Gun show

[Beekeeper]

Has anyone ever gone to the Ontario Ca (Crossroads of the West) Gun show?
There is one in july and I was thinking of going but if it is a bust I will simply go to the Orange County one In Costa Mesa Ca instead.

Jim

[mooman76]

Don't know about there but here the Crossroads of the west is one of the better shows.

[HeavyMetal]

The Ontario show is usually a little smaller than costa mesa but I have seen good stuff there.

Last one attended was on early 09. Really wish they'd talk to the complex about having a good three day show like they used to have at the Fairplex!

Now that was a show!

By the way aren't they doing an Ontario show sooner than July?

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Beekeeper, don't waste your time or money going to the Ontario gun show. I drove down there two years ago and it cost me seventeen bucks by the time I got inside. Shortly after walking in the door I new it was a mistake. It was mostly military and cammo **** and the fire dept. forbade them selling powder or primers. They did sell ammo but at north pole prices. I asked one dealer what he was asking for a box of 32.20 cartridges and he said fifty nine dollars. I never bought one thing at the show. I should also point out that it only took me about an hour and a half to look at everything in the place.

[snake river marksman]

I'm going to the Crossroads show in Salt Lake City on the 17th.

I mostly just go to look. I have never been to a Crossroads show before so I don't have any real expectations. It would have to be better than the farce they call a gunshow here in Jackson Hole. Very small with outrageous prices.

[Bent Ramrod]

The Ontario show is on the small side (one large room and none too many tables), and it is kind of expensive. On the other hand, all the California shows are getting expensive. I keep going to Ontario because it's a nice building and fairly close and in the hope that continued patronage will cause the thing to grow. I've found occasional interesting stuff to buy at Ontario; it only takes that one item to make a show a success.

The Costa Mesa show is now four buildings with the space between two of them, and they've roofed over the space between the other two, hopefully for more tables sometime in the future. It (and the Ventura show, now three buildings) seems to be accumulating some of the people and stuff that used to be at the Pomona show. There is a proportionally better chance of finding stuff of interest there. Del Mar is the one I rarely go to; it's shrunk from two buildings to one, the parking is ridiculously expensive and almost everything is overpriced.

If you're looking for a straight return on investment for purchasing modern guns or available ammo and components, you're better off ordering from Midway or your local store. I go to gun shows in search of the rare and unique. There's no guarantee I'll find it an any given show (or ever, for that matter) but there's always something interesting to see at least.

[Duckiller]

The next Costa Mesa gun show is June 5 & 6, 2010.

[spqrzilla]

Crossroads of the West used to do shows out here, but their venues are now run by an outfit called "RK Shows". And they are not doing a very good job since taking over, poor vendor variety and even cancelling a show at the last minute last month.

[Buckshot]

..............Everything else pales in comparison to the old Pomona gunshow at the fairplex, and the folks who'd never been to it probably think the one at the Orange County fairgrounds is a whopper, and compared to whatever else is out there it IS the best available locally.

Touchy feelie political correctness by the LA County Supervisors legislated out of existence several million dollars worth of income for the Fairplex in addition to consessionaires and local businesses. All those firearms and tons of ammunition yet never a problem, but "Oh my God! Selling guns and ammo on county property!" Can't have that can we?

What a pity, as I always treated it as a big adventure. It was great fun. Or it was until the wife began asking about what time we were going to leave :-) She decided to miss the last few.

..............Buckshot