Unless you've been living under a rock for the last calendar year, you know that guns and ammunition have been hard to find at fair and decent prices for a hot minute. Why? Well, the pandemic and that first stimulus check really fired up a run on guns and ammo early last year. Add in the uncertainty of a building election cycle, it ramped up again last Summer into Fall. November 4th, the already dire situation went nuclear. $4 boxes of ammo were suddenly retailing in gun shops for $15... $600 AR-15's were now selling for $1200... and in the midst of it, I still don't understand why there was a run on revolvers like there was. Like, in the middle of a panic-buying situation to stock up ahead of a looming and probably-likely gun ban, why would anyone honestly be looking at price-inflated six-shooters? To each their own I suppose.

This weekend, Lawton will experience the first gun show of the year at Great Plains Coliseum Annex. Saturday 9-5p, Sunday 10-4p. Shockingly, the entry price is normal at $10 per person, kids 12 and under get in free. Here's a coupon if you want to take a little off that GA price... This gun show comes with a great debate in the firearms 2A community...

"With everything so highly inflated, are gun shows even worth attending right now?"

I tend to agree that they are, if you're in the market for something. Odds are, because it's a sellers market at the moment, you're less likely to find that deep discounts and deals on stuff because of the current demand... but that doesn't mean deals aren't out there. I've gotten some of my best deals on firearms and accessories right in the middle of previous panic-buying situations. With everything tactical being and high capacity being sought out, it's a perfect time to buy the guns nobody is looking for. The collector stuff, something for your kids, the lesser known and unique stuff. Also, the other ammunition is relatively available. While people are paying $1/round for AR and pistol ammo, I found 30/30 rounds on sale below half price. You just have to think around the box.

If you're setting out to purchase your first AR-15 or basically anything "tactical" or high capacity, try to relax when you see the steep prices. It's the tax you'll have to pay for not being a constitutional rights fanboy before the panic buying of today. Just be armed with a little knowledge in the form of my personal rules for gun shows...

1 - Don't take the word of someone trying to sell you something. They will tell you whatever you want to hear to entice that cash out of your pocket. Warranties, accuracy guarantees, etc... It's all bollocks.

2 - Don't buy the first thing you see unless it's absolutely the one thing you're looking for. If you know what you want up front, and I'm talking about the finer specifics, you'll be better off as a buyer instead of just picking up the first random AR you see and saying "Shut up and take my money!"

3 - When it comes to most accessories, do a little instant research. 99% of what you'll see on tables can often be found on Amazon and the internet cheaper... All the same, there's almost always one table that can compete on those prices. Look for that one table.

4 - Don't walk in with expectations. You have the right to own firearms... You do not have the right to a smoking deal on them. Don't flinch on the high prices. Odds are, they'll go even higher under the current administration, or until manufacturing catches up to demand. Just like it did before. I think basic $400-500 AR platforms like the S&W M&P series were going for over a grand before manufacturing caught up the last time this happened. Then they fell back down to a normal in the great AR-15 crash.

So is it worth going to? Yeah. You never want to hear about that deal you missed out on. What else do you have to do?

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