one that was a XS7Y (I imagine that Y stood for youth model as it was shorter in the stock than a regular one). GM also had the XL7 in .30/06. I'll wait for the XS7 in .308 if I get one. We also saw a few Remington 770s and a few Remington 700s. Brendan told me the Remington 700 was supposed to be a great shooter as per an American Rifleman article he had read some time back. Of course, because I would have liked to have read up on them, we don't seem to still have that issue. I also want to do some checking on the Remington 770. They were going for about $300 scoped. The Remington ADL with bull barrel in a dull finish and camo stock was going for about $500 with a $45 or $50 rebate making it even a better deal. They had another Remington 700 with dark blue finish - no bull barrel - but it looked nicer than the ADL and cost more money.
I will be looking again at the Remington 700 though, it looked pretty nice and I will be inquiring about a Marlin XS7 locally too. I may yet buy a rifle in .308 before the weekend is out but now have more decisions to ponder! Then again who knows, if I break from my usual luck of pretty much never winning anything, maybe I will win a rifle in the raffle I am entered in that goes off tomorrow. I am not betting on it though!
After Dick's we headed home. A quicker ride home than it was going to the show and nicer for me because Brendan did the driving on the way home. Allin all it was a good day. There are two things though sort of irking me though that I should have done before leaving the gun show that I neglected to do. One thing I should have done was to look at a Mosin Nagant 91/30 that they had for sale for $89.99 at one table. The problem there was a big jerk who would not let me get in to look at it. He was standing in front of it for over 15 minutes and would not move despite me politely asking him to do so. The dealer heard me ask at that and did not ask the guy to move. Seems he was waiting to buy a rifle for about $50 more than that one while the dealer was already busy with someone else. Oh well, if the dealer did not want another sale that was okay with me. Now it is not the fact that I did not get to look at that rifle that irks me, it is the fact that I did not tell the guy blocking the table to go screw himself.
The other thing I should have done was to have looked at a Remington rifle they had at another table. It was chambered in 30/06 and looked nice on the outside. It had a bent bolt and it looked a lot like some sort of Mosin Nagant and the ticket on it said it was built for Russia by Remington. They were asking $150 for it. I have to look that one up on the Internet tonight. I planned to look at it then sort of forgot when we left, and I suppose I thought we were going back again before shoving off for home but that never happened. Oh well...those rifles I want in .308 were in my sights.
All the best,
Glenn B
As for me, I was in the market for some ammo cans and a Marlin XS7. There was not one new Marlin in .308 to be found in the place let alone the specific model I was seeking out. I also wanted some odds and ends like a good bore light, some .50 ammo cans and maybe some gun cleaning supplies. The ammo cans usually go for $6.00 apiece from a certain vendor at this show and today was no exception for single cans at that price. I was disappointed to find out that they were not less expensive if bought in groups of 4 or more. They usually price em at 4 cans for $20 but would not do so today. I bought only 2 of em - all I really needed for now but would have taken 4 had the price been right. I also picked up a field surgical kit (small one in OD pouch with scissors, hemostats, a couple of 18" sutures, and two surgical blades. Not a bad thing to have in with the survival or hiking gear. I don't know if it was a good price on that or not, but you don't see em often so I figured I'd go the $22 for one. As for the bore light - forget about it. All any vendor had was the same junk type I got there last time, or one other type that looked even junkier. I have a junk one already (the thread stripped within a year) and a better one I have had for many years. I will buy a better one at a sporting goods or gun store at a later date. I also brought Brendan a small AK 47 sticker, some strike anywhere matches (impossible to get where I live), and a really neat cut metal sign that you have already seen in the picture herein.We left at about 1230 and headed out to eat with an idea of maybe going back in. We stopped at Gander Mountain before eating, looked around at prices on rifles and shotguns and left there empty handed too. I was a bit miffed at myself for forgetting my bait bucket and portable air pump. I had wanted to buy some minnows for my turtle tank - fish on the fin for my turtle - gives him exercise as he tries to catch them and nourishment too if he actually does catch any. Oh well, next time for that. After Gander Mountain we got ourselves some nourishment at a Ruby Tuesday. The service was good and the food fair to good. Not bad at all. We then moved onto Dick's Sporting Goods just about right next to the restaurant. It turned out that neither they nor Gander Mountain had the Marlin XS7 in .308. GM had one that was a XS7Y (I imagine that Y stood for youth model as it was shorter in the stock than a regular one). GM also had the XL7 in .30/06. I'll wait for the XS7 in .308 if I get one. We also saw a few Remington 770s and a few Remington 700s. Brendan told me the Remington 700 was supposed to be a great shooter as per an American Rifleman article he had read some time back. Of course, because I would have liked to have read up on them, we don't seem to still have that issue. I also want to do some checking on the Remington 770. They were going for about $300 scoped. The Remington ADL with bull barrel in a dull finish and camo stock was going for about $500 with a $45 or $50 rebate making it even a better deal. They had another Remington 700 with dark blue finish - no bull barrel - but it looked nicer than the ADL and cost more money.
I will be looking again at the Remington 700 though, it looked pretty nice and I will be inquiring about a Marlin XS7 locally too. I may yet buy a rifle in .308 before the weekend is out but now have more decisions to ponder! Then again who knows, if I break from my usual luck of pretty much never winning anything, maybe I will win a rifle in the raffle I am entered in that goes off tomorrow. I am not betting on it though!
After Dick's we headed home. A quicker ride home than it was going to the show and nicer for me because Brendan did the driving on the way home. Allin all it was a good day. There are two things though sort of irking me though that I should have done before leaving the gun show that I neglected to do. One thing I should have done was to look at a Mosin Nagant 91/30 that they had for sale for $89.99 at one table. The problem there was a big jerk who would not let me get in to look at it. He was standing in front of it for over 15 minutes and would not move despite me politely asking him to do so. The dealer heard me ask at that and did not ask the guy to move. Seems he was waiting to buy a rifle for about $50 more than that one while the dealer was already busy with someone else. Oh well, if the dealer did not want another sale that was okay with me. Now it is not the fact that I did not get to look at that rifle that irks me, it is the fact that I did not tell the guy blocking the table to go screw himself.
The other thing I should have done was to have looked at a Remington rifle they had at another table. It was chambered in 30/06 and looked nice on the outside. It had a bent bolt and it looked a lot like some sort of Mosin Nagant and the ticket on it said it was built for Russia by Remington. They were asking $150 for it. I have to look that one up on the Internet tonight. I planned to look at it then sort of forgot when we left, and I suppose I thought we were going back again before shoving off for home but that never happened. Oh well...those rifles I want in .308 were in my sights.
All the best,
Glenn B
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