"Crossroads of the West" show....Reno NV

NVCurmudgeon and I attended this show today.

Maybe we are easily impressed, but neither of us are rookies and we were quite happy with the experience. It was FAR better than previous shows we've seen under the same brand name.

Prices were generally not too bad, in our estimation, and I saw several guns that could EASILY have come home with me:

-Model 39 S&W 9mm, in as-new condition......asking $600

- US Krag infantry rifle (30" barrel) excellent exterior, asking $625..... dealer said bore was "pretty good" but I didn't look

-US Krag CARBINE...dealer said it's a DCM (NRA) carbine, but it's not a cutdown rifle like the NRA/DCM carbines are....proper carbine sights and stock, all markings correct, good bore...asking $500!!! This one REALLY tugged at my heart! A similar carbine elsewhere in the show was tagged at ...ready?.... $2850!!!

-An Israeli .223 Galil rifle, as-new, $3000..... lovely piece

-"genuine TRW M-14", asking $3000 but I didn't bother with close examination. The last REAL TRW I bought in Canada cost me $192. Them were the days! (1985?)

-Trapdoor Springfields, several in nice condition for well under $1000. I still "need" a Trapdoor!

- several ex-military FAL rifles, mostly Austrian STGs, asking $1100... not bad pricing IF the bores are decent

-Interesting visit with a gent from "Maverick Arms", which makes major AR15 components. He had receivers in various stages of completion, from raw material to finished receivers. The quality looked like jewelry! The price for finished receivers was just $200, and they looked like screaming bargains to me.

-One crook had bags of 7.62 NATO brass, 100 cases per bag. Brace yerselfs...FIFTY-FIVE DOLLARS for 100 cases!!! He wasn't even wearing a mask, but he should have been,

-Not much .22 LR to be seen.

Anyway, we had an interesting four hours or so, working our way through the show. There were loads of other neat stuff, but the above were some of the things I recall right now.

NVC bought 1000 CCI primers for about $30 from Miwall, not too bad, and a box of .22 Hornet bullets from another dealer.

It was well-worth the admission cost.

That is probably a bigger show than I have ever been too. I have been to a lot of shows that I came home completely empty handed, but still thought they were worth it.

Your right Bruce, I was there yesterday and it was better than the past few Crossroads of the West shows.

While at the Miwall booth I was listening to one of the employees really hyping the Russian 7.62x39 ammunition because of the anointed one's latest EO on Russian imports. He wasn't too happy when I pointed out that there are quite a few former Warsaw Pact countries who would be more than happy to fill the void.

I found a really nice S&W Model 13 that ended up following home.

Overall it was a good show.

Seconding BruceB's post. it's been about seven years since CobbMTMac and I went to a CROTW show and were underwhelmed. That one was staged in a wide aisle, with dimbulb lighting and was miniscule. This time it was in a proper exhibition room, adequate to the purpose and with ample room for Bruce's wheelchair. Reasonable prices were everywhere, except of course in the .22 LR department. One can only hope that the scalpers of rimfires get their just comeuppance when they find that their hoarded merchandise at asking prices of $65-80/500 are finding no buyers. I have changed my usual buying strategy by buying NO components or factory ammo since the worst of the panic began. Instead, I have added several leverguns to my collection. What have I been shooting? CB reloads of course! Now that components are becoming reasonable, it's not too hard to replenish what has gone downrange in the last couple of years. It's going to be fun having TWO good shows to attend!

next time you guys PM me and Ill meet you all down there, ever since the shortage CROTW shows have really been a rip off, but maybe these guys are sick of sitting on their product

NvC: and I am sorting through leverguns to find just the one(or three) that you NEED,so I can fit them in with the other treasures I'm bringing south in May...(assuming you and others aren't going to make it for the local replacement for the Long Rifles show ,April 12-13). Onceabull