Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Dallas Gun Show Report

I was at the Dallas show over this past weekend. As far as Savages go it was very much a disappointment. There were some, but what was there was altered, overpriced, not what the seller said it was and so on. It was an NRA show and the displays were very nice to take in. Unfortunately, nothing was for sale in the displays. My Burgess/Whitney-Kennedy buddies had 50 of the finest of those rifles ever put together. I even had an opportunity to get requainted with the finest Burgess rifle I ever owned - let it go over 30 years ago and it has been in the same hands that entire time. As far as collectable guns that were for sale, there wasn't much of interest in other lever rifles either. But, if a guy needed a T-shirt, a bag of jerky, an SKS, he would have been in hog heaven. I was not that guy however

Thanks for the update .... it must have been wonderful tos ee that display.
As for stuff offered for sale it is the same old story in Canada at many shows. Our only two day show last weekend had two tables of belt buckles, another lady had Harlequin Romance novels for sale, t-shirts, lots of fishing lures etc.
It makes one less likely to drive for 2 hours at 5:00 in the morning. The problem seems to be fewer with good stuff to sell and show organizers feel they need the table fees to survive.
My view is that kicking out nongun stuff would encourage both gun vendors and collectors to fill the tables with good guns and then the attendance would soar.
That being said ... I did come home with an 1899 C 30-30 50XXX in honest condition but a cash shortage left a 99 C 303 on the table.
BillR

The recent Jackson gun show was not much better. Only Savage 99 there was a take-down 99 in 30-30. Guy wanted about $1450 on it in about 75% condition. As you said, if you wanted a stun gun, beef jerky, or ammo, then you were in the right place.

All of the gun shows in Jackson for the past few years have been like that. Mainstream everyday stuff and junk. I see that it happens in other places as well.

Mink, I think that takedown has been at the last 3 or 4 shows.

Are gun shows the only place to buy oil less cookin' pans?

A person can now get a very wide array of their shopping needs now met at gun shows....

Wal mart is killing the gun shows too? I've been at a couple gun
shows in Saratoga, and looked down the hall at the hotel. I saw women all dressed up to go to the track and realized i was hanging out in the wrong crowd.

Saw an "old " complete box of Savage 303 (not Sav brand) at the Orlando G/S for $35.

Well, that was the second one I have been to in Jackson since moving back to the South. The first one I did score a nice little Marlin 39M.

Boltman - I picked up a couple of interesting Savage items at the Dallas show that were priced right. A guy sold me a nice 1899 A rifle in 38-55. I also picked up an early 1899 G (with a cheek piece) in 250-3000. It came as a package with a .410 barrel, stith mount / weaver scope and lyman tang sight. There was also an 1899 C rifle in 32-40 with a 28 inch barrel in the show. But it was not for sale. The displays were awesome! The NRA seminars were also excellent. Chris

No, they sell them at truck shows, too.

didn't make the last one but my complaint is basicly the same-same high priced firearms on the same tables wiith the same dealers sitting there gripping that no one is buying and they won't offer a reasonable price for any firearms the public bring in. seen the same LeeEnfield on a table for $450 for 4 years same K98 for $500 for 6 yrs. jungle carbine for $850 sat there for 5 yrs until a trade for a Ruger 77V in .220 swift and a leupold scope was traded for it. none of these rifles were anything special-not rare factory not rare marks just stuck up there in the rarified air of fantasy prices cause the owners bought them 10 yrs ago for under $100 or less

Chris - It sounds like you done right. Good for you. I missed those items. A factory cheek piece stocked G? Would love to see pictures of that. Did you see the Burgess/Whitney-Kennedy display?

boltman - I absolutely saw that display. It was awesome! I'm not sure if the Savage cheek piece stock is factory work, and the gun is refinished - but I thought it was interesting, and it was very inexpensive, so I brought it home. It's funny - I almost never buy reblued savage 1899's - then I bought this one at the Dallas show, and the very next week I bought another. It's a Savage 1899 'A' 1903 vintage, with 'A' engraving and checkering... and british proof marks. Here's a picture of the cheek piece stock on the 250-3000 'G'. Chris

Chris - thanks for posting the pictures. I would say the stock is not factory work but if you got it inexpensively and you like it, that's what counts