The Ruger Owners and Collectors Society (ROCS) was invited by the promoter of a gun show being held at the Von Braun Convention Center in Huntsville, AL on 23-24 Jan. The wife and I started going 3-4 years ago and really enjoy it so we went again.
4 ROCS members displayed some of their Ruger collections. My display was some of Rugers Military and Police contract guns. I had examples of the NYCPD Six series, GP100's and SP101's as well as a Postal inspectors 3" Speed Six. I also had examples of US military contract Police Service Six (4" with lanyard) and the military shoulder holster. The center piece were Rugers that had been contracted by the India government, a 4" Police Service Six and a 2 3/4" Speed Six. These guns were chambered in the .380 Rim cartridge. This cartridge is basically the old .38 S&W round,
Oh, my India contract Speed Six won Best Ruger of Show Post 1973 and I received a numbered Silver Medal from the NRA and it and the Certificate stays with that firearm forever. Bill Hamm won the Silver Medal for the Best Ruger of Show Pre 1973 (one of his .44 mags) For ROCS members the formal write up will be published shortly in the ROCS Forum.
All the ROCS displayers received, from the show promoter, a very nice custom knife with Mammouth Ivory scales. The promoter had extras because of the people who couldn't make it, so ROCS bought them and will use them as fund raisers.
The show itself was about 250-300 tables and there was a lot of foot traffic both Saturday and Sunday. Lots of AR type guns, knives (lots), ammo, 2 jerky tables and several other food type stuff tables (survival type) and several jewelry tables. Lots of tables of handguns, scopes and red dots, and a fair amount of long guns and shotguns. One place that was selling ammo storage boxes (MTM and other mfg's) sold 80% of their stock on Sat. One 5 table set up is a place that sells all the little bits and pieces for AR's (for those that lose, break, screw up, etc.) parts when building an AR from the ground up as well as uppers, handguards, stocks, buffers, etc.. I always stock up there to have the tiny parts ready for when a customer calls.
Now the bad. Prices overall were not good at all, although you could find some stuff at decent prices. Firearms were not priced to sell (IMO) and ammo was outrageous (again IMO). $3 per round for 30-30, $1+ per round for 9mm and ball 5.56. $2 average per round for .45 acp BALL!! Even higher for HP's. But people were buying it (but not in droves - late Sunday ammo sellers still had a lot on their tables.)
Overall, from talking with the promoter, most of the sellers were happy with how things went over the weekend.
About 1pm on Sunday I was down talking with Bill and a guy walked up with a yellow/black Ruger box. Bill asked what he had and he showed us a blued 4" Speed Six in 9mm. He was looking to sell or trade. He was really interested in a 2 3/4" .357 Security Six that a seller had on a table (yes I had seen it and a 2 3/4" .38 Speed Six he also had.) Both were just OK, probably 85-90% condition. Bill asked what he wanted and he said $600. Bill told him he couldn't give him that when the guy expressed interest in one of Bills ROA's. The guy left and we walked down to my display and I used my travel copy of the RENE Reference and the Ruger BBGV book and gave him some good info about the gun (the s/n dated it to 1981). I explained a few things to him that he didn't know (about dealer offers when they buy a gun from someone) and offered him $400 for it. He said he'd consider it and went back to the other Rugers for sale. He came back in about 10 minutes and told me he'd take my offer (actually I would have gone to $500). He said, maybe the guy will deal when he waved cash in front of him. I did not see him after that. Box and manual and in very good condition, other than missing the end label and the gun is 98%+ condition. Saw no turn line or any bluing wear. Did I "steal" it - Probably
We all had a lot of fun at the show and look forward to the next one, but it might not be in Huntsville, they keep raising their prices so the promoter may change his invite to us to the show in Hoover, AL (just south of Birmingham). Doesn't matter, the wife and I will go.
4 ROCS members displayed some of their Ruger collections. My display was some of Rugers Military and Police contract guns. I had examples of the NYCPD Six series, GP100's and SP101's as well as a Postal inspectors 3" Speed Six. I also had examples of US military contract Police Service Six (4" with lanyard) and the military shoulder holster. The center piece were Rugers that had been contracted by the India government, a 4" Police Service Six and a 2 3/4" Speed Six. These guns were chambered in the .380 Rim cartridge. This cartridge is basically the old .38 S&W round,
Oh, my India contract Speed Six won Best Ruger of Show Post 1973 and I received a numbered Silver Medal from the NRA and it and the Certificate stays with that firearm forever. Bill Hamm won the Silver Medal for the Best Ruger of Show Pre 1973 (one of his .44 mags) For ROCS members the formal write up will be published shortly in the ROCS Forum.
All the ROCS displayers received, from the show promoter, a very nice custom knife with Mammouth Ivory scales. The promoter had extras because of the people who couldn't make it, so ROCS bought them and will use them as fund raisers.
The show itself was about 250-300 tables and there was a lot of foot traffic both Saturday and Sunday. Lots of AR type guns, knives (lots), ammo, 2 jerky tables and several other food type stuff tables (survival type) and several jewelry tables. Lots of tables of handguns, scopes and red dots, and a fair amount of long guns and shotguns. One place that was selling ammo storage boxes (MTM and other mfg's) sold 80% of their stock on Sat. One 5 table set up is a place that sells all the little bits and pieces for AR's (for those that lose, break, screw up, etc.) parts when building an AR from the ground up as well as uppers, handguards, stocks, buffers, etc.. I always stock up there to have the tiny parts ready for when a customer calls.
Now the bad. Prices overall were not good at all, although you could find some stuff at decent prices. Firearms were not priced to sell (IMO) and ammo was outrageous (again IMO). $3 per round for 30-30, $1+ per round for 9mm and ball 5.56. $2 average per round for .45 acp BALL!! Even higher for HP's. But people were buying it (but not in droves - late Sunday ammo sellers still had a lot on their tables.)
Overall, from talking with the promoter, most of the sellers were happy with how things went over the weekend.
About 1pm on Sunday I was down talking with Bill and a guy walked up with a yellow/black Ruger box. Bill asked what he had and he showed us a blued 4" Speed Six in 9mm. He was looking to sell or trade. He was really interested in a 2 3/4" .357 Security Six that a seller had on a table (yes I had seen it and a 2 3/4" .38 Speed Six he also had.) Both were just OK, probably 85-90% condition. Bill asked what he wanted and he said $600. Bill told him he couldn't give him that when the guy expressed interest in one of Bills ROA's. The guy left and we walked down to my display and I used my travel copy of the RENE Reference and the Ruger BBGV book and gave him some good info about the gun (the s/n dated it to 1981). I explained a few things to him that he didn't know (about dealer offers when they buy a gun from someone) and offered him $400 for it. He said he'd consider it and went back to the other Rugers for sale. He came back in about 10 minutes and told me he'd take my offer (actually I would have gone to $500). He said, maybe the guy will deal when he waved cash in front of him. I did not see him after that. Box and manual and in very good condition, other than missing the end label and the gun is 98%+ condition. Saw no turn line or any bluing wear. Did I "steal" it - Probably
We all had a lot of fun at the show and look forward to the next one, but it might not be in Huntsville, they keep raising their prices so the promoter may change his invite to us to the show in Hoover, AL (just south of Birmingham). Doesn't matter, the wife and I will go.
