Last Great Western Gun Show in pamona

[abunaitoo]

The gang was talking about Gun Shows last Sunday.
I can't believe it's been almost 20 years since the last Great Western Gun Show in pamona.
It was the only one I went to.
It was what I've always thought a Gun Show should be.
People talk about how the Gun Show in Tulsa is as good as the Great Western was.
I've never been to it, and don't expect to.
Retired. No money.
Leave it to kakafornacate to screw up a good thing.

[LUBEDUDE]

My visits to my family in California never seemed to coincide with the Great Western. But after it was dead and buried I managed to make a few big GS’s in San Diego. I enjoyed them, but was assured by my brother that they didn’t come close to the GW.

I went to the Tulsa one about 10 years ago and only had one day, Big mistake! I never saw everything on the first level. I believe that there were three levels.

Just from my experience, I would rate Tulsa as the best one this gun/reloading/casting addict has been to.

[chsparkman]

I was at the last one. It was a great show. Several buildings packed with vendor tables. I bought my single six Bisley 32 mag at the very last table. Couldn't believe my luck. Only hassle was driving 2.5 hours to pick it up after the waiting period. I hated to see it end.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Yes, sad thing, the passing of Great Western and so many other gun shows. Also in California, there's been an on-going war for years trying to discontinue and ban gun shows at the Cow Palace in Brisbane. They did get rid of the San Jose show.

If you ever get out/up/over this way, the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club throws a gun show at the Linn County Fairgrounds, in Albany, Oregon. It is quite large and of high quality, since they pretty much allow only guns and gun-related items, not all the antiques, stamps, coins, and miscellaneous junk found at so many shows. The show is twice a year, and only the show in Portland is said to be larger. That being an ultra-liberal city, there have already been attempts to shut it down. Anyway, the Albany show is well worth your time if you get the opportunity to visit.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Me and all my friends attended the Pomona show and it was great. I had a table there at three of the shows. I didn't sell guns, just antiques and reloading gear and some books,they don't sell well by the way. The show actually started in LA at the Great Western Show Grounds. It was just down the street from Paul Jone's machine shop On Atlantic Av. Frank Barnyack, [don't know if I spelled his name right] who put on the show and later moved it to Pomona but kept the name GW. In case you didn't know, It was that jewel of women hood, Maxine Waters who got the show in Pomona closed. She was on the LA CO Board Of Supervisors then. She later ran for Congress and now all of you get to put up with the witch. Frank sued and it dragged on in the courts but eventually he lost. He tried to have a show in New Mexico but I don't think it worked out well. The city of Pomona was out raged at the closing of the show since it cost them millions in income but dumbocracts could care less if they get to hurt gun sales.

[fatelk]

If you ever get out/up/over this way, the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club throws a gun show at the Linn County Fairgrounds, in Albany, Oregon. It is quite large and of high quality, since they pretty much allow only guns and gun-related items, not all the antiques, stamps, coins, and miscellaneous junk found at so many shows. The show is twice a year, and only the show in Portland is said to be larger. That being an ultra-liberal city, there have already been attempts to shut it down. Anyway, the Albany show is well worth your time if you get the opportunity to visit.

Yes, they put on a good show. The Roseburg club puts on a good one too, as well as the Willamette Valley Arms Collectors.

I don't go to shows very much anymore, but I make special effort to go to that one. The one in Portland is huge, but I quit bothering to go to it years ago. By the time you pay parking and entrance, you were already out $20. Yes, it's hundreds upon hundreds of tables, but seemed like it was all just more of the same old stuff. By the time you've seen a dozen tables full of new Glocks and ARs, you've seen them all.

Der Gebirgsjager, speaking of Albany, there's a show scheduled there next weekend. It's put on by the Lions Club- in my experience not as good as the gun club show, but still very good.

[condorjohn]

Before Pomona the Great Western was held in the City Of Commerce. I lived one city over (Bell). It was at least 4 buildings. You had to go both days to see it all.
As I've posted before, stick with the "Club" shows and you won't be disappointed!

[waksupi]

I only went once, and loved it. People were handing us money so fast we hardly knew what we were selling! I was helping a friend who was selling out much of the Paramount prop department Civil War items, plus our personal goods.
I will always regret turning Pat Wayne down on a trade he offered me. I had a Nez Perce bowcase, and he offered me one of his dad's Remington bronzes. It was worth a lot of money back then, and would be worth a lot more now, especially considering it was from the John Wayne estate. I just had no way to get it back to Montana, as we had no more room in the car.
On Saturday afternoon they announced they had to close the gate to entry, as the grounds were beyond capacity. Over a million people there! That was more than lived in the whole state of Montana.
I did discover if I wanted to buy something to get it immediatly, as just locating a specific table again was a hard task.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Before Pomona the Great Western was held in the City Of Commerce. I lived one city over (Bell). It was at least 4 buildings. You had to go both days to see it all.
As I've posted before, stick with the "Club" shows and you won't be disappointed!

All the old buildings at the Great Western Show Grounds were torn down years ago and replaced with something called Heritage Village. I never knew it was in The City of Commerce and not LA. As everyone who has ever lived here is aware, the separation of one town to another is a sign on the side of the road.

[Tom Trevor]

Sure do miss it spent many a day there. Now the Ventura county supervisors have voted to get rid of the show there at the fair grounds.

[Rick B]

Went one time in 1985. Advertised as 6 miles and 4000 tables. Three large buildings and scores of tables outside. Live band entertainment and lot’s of food vendors. Spent three days walking the show. Lot’s to look at, must of seen 6 original Hawken marked rifles. How many were real is anyone’s guess. On the second day I spotted a Heiser of Denver rifle scabbard boot with a flap cover. Started to buy it and passsed. The next day I decided to see if I could find it, big mistake. Wasted three hours looking for it. Thought I was in the right building. Turns out after asking a number of vendors, I found the right one. He traded it to another vendor at he other end of the building. Finally found the table and purchased it.It cost ten dollars more 4 hours and more than a couple of miles. Years later, I sold the case. Wish I still had it. I believe it was for a scoped 99 Savage.

Monday Lee and I drove out into the desert, to Jack First’s Shop.
Rick

[Bent Ramrod]

I attended a couple times in the mid-80’s, and twice a year from 1989 to 1999, when the three County Supervisors shut it down. Seven buildings, with some of the spaces between them as well. I’d go through the place Friday from 9AM to 7PM, drive to Riverside to stay with friends, and Saturday I’d go back with them and do it over again.

It was what the mathematicians call a “statistical universe.” You were 100% certain of finding something wonderful; maybe not what you were looking for or even what you expected, but something wonderful, anyway.

I heard the County taxpayers were nicked for a substantial amount of dough to pay the Fairgrounds for the lost revenue; not only from that Show but for the reduced attendance at the other Shows (Tattoo, Doll&Bear, etc) that disgruntled Gun Show attendees swore they’d never attend again. Just taxpayer money; plenty more where that came from.

Too bad about the Ventura Show; that one certainly had its moments. I hope the one at Santa Barbara survives.

[Baja_Traveler]

I'd drive up to the Pomona show from San Diego every other year or so, as it was the best show in the State. San Diego by comparison was a swap meet, and they succeeded in getting it canceled this year. You needed a good pair of shoes to walk Pomona, and at the end of the day I would plop myself down in the drivers seat legs feeling like noodles. Never got to see the whole thing, as I only spent a day.
They used to have a fantastic wood working show up there also. Unfortunately all the awesome shows of the past have gone away

[Duckiller]

Hate to disagree with Gopher Slayer but Maxine Waters was never on the LA County Board of Supervisors. Kenny Hahn represented that district. Zev Yarislofky (sure I mispelled his name) was primarik=ly responsible for killing the Pomona gun show. He is a great fan of Israel and admired young Israels wondering around with militay weapons but didn't want anyone in LA county to carry any weapon.

[xringdave]

Here is a flyer from 1995.