Okay, so we left the hosue this morning about five minutes after 0800. No breakfast, no coffee, and off we went. We got to my friends house right about on time at 0830. No traffic Saturday mornings are a good thing. We picked up both friends at the one's house, and we were off to Middletown and the Orange Coutny Fairgrounds for the Gun Show. About 87.9 miles later we were there. We mad good time, again no traffic to speak of. Found a parking spot about 1/4 mile from the entrance, and hoofed it to the show. Got to the entrance, paid an entry fee of $9.00 apiece (getting steeper all the time), then got disarmed at the entrance. Well not disarmed really, they had me unload and then they banded my pistol which they then gave back to me, and they had me leave the one mag from the gun at the door in a baggie with my name in with it. Funny how they never took the spare mags, and how I could have easily clipped the band myself and reloaded, or bought a new mag and some ammo and loaded. What was the point? I wondered about that, but I am not wondering now. I just firgure it is NY with sily, foolish, pointless assinine gun show regulations. Hopefully people will someday see the light and swing back toward freedom and sensible laws.
Went in started to look around sticking with the other 3, then remembered I wanted some ammo cans, and I headed to a back corner table where I got some at the last show. Sure enough the vendor with the ammo cans was in the same place, I picked up four excellent condition 50 cal ammo cans for $20. Then I realized I wa son my own. Spent the next hour or so browsing the tables and keeping my eyes open for a good bargain, and for another friend who was supposed to show up. Finally ran into Brendan again. He told me about some neat guns he had seen, and we went to check them out together. After another half hour or so, we ran into Richie, one of the friends who took the ride with us. He was busying himself buying an air rifle. He said Hubie was off somewhere else still searching the tables. After a short while we ran into Hubert, he was talking to Charlie K, one of 2 guys who was to meetus at the show. The other Pete K never showed, or we missed him. We BS'd with Charlie for a while, then he made the rounds again while we loaded some stuff into my car. Charlie met us outside not too long after that. As was I, he was soaked with perspiration. It was hot as hades in the show. Warm and muggy outside the show did little to relieve us.
After that we were off to Gander Mountain, where I picked up a few small items I needed. Then off to a McDonald's (off all places) for a quick lunch and BS session. It was a nice time despite being big Mac combos for lunch. Then Cgharlie K went on his way usptate to his daughter's college, andf the 4 of us got inmy car and headed home. It had started raining just before we left Middletown, and about halfway home we were in a downpour. Luckily we missed any flooding, but we could see the river getting high in some places we passed.
I did not pick up any new guns at the show, just the ammo cans. Prices on most firearms in which I had any interest were too high for me. I think Gander Mountain had some guns that were less expensive than the exact smae ones we saw at the show. There are not too many good deals left at gun shows anymore, that is unless you find someone bringing in something to sell. Buy it from them only once they have entered the actual gun show hall. If an individual sells to another individual at the show, a NICS check has to be done through a dealer at the show. In NY, don't stop anyone in the parking lot to try and buy from them, this is a big and illegal no-no here.
All the best,
Glenn B
Showing posts with label Middletown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middletown. Show all posts
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Weekend Shows - Guns & Reptiles...
...will be the prominent features of my upcoming weekend. First of all I will be attending a gun show sponsored by NorthEastGunShows.com. This show will be held at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Middletown, NY on Saturday September 6th from 9-5, and on Sunday September 7th from 9-3. On Saturday the plan is for Brendan and I to be out the door by 8, at my friend Richie's house by 0830, and at the show by 10 to meet up with friends Charlie and Pete. These three good friends have all retired from government service, and all three were firearms instructors on my job. In fact Richie retired from the NYPD, then became the primary firearms instructor for my office, worked there for many years, and has since retired from that job too. It will be a nice reunion. Hopefully we can drag Hubert along too (another co-worker who also had duties as a firearms instructor).
Brendan and I will only be at the gun show on Saturday. I am not planning on buying any guns because I don't have the cash, that is unless I see the bargain of the century and for that they make plastique. We may pick up some accessories, or some ammo since there are sometimes good deals, but I will readily point out that at the last one I attended there was little ammo on sale and prices for it were sky high. Still though we may find something, and just going to the show is a decent way to spend part of the day. Combine that with our little reunion, and it will be all the better. After the show we will probably all have lunch together, and we may also hit Cabelas. If Cabelas had any sense they would run a sale on days that there is a gun show in Middletown, they get lots of spillover customers from the show. I only plan to pick up some shiners and crayfish there - turtle food for my Musk Turtle.
Speaking of turtles, and other reptiles, the New York Metro Reptile Expo will be held this weekend on Sunday the 7th from 10 - 4 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. I plan to spend my day there, helping to man the Long Island Herpetological Society table. I may try to sell some animals there. I have not had any luck trying to sell anything lately to supplement the hobby, but maybe my luck will change this time around.
With two shows to attend this weekend, I guess that means any chores I had planned for this weekend had best get done on Friday evening, because it looks as if time will be short to do them otherwise. Gotta keep the wife happy somehow.
All the best,
Glenn B
Brendan and I will only be at the gun show on Saturday. I am not planning on buying any guns because I don't have the cash, that is unless I see the bargain of the century and for that they make plastique. We may pick up some accessories, or some ammo since there are sometimes good deals, but I will readily point out that at the last one I attended there was little ammo on sale and prices for it were sky high. Still though we may find something, and just going to the show is a decent way to spend part of the day. Combine that with our little reunion, and it will be all the better. After the show we will probably all have lunch together, and we may also hit Cabelas. If Cabelas had any sense they would run a sale on days that there is a gun show in Middletown, they get lots of spillover customers from the show. I only plan to pick up some shiners and crayfish there - turtle food for my Musk Turtle.
Speaking of turtles, and other reptiles, the New York Metro Reptile Expo will be held this weekend on Sunday the 7th from 10 - 4 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. I plan to spend my day there, helping to man the Long Island Herpetological Society table. I may try to sell some animals there. I have not had any luck trying to sell anything lately to supplement the hobby, but maybe my luck will change this time around.
With two shows to attend this weekend, I guess that means any chores I had planned for this weekend had best get done on Friday evening, because it looks as if time will be short to do them otherwise. Gotta keep the wife happy somehow.
All the best,
Glenn B
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Weekend - The Get Together - The Gun Show
Saturday May 3rd has come and gone. As I had promised myself, my son, my friends Charlie and Pete and Charlie's brother-in-law Rob, I drove up to the gun show in Middletown to meet all of them except Brendan there. Brendan was supposed to come with me but could not get out of Lacrosse practice since he came with me and Linda last weekend when we visited my mom. The coach is pretty strict and I figure if Brendan is willing to go with the discipline - good for him.
So there I was driving my wife to the auto mechanic on Saturday morning at 0800 to pick up the Ford, so she could take that to work. Yep the oldpiece of shit Ford needed $411.00 of work pretty much precluding me buying any guns at the gun show unless I sold something first. When we got there, Linda hopped into the Taurus, and I went inside to pay. Then I was off in the Toyota (saving gas instead of using the Ford for the 85 mile, each way, trip). The Corolla made it without a hitch and before I knew it I was getting off exit 120 in Middletown (Route 211). Good thing that that was my exit, because right there near the bottom of the ramp was a Lowes. I made a quick stop, picked up a can of stain for my front door, and decided to kill two birds with one stone and also bought a couple of wood dowels, a length of yellow nylon 1/4" rope, and a Sharpie marker. Then I drove the couple of miles to the Orange County Fairgrounds and the gun show. Once parked - very close to the entrance despite the crowded parking lot - I popped the trunk and went to work.
What I was doing bent over my trunk was getting to work with marker, paper and dowels. It went something like this: Marlin Model 56 Levermatic, .22LR $150 plus NICS fee, J.C. Higgins Model 43 .22LR $100 plus NICS fee (I was told the fee could run anywhere from $10 to $45 - what a rip off). I cut three pieces of rope, tied the one piece onto each of those two rifles, keeping a piece in reserve in case I later got out the Mosin Nagant M44. I stuck the dowels down the barrels of the two 22s, and made flags at the end of the dowels protruding from the barrels with the little for sale signs I had just made up. Now I knew for a fact that I could sell these legally inside the show; but being respectful of the show promoters and the police I did something first before walking right inside with them slung over my shoulders.
First thing, I secured the trunk. Then I went to the front to look for my buddies; not there, so I paid the $8 entry fee (would have been $9 but I had a dollar off coupon - funny how the price has gone up each time I go to a gun show, but that dollar off coupon always stays only a dollar off), and I went inside. As I went in, I asked the guy taking tickets at the entrance if it was legal to sell guns in a private transaction at the show - he answered yes. Then I saw a couple of state troopers talking to a suit. I also asked them. I already knew the answer but wanted to make sure to keep it on the up and up. They said it was legal and confirmed I would have to get a dealer to do a NICS check on anyone who was not a dealer to whom I sold a firearm (I think that is technically wrong, holders of a 01 FFL or of a pistol permit don't need the check as far as I am aware). Then I took a quick walk around to look for my buddies. I did not see them, but saw a guy walking out of the show with several .50 caliber ammo cans in great condition. So instead of heading right back to the car, I asked him where he had bought them. He told me and I grabbed 4 right way since they sell out fast.
I brought them out to my car to put em in the trunk. Funny thing was those two state troopers followed me. I saw them behind me and did not realize they were actually following me at first, they made it look nonchalant. Yet after I got to my car, and had been bent over my trunk a minute or two arranging the ammo cans and other stuff in there, I came up for air and there they were about 25 feet away, both craning their necks to watch what I was doing. They both snapped their necks so fast into the other direction when I looked up I was surprised their heads did not come off. I guess those two officers should have figured I was going to sell my rifles inside, instead of illegally in the parking lot, since I had the respect to ask them if it was okay before just walking into the place with them slung over my shoulders, but there they were. Oh well, doing their jobs I suppose. I closed the trunk and left the rifles inside of it. I wonder if they were disappointed.
Then back into the show, this time to look around with a keen eye for my pals. This time I only showed my stamped hand for reentry. Once inside I kept an eye out for the guys, and suddenly there was Charlie. I called him over to me, and he let me know Rob could not make it. We both wondered where Pete was since neither of us had seen him, and I told Charlie about Brendan not being able to make it because of his lacrosse practice. We talked for a few minutes, and I decided to go back tot eh car to grab my rifles for sale. This time no police escort. I made sure the makeshift slings were secure, slung the two 22s one over each shoulder, and went back inside to meet up with Charlie. We made the rounds of all the tables. Not bad as gun shows go nowadays in this neck of the woods. I saw lots of guns for sale and that was somewhat of a surprise. Now you might think, hey wait a minute - why wouldn't you see lots of guns at a gun show? Well in recent years with all the restrictive laws put in place for gun shows, there had been a decline in sales. What wound up happening is that you would go to a gun show and see more tables of knives, beef jerky, gadgets, and books for sale than you would see of guns and ammo. My guess though was that this sale had about at least 75% of the tables showing guns for sale, maybe even 85%. That was a good thing, though I will admit the prices were sky high. No great deals at this show, well except for those two on my shoulders.
Charlie and I kept up our search for Pete as we walked around (he never showed up much to our dismay), and we kept an eye out for things we wanted or needed. Besides the ammo cans, I picked up a cleaning kit for an M1 Garand (for a buddy at work), a camo back pack (for a grab and go emergency kit), and was on the lookout for a couple of bricks of .22LR ammo. Sadly there were only two vendors selling any good amount of ammo, one was selling collectible stuff, the other shootable stuff. The one with the shooting ammo did not have even one box of .22LR ammo. Go figure - the most popular cartridge ever, and thismoron gentleman was not selling any of it! As we walked around, I had a few people stop me to ask about my rifles, but only one seemed really interested. He went off to look for a dealer for a NICS check or so he said, and he said he would look for me again if he could find one. Sure enough he stopped me again later, but had a newly purchased rifle in hand; but this time he had a buddy in tow. His friend looked at the marlin, but decided against it. Charlies was off still walking around and I was looking at my Marlins big brother in .22 magnum on a table when suddenly the dealer at that table asked: "How much do you want for the Marlin?". Heck he had seen the sign, I would have thought so, but I just said $150, and he immediately and much to my delight said "sold". I completed the transaction and now had $150 for a rifle for which I paid, well let's just say, for which I paid less. Sure I could have probably asked $200, maybe even $250, but I was happy to get a fairly quick sale and be rid of it and its two after market magazines.
After the sale, I looked around for Charlie and spotted him near the front door. He was talking about picking up a pre-ban AR15 (yes NY State still has the ban). He had been holding my other rifle for me since my shoulder had been hurting, and I took it from him and brought it back to the dealer who had just bought the Marlin. He showed no interest at all in the J.C. Higgins. After having asked, it no it did not hurt to ask, I looked around for Charlie. He was one row of tables over from me, eagerly looking at a pre-ban AR15, for which the dealer wanted $1400; but for which Charlie would only go a grand. The dealer would not budge on price, not even a few bucks. Soon after that we decided to call it a day, having spent a few hours at the show. We exited, and took stock outside of what we had purchased. Then Charlie remembered something he wanted but failed to buy, so back inside for him as I waited outside. He picked up some ammo cans himself; and he also grabbed one for me as a gift. That was nice. Then just as he got back, I remembered I wanted some strike anywhere matches they were selling at a table near the front door. I picked up three boxes and a couple of waterproof match cases. Did I mention they sell survival gear at these shows besides just guns and ammo?
Then we were off, but not yet apart. We headed out to grab lunch, stopped at McDonald's,
and actually enjoyed a coup,e of Big Macs (one apiece). As we did I told Charlie again about something I had brought up inside the show - Gander Mountain. He had not wanted to take the extra time to stop there, but I explained again it was only about 1/2 mile away, and it was a store he should not miss if he had never been there. He reluctantly agreed to go with me. Once inside he did not seem impressed. Charlie is not a hiker, camper, backpacker, fisherman, boater; and we passed ost of those departments on the way to the gun department. Once there though his eyes opened wide and a huge smile broke out on his face. He pulled me aside and said 'this place is great'. Charlie got some ammo he could not find at the show and was very pleased. I picked up a rifle cleaning pad, and then went to the bait department and got 15 crayfish (food for my pet Musk Turtle). I would have also bought a brick of .22 ammo there but they wanted $19.95 for a brick of ammo that was worth about $12.00. After that we split up, Charlie headed home and I drove to Wal-Mart just up the road a bit. There i picked up a box of 550 rounds of loose federal 22LR, and 100 rounds of Federal shotgun shells for trap at a much better price than offered at Gander Mountain. While gander Mountain is on the expensive side for ammo, I will admit they probably have the caliber for which you are looking and if you need it you would probably pay the price. Of course while at Wal-Mart, I also picked up a little something for Linda. Not my usual place to shop for gifts for anyone, but on the way to the sporting goods department, I saw a nice garden figurine of a boy with fishing pole over his shoulder, pulling a wagon, the wagon holding a puppy and a bucket with a trout in it. When I got home and showed it to she who must be adored, she loved it.
So I never bought a gun at the gun show, though I did sell one, and i did have one heck of a fun time with my good friend Charlie. Too bad the others could not have made it, it would have been so much more fun had they been there. We had also wished our buddy Don could have been there, but since he lives in Wyoming now, I guess it would not have been a cost effective trip for him. We missed him too since we had been to a few shows together when we used to work with him years ago. Still though it was good to have been there with at least one good friend; and nice to think that there will be other such shows in the future when the other guys may be there too; I hope so.
All the best,
Glenn B
So there I was driving my wife to the auto mechanic on Saturday morning at 0800 to pick up the Ford, so she could take that to work. Yep the old
What I was doing bent over my trunk was getting to work with marker, paper and dowels. It went something like this: Marlin Model 56 Levermatic, .22LR $150 plus NICS fee, J.C. Higgins Model 43 .22LR $100 plus NICS fee (I was told the fee could run anywhere from $10 to $45 - what a rip off). I cut three pieces of rope, tied the one piece onto each of those two rifles, keeping a piece in reserve in case I later got out the Mosin Nagant M44. I stuck the dowels down the barrels of the two 22s, and made flags at the end of the dowels protruding from the barrels with the little for sale signs I had just made up. Now I knew for a fact that I could sell these legally inside the show; but being respectful of the show promoters and the police I did something first before walking right inside with them slung over my shoulders.
First thing, I secured the trunk. Then I went to the front to look for my buddies; not there, so I paid the $8 entry fee (would have been $9 but I had a dollar off coupon - funny how the price has gone up each time I go to a gun show, but that dollar off coupon always stays only a dollar off), and I went inside. As I went in, I asked the guy taking tickets at the entrance if it was legal to sell guns in a private transaction at the show - he answered yes. Then I saw a couple of state troopers talking to a suit. I also asked them. I already knew the answer but wanted to make sure to keep it on the up and up. They said it was legal and confirmed I would have to get a dealer to do a NICS check on anyone who was not a dealer to whom I sold a firearm (I think that is technically wrong, holders of a 01 FFL or of a pistol permit don't need the check as far as I am aware). Then I took a quick walk around to look for my buddies. I did not see them, but saw a guy walking out of the show with several .50 caliber ammo cans in great condition. So instead of heading right back to the car, I asked him where he had bought them. He told me and I grabbed 4 right way since they sell out fast.
I brought them out to my car to put em in the trunk. Funny thing was those two state troopers followed me. I saw them behind me and did not realize they were actually following me at first, they made it look nonchalant. Yet after I got to my car, and had been bent over my trunk a minute or two arranging the ammo cans and other stuff in there, I came up for air and there they were about 25 feet away, both craning their necks to watch what I was doing. They both snapped their necks so fast into the other direction when I looked up I was surprised their heads did not come off. I guess those two officers should have figured I was going to sell my rifles inside, instead of illegally in the parking lot, since I had the respect to ask them if it was okay before just walking into the place with them slung over my shoulders, but there they were. Oh well, doing their jobs I suppose. I closed the trunk and left the rifles inside of it. I wonder if they were disappointed.
Then back into the show, this time to look around with a keen eye for my pals. This time I only showed my stamped hand for reentry. Once inside I kept an eye out for the guys, and suddenly there was Charlie. I called him over to me, and he let me know Rob could not make it. We both wondered where Pete was since neither of us had seen him, and I told Charlie about Brendan not being able to make it because of his lacrosse practice. We talked for a few minutes, and I decided to go back tot eh car to grab my rifles for sale. This time no police escort. I made sure the makeshift slings were secure, slung the two 22s one over each shoulder, and went back inside to meet up with Charlie. We made the rounds of all the tables. Not bad as gun shows go nowadays in this neck of the woods. I saw lots of guns for sale and that was somewhat of a surprise. Now you might think, hey wait a minute - why wouldn't you see lots of guns at a gun show? Well in recent years with all the restrictive laws put in place for gun shows, there had been a decline in sales. What wound up happening is that you would go to a gun show and see more tables of knives, beef jerky, gadgets, and books for sale than you would see of guns and ammo. My guess though was that this sale had about at least 75% of the tables showing guns for sale, maybe even 85%. That was a good thing, though I will admit the prices were sky high. No great deals at this show, well except for those two on my shoulders.
Charlie and I kept up our search for Pete as we walked around (he never showed up much to our dismay), and we kept an eye out for things we wanted or needed. Besides the ammo cans, I picked up a cleaning kit for an M1 Garand (for a buddy at work), a camo back pack (for a grab and go emergency kit), and was on the lookout for a couple of bricks of .22LR ammo. Sadly there were only two vendors selling any good amount of ammo, one was selling collectible stuff, the other shootable stuff. The one with the shooting ammo did not have even one box of .22LR ammo. Go figure - the most popular cartridge ever, and this
After the sale, I looked around for Charlie and spotted him near the front door. He was talking about picking up a pre-ban AR15 (yes NY State still has the ban). He had been holding my other rifle for me since my shoulder had been hurting, and I took it from him and brought it back to the dealer who had just bought the Marlin. He showed no interest at all in the J.C. Higgins. After having asked, it no it did not hurt to ask, I looked around for Charlie. He was one row of tables over from me, eagerly looking at a pre-ban AR15, for which the dealer wanted $1400; but for which Charlie would only go a grand. The dealer would not budge on price, not even a few bucks. Soon after that we decided to call it a day, having spent a few hours at the show. We exited, and took stock outside of what we had purchased. Then Charlie remembered something he wanted but failed to buy, so back inside for him as I waited outside. He picked up some ammo cans himself; and he also grabbed one for me as a gift. That was nice. Then just as he got back, I remembered I wanted some strike anywhere matches they were selling at a table near the front door. I picked up three boxes and a couple of waterproof match cases. Did I mention they sell survival gear at these shows besides just guns and ammo?
Then we were off, but not yet apart. We headed out to grab lunch, stopped at McDonald's,
and actually enjoyed a coup,e of Big Macs (one apiece). As we did I told Charlie again about something I had brought up inside the show - Gander Mountain. He had not wanted to take the extra time to stop there, but I explained again it was only about 1/2 mile away, and it was a store he should not miss if he had never been there. He reluctantly agreed to go with me. Once inside he did not seem impressed. Charlie is not a hiker, camper, backpacker, fisherman, boater; and we passed ost of those departments on the way to the gun department. Once there though his eyes opened wide and a huge smile broke out on his face. He pulled me aside and said 'this place is great'. Charlie got some ammo he could not find at the show and was very pleased. I picked up a rifle cleaning pad, and then went to the bait department and got 15 crayfish (food for my pet Musk Turtle). I would have also bought a brick of .22 ammo there but they wanted $19.95 for a brick of ammo that was worth about $12.00. After that we split up, Charlie headed home and I drove to Wal-Mart just up the road a bit. There i picked up a box of 550 rounds of loose federal 22LR, and 100 rounds of Federal shotgun shells for trap at a much better price than offered at Gander Mountain. While gander Mountain is on the expensive side for ammo, I will admit they probably have the caliber for which you are looking and if you need it you would probably pay the price. Of course while at Wal-Mart, I also picked up a little something for Linda. Not my usual place to shop for gifts for anyone, but on the way to the sporting goods department, I saw a nice garden figurine of a boy with fishing pole over his shoulder, pulling a wagon, the wagon holding a puppy and a bucket with a trout in it. When I got home and showed it to she who must be adored, she loved it.
So I never bought a gun at the gun show, though I did sell one, and i did have one heck of a fun time with my good friend Charlie. Too bad the others could not have made it, it would have been so much more fun had they been there. We had also wished our buddy Don could have been there, but since he lives in Wyoming now, I guess it would not have been a cost effective trip for him. We missed him too since we had been to a few shows together when we used to work with him years ago. Still though it was good to have been there with at least one good friend; and nice to think that there will be other such shows in the future when the other guys may be there too; I hope so.
All the best,
Glenn B
Friday, April 18, 2008
Gun Show Fever
Yes there have been a lot of obligations I have talked about lately and those of leisure time are certainly not the least. So, on May 3rd, Brendan and I are planning to go to a Gun Show in Middletown, NY to meet up with a few friends of mine, friends I made during my career. Once we get there we will be teaming up with Pete K., Charlie K, and Rob – Charlie’s brother-in-law. All in all I am looking to have a really nice day. I have only seen Charlie once in the past 8 years or so, and that was just recently. I haven’t seen Rob in at least 8 years, and have not seen Pete in about a year. Charlie and Pete have also not seen one another in 8 years. At work we always got along well, and as Charlie would say it – if any of us met the other of the three of us, we would not make the other guy want to puke as meeting many others from our careers would make us feel like doing. Charlie always knows how to compliment a friend! As for Rob, we did not work together but he too is a good guy.
One thing we all have in common is our interest in forearms and shooting. You might think that to be a given for the three of us who worked together since we worked for the same federal law enforcement agency. What with carrying firearms being a mandatory part of the job, many people just seem to assume that means that cops and other Les all like firearms. Nothing could be further from the truth. I had collateral duties as a range officer and firearms instructor for about 14 years in the Customs Service. I can remember many a day when a shooter would show up for quarterly qualifications with an unloaded gun in his or her satchel, or backpack, or purse. Here was a federal agent, on duty, carrying his or her pistol unloaded in a bag. Go figure. Then to see some of our coworkers shoot, it was pitiable. Despite some of them having been on the job for many years, they really could not hit the broadside of a barn on some days. That actually made my duties as an instructor more enjoyable because I took great pride in helping out the poorer shooters, getting them not only to qualify for the quarter in question, but also getting them to the point where they started shooting better with reliability.
One of the reasons some of the other agents were poor shots was that they wanted nothing to do with firearms. Not all of the poorer shooters fell into this category but most of them did. Of course this is not to say that some people who basically loathed having to carry a gun for work were not good shots. Some of them were indeed excellent shots, and one has t wonder how they did it with their apparent loathing for guns and lack of practice. Oh well, whatever the case, Charlie, Pete and I were firearms enthusiasts for sure. So was Rob; and of course so is Brendan. This will be the first time Brendan meets Charlie and Rob. He may have met Pete at another type o show to which we both go – a Reptile and Amphibian expo. Funny but for all the years I knew Pete at work, I never realized until after he retired that he too was into keeping reptiles sand amphibians.
As for this show, I am sort of hopeful that I’ll have enough cash on hand to give Brendan enough to buy himself a rifle. He is 18, turned 18 in December, so he can now buy a rifle on his own. I don’t have to buy it, and give it to him for a gift. I don’t expect to pick up anything fancy, or I should say I don’t expect to pick up anything myself. As for Brendan, I am hoping we find a good deal on a Mosin Nagant 44, or maybe on a Yugoslavian SKS. Of course one never knows what one may find at one of these shows; but sadly a bargain is usually a hard thing to find. Bargains seem to be pretty much a thing of the past at gun shows, and I guess we can thank over pious anti-gun legislators for that. Then again we could possibly find a bargain and I am hoping such will be the case.
I am sure there will be some bargains to be had at this show, even if we don’t find one for ourselves. I say this because I am thinking of bringing along 2 or 3 rifles to sell there. With the money I get for them, Brendan should have at least $200 to $300 in his pocket for his purchase should he find something he likes. That is of course if it is still legal for me to bring some rifles there to sell. I think it is, but I’ll check with the show promoter to see what they know about it. The rules for transferring a rifle or handgun have become ridiculous over the past few years, and have done absolutely nothing to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. I think life imprisonment of violent felons who use guns in commission of a crime, a death for those who kill during commission of a crime would be a better way to deal with the problem; and since the gun bans, gun registration, gun licensing and all that crap has not worked – well isn’t it time to try another approach to curbing violence. I sure think so! But I digress, so back to the gun show. If it is legal for me to sell them there, I’ll have a Mosin Nagant M44, a Marlin Levermatic in .22LR, and a J.C. Higgins in .22LR for sale. I figure the 22s can bring me $75 to $100 each, and the Mosin Nagant maybe $50 to $75. That would do nicely to have Brendan make his own purchase.
I have to admit I am really looking forward to going to this show. First of all I have not been at a gun show in a couple of years I guess, and I have not been to one with Brendan for a bit longer. Then again, I have not been to a gun show with the other 3 guys in over 8 years. I guess you can say I have a case of gun show fever; but now all I have to do to get over it is to sit back and wait for May 3rd to roll around. Then a drive to Middletown, and i should be cured, at least till next time it sets in.
All the best,
Glenn B
One thing we all have in common is our interest in forearms and shooting. You might think that to be a given for the three of us who worked together since we worked for the same federal law enforcement agency. What with carrying firearms being a mandatory part of the job, many people just seem to assume that means that cops and other Les all like firearms. Nothing could be further from the truth. I had collateral duties as a range officer and firearms instructor for about 14 years in the Customs Service. I can remember many a day when a shooter would show up for quarterly qualifications with an unloaded gun in his or her satchel, or backpack, or purse. Here was a federal agent, on duty, carrying his or her pistol unloaded in a bag. Go figure. Then to see some of our coworkers shoot, it was pitiable. Despite some of them having been on the job for many years, they really could not hit the broadside of a barn on some days. That actually made my duties as an instructor more enjoyable because I took great pride in helping out the poorer shooters, getting them not only to qualify for the quarter in question, but also getting them to the point where they started shooting better with reliability.
One of the reasons some of the other agents were poor shots was that they wanted nothing to do with firearms. Not all of the poorer shooters fell into this category but most of them did. Of course this is not to say that some people who basically loathed having to carry a gun for work were not good shots. Some of them were indeed excellent shots, and one has t wonder how they did it with their apparent loathing for guns and lack of practice. Oh well, whatever the case, Charlie, Pete and I were firearms enthusiasts for sure. So was Rob; and of course so is Brendan. This will be the first time Brendan meets Charlie and Rob. He may have met Pete at another type o show to which we both go – a Reptile and Amphibian expo. Funny but for all the years I knew Pete at work, I never realized until after he retired that he too was into keeping reptiles sand amphibians.
As for this show, I am sort of hopeful that I’ll have enough cash on hand to give Brendan enough to buy himself a rifle. He is 18, turned 18 in December, so he can now buy a rifle on his own. I don’t have to buy it, and give it to him for a gift. I don’t expect to pick up anything fancy, or I should say I don’t expect to pick up anything myself. As for Brendan, I am hoping we find a good deal on a Mosin Nagant 44, or maybe on a Yugoslavian SKS. Of course one never knows what one may find at one of these shows; but sadly a bargain is usually a hard thing to find. Bargains seem to be pretty much a thing of the past at gun shows, and I guess we can thank over pious anti-gun legislators for that. Then again we could possibly find a bargain and I am hoping such will be the case.
I am sure there will be some bargains to be had at this show, even if we don’t find one for ourselves. I say this because I am thinking of bringing along 2 or 3 rifles to sell there. With the money I get for them, Brendan should have at least $200 to $300 in his pocket for his purchase should he find something he likes. That is of course if it is still legal for me to bring some rifles there to sell. I think it is, but I’ll check with the show promoter to see what they know about it. The rules for transferring a rifle or handgun have become ridiculous over the past few years, and have done absolutely nothing to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. I think life imprisonment of violent felons who use guns in commission of a crime, a death for those who kill during commission of a crime would be a better way to deal with the problem; and since the gun bans, gun registration, gun licensing and all that crap has not worked – well isn’t it time to try another approach to curbing violence. I sure think so! But I digress, so back to the gun show. If it is legal for me to sell them there, I’ll have a Mosin Nagant M44, a Marlin Levermatic in .22LR, and a J.C. Higgins in .22LR for sale. I figure the 22s can bring me $75 to $100 each, and the Mosin Nagant maybe $50 to $75. That would do nicely to have Brendan make his own purchase.
I have to admit I am really looking forward to going to this show. First of all I have not been at a gun show in a couple of years I guess, and I have not been to one with Brendan for a bit longer. Then again, I have not been to a gun show with the other 3 guys in over 8 years. I guess you can say I have a case of gun show fever; but now all I have to do to get over it is to sit back and wait for May 3rd to roll around. Then a drive to Middletown, and i should be cured, at least till next time it sets in.
All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Gander Mountain...
...sounds like a nice place to go hiking, hunting, bird watching, camping or whatever. The name brings to mind the songs of birds in the treetops, the wind rustling leaves, geese flying north for the season (or please spring hurry up), fresh - cold - clear streams running full of trout, a secluded mountaintop pond loaded with smallmouth bass, a 12 pointer watching from the edge of the woods - oh you get the picture. Well I was there yesterday out in the parking lot. No its not a mountain with its own parking lot, but was the Gander Mountain store in Middletown, NY. I had occasion to be in Middletown yesterday, and I stopped in at Gander Mountain to use the facilities when nature called. Of course once inside, I could not resist some window shopping - so to speak.
Gander Mountain has a lot of things that the outdoorsman type of sports enthusiast would like. They have everything from fly fishing gear to paintball guns; stuff like: firearms, ammunition, archery gear, hunting gear, fishing gear, boats, motors for boats, camping gear, hiking boots, outdoors clothing, and on and on. They even sold live bait, and when I saw that how could I resist buying some worms for my pet musk turtle! I think that was what did it, I grabbed a cup of worms, then I started grabbing targets, fishing lures, gun cleaning patches, silicone desiccant for my gun locker, outdoors sports magazines, and whatever else I could think of for which I had a need.
I don't get a chance to visit a store like this very often, one dedicated mostly to the sports of hunting/fishing/shooting/boating/camping. Yes there is a Dick's Sporting Goods close to where I live, but they have drifted more toward the likes of the MetroSportsman than to the traditional outdoors man what with there bicycle department, their weight training stuff, their running shoe department, and whatnot. Nothing bad about that, Dicks is a somewhat more generalized kind of sporting foods store. Gander Mountain is a bit more dedicated to the hunter/fisherman types. So all in all I liked my visit to Gander Mountain yesterday, it was a rare treat for me. In the past several years I have been to stores like Gander Mountain, and Cabelas (another more of a hunter/fisherman type store), and Bass Pro Shops (ditto) only about once per year. They are just not all that close to home for me to go to them any more often.
I find all of these places to be okay; but I have to say that I think I actually prefer Gander Mountain. Out of the three chains I just mentioned, I have been to Cabelas the most often. I have visited the one in PA near Allentown, and have been lucky enough to visit their main store in Nebraska (and maybe another one somewhere else, but I cannot remember for sure right now). I have not been all that impressed with Cabelas. Yes I was impresses by the great displays of museum quality animal mounts that they have throughout their stores, all in natural like settings, and I was impressed by the large aquariums full of native American freshwater fish they have; but the fact is I was nowhere near impressed by the selection of merchandise on their racks and shelves at either location that I visited. As a matter of fact I was quite disappointed on y first visit to Cabelas in PA. I was looking to buy ammunition, and figured to get some good prices on it. I also thought, maybe - just maybe - they would have some really good prices on used guns. Well I was wrong on both counts. Their ammunition shelves were almost bare relatively speaking. They were out of stock of ammunition in several calibers, and had very few brands to select from in other calibers. I thought this was possibly due to the fact that I was visiting them just after Christmas, but when I again visited the same store at another time of year - the same thing - and no it was not just after hunting season. As to the prices on used rifles, as far as I am concerned they could not have built a roof high enough for those prices not to have gone through. Oh well, I bought some stuff each time and was on my way, a not so happy camper. There store in Nebraska was a bit better stocked, but again no great selection of ammo in my opinion.
As for Bass pro Shops, I don't remember where I went to one of them, but I seem to recall they had what I needed for fishing; and I think they had other items too - like hunting stuff. I vaguely remember that it was a nicer experience that either of the Cabelas I visited; but nothing to write home about.
Gander Mountain stick in my mind a little better than Bass Pro Shops, maybe because I was to at least GM twice (I think I was also once at another location where I visited one a third time). Besides that, they seem to have better stocked shelves than did Cabelas. The Cabelas store in PA was, if I recall correctly, much bigger than the Gander Mountain in Middletown, so it should have been stocked better, but I don't think that was the case. For example when I looked at the ammunition supply that Gander Mountain had on hand yesterday, they had just about everything I could imagine the average shooter, and even the somewhat rabid gun enthusiast, in the USA would have a need for; and they had lots of it. There shelves did not have bare spaces as did those at Cabelas when I visited there. Instead, Gander Mountain had the boxes of ammo neatly stacked, row upon row upon row. Sadly though prices were nothing to be desired as far as I am concerned. Last time I bought .35 Remington ammo for my Marlin 336, I paid about per box I think it was $24 plus tax at Gander Mountain yesterday. Yes ammo prices have gone up, but not that much since I last bought that .35 Remington last August. As a matter of fact I bought that ammo for $13.97 a box plus shipping. Now while you may think shipping added considerably to that price, I do not believe it would have added more than what it cost me to drive about 180-185 miles round trip to get to Gander Mountain from my home; remember that gas is going for $3.25 to $3.50 a gallon for regular around here, and I get about 30MPG on the highway, but also do a good amount of that trip - about 60 miles in total - through a fairly congested urban area (is that a nice way to refer to the roads in and around NYC). Yes the prices seemed high at Gander Mountain. The thing is though, if you needed it, they likely had it.
While I decided against buying any ammo, I did pick up gun cleaning patches (expensive too but that is all over), targets, some fishing hook and lures, live bait (for the turtle - really), and some other odds and ends. I was thinking of maybe buying a used rifle there, but from what I could tell, they had no great deal on used rifles. As far as the new rifles and handguns went, I guess their prices seemed about average. Now while the atmosphere was much nicer at Gander Mountain than someplace like Walmarts, I am pretty sure I could have done better at Walmarts, and the closest Walmart to my home that sells firearms and ammo is nowhere nearly as far away as 90 miles (45 miles, maybe even 60, but not 90). Before I go to far afield off subject, let me get back to Gander Mountain. Yes the atmosphere at Gander Mountain was nice indeed, almost making it worth a trip just to shop there. The sales clerks were courteous and friendly, they knew there stock, and were eager (but not in your face eager) to help the customers.
All in all I guess it was worthwhile for me to have stopped inside. Of course had the prices been somewhat better, I would have wound up buying an lot more, and probably wound up getting a scornful look from the wife when the next credit card bill arrived in the mail. As it was I spent about $95, for what did not seem like about $40 worth of stuff; but then I am just past 1/2 a century old, and I remember when candy bars were a only nickel.
Happy Hunting,
Glenn B
Gander Mountain has a lot of things that the outdoorsman type of sports enthusiast would like. They have everything from fly fishing gear to paintball guns; stuff like: firearms, ammunition, archery gear, hunting gear, fishing gear, boats, motors for boats, camping gear, hiking boots, outdoors clothing, and on and on. They even sold live bait, and when I saw that how could I resist buying some worms for my pet musk turtle! I think that was what did it, I grabbed a cup of worms, then I started grabbing targets, fishing lures, gun cleaning patches, silicone desiccant for my gun locker, outdoors sports magazines, and whatever else I could think of for which I had a need.
I don't get a chance to visit a store like this very often, one dedicated mostly to the sports of hunting/fishing/shooting/boating/camping. Yes there is a Dick's Sporting Goods close to where I live, but they have drifted more toward the likes of the MetroSportsman than to the traditional outdoors man what with there bicycle department, their weight training stuff, their running shoe department, and whatnot. Nothing bad about that, Dicks is a somewhat more generalized kind of sporting foods store. Gander Mountain is a bit more dedicated to the hunter/fisherman types. So all in all I liked my visit to Gander Mountain yesterday, it was a rare treat for me. In the past several years I have been to stores like Gander Mountain, and Cabelas (another more of a hunter/fisherman type store), and Bass Pro Shops (ditto) only about once per year. They are just not all that close to home for me to go to them any more often.
I find all of these places to be okay; but I have to say that I think I actually prefer Gander Mountain. Out of the three chains I just mentioned, I have been to Cabelas the most often. I have visited the one in PA near Allentown, and have been lucky enough to visit their main store in Nebraska (and maybe another one somewhere else, but I cannot remember for sure right now). I have not been all that impressed with Cabelas. Yes I was impresses by the great displays of museum quality animal mounts that they have throughout their stores, all in natural like settings, and I was impressed by the large aquariums full of native American freshwater fish they have; but the fact is I was nowhere near impressed by the selection of merchandise on their racks and shelves at either location that I visited. As a matter of fact I was quite disappointed on y first visit to Cabelas in PA. I was looking to buy ammunition, and figured to get some good prices on it. I also thought, maybe - just maybe - they would have some really good prices on used guns. Well I was wrong on both counts. Their ammunition shelves were almost bare relatively speaking. They were out of stock of ammunition in several calibers, and had very few brands to select from in other calibers. I thought this was possibly due to the fact that I was visiting them just after Christmas, but when I again visited the same store at another time of year - the same thing - and no it was not just after hunting season. As to the prices on used rifles, as far as I am concerned they could not have built a roof high enough for those prices not to have gone through. Oh well, I bought some stuff each time and was on my way, a not so happy camper. There store in Nebraska was a bit better stocked, but again no great selection of ammo in my opinion.
As for Bass pro Shops, I don't remember where I went to one of them, but I seem to recall they had what I needed for fishing; and I think they had other items too - like hunting stuff. I vaguely remember that it was a nicer experience that either of the Cabelas I visited; but nothing to write home about.
Gander Mountain stick in my mind a little better than Bass Pro Shops, maybe because I was to at least GM twice (I think I was also once at another location where I visited one a third time). Besides that, they seem to have better stocked shelves than did Cabelas. The Cabelas store in PA was, if I recall correctly, much bigger than the Gander Mountain in Middletown, so it should have been stocked better, but I don't think that was the case. For example when I looked at the ammunition supply that Gander Mountain had on hand yesterday, they had just about everything I could imagine the average shooter, and even the somewhat rabid gun enthusiast, in the USA would have a need for; and they had lots of it. There shelves did not have bare spaces as did those at Cabelas when I visited there. Instead, Gander Mountain had the boxes of ammo neatly stacked, row upon row upon row. Sadly though prices were nothing to be desired as far as I am concerned. Last time I bought .35 Remington ammo for my Marlin 336, I paid about per box I think it was $24 plus tax at Gander Mountain yesterday. Yes ammo prices have gone up, but not that much since I last bought that .35 Remington last August. As a matter of fact I bought that ammo for $13.97 a box plus shipping. Now while you may think shipping added considerably to that price, I do not believe it would have added more than what it cost me to drive about 180-185 miles round trip to get to Gander Mountain from my home; remember that gas is going for $3.25 to $3.50 a gallon for regular around here, and I get about 30MPG on the highway, but also do a good amount of that trip - about 60 miles in total - through a fairly congested urban area (is that a nice way to refer to the roads in and around NYC). Yes the prices seemed high at Gander Mountain. The thing is though, if you needed it, they likely had it.
While I decided against buying any ammo, I did pick up gun cleaning patches (expensive too but that is all over), targets, some fishing hook and lures, live bait (for the turtle - really), and some other odds and ends. I was thinking of maybe buying a used rifle there, but from what I could tell, they had no great deal on used rifles. As far as the new rifles and handguns went, I guess their prices seemed about average. Now while the atmosphere was much nicer at Gander Mountain than someplace like Walmarts, I am pretty sure I could have done better at Walmarts, and the closest Walmart to my home that sells firearms and ammo is nowhere nearly as far away as 90 miles (45 miles, maybe even 60, but not 90). Before I go to far afield off subject, let me get back to Gander Mountain. Yes the atmosphere at Gander Mountain was nice indeed, almost making it worth a trip just to shop there. The sales clerks were courteous and friendly, they knew there stock, and were eager (but not in your face eager) to help the customers.
All in all I guess it was worthwhile for me to have stopped inside. Of course had the prices been somewhat better, I would have wound up buying an lot more, and probably wound up getting a scornful look from the wife when the next credit card bill arrived in the mail. As it was I spent about $95, for what did not seem like about $40 worth of stuff; but then I am just past 1/2 a century old, and I remember when candy bars were a only nickel.
Happy Hunting,
Glenn B
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