Sturbridge antique gun show any good?

[T-Unit]

Of all the guns shows in New England that I haven't been to that I have wanted to at least once, it's this show. Love antique guns, especially those from the mid to late 1800s that are single shot black powder cartridge rifles. Rolling Block, Burnside Carbine, Snyder-Enfield, Martini-Henry... love those guns.

Am I likely to find any of those there or is this just going to be a flintlock f*ckfest and a pre-1899 chock full of antique lever actions, pump actions, and revolvers?

It's about an hour drive... actually given Saturday morning traffic in mid June and traffic jams a guarantee it's about a 75 minute drive from me. Worth it and the $10 entrance fee?

 

[Rockrivr1]

If the show stays to form you'll see a whole variety of guns, not just flint locks there. At least half the tables will have antiques. This is definitely not a show you go to if you're interested in seeing modern firearms as there are not many vendors with them.

 

[Dennis in MA]

No idea, but decent BBQ after is always something to look forward to.

Years ago, the Winchester Collectors show at Spfld was about 5,000 tables of the same guys over and over selling the same overpriced old lever guns. So I feel your pain. At least there there was another half of the show that wasn't Winny lever guns. Although we somehow decided to peruse the entire Win area FIRST. ???? Seemed like there was every 100+yo Winchester in the entire Eastern Seaboard was on the tables there.

In the Internet world, these sort of shows need to adapt or die. Sounds like RR says it's pretty diverse. Because looking for a specific gun of a specific caliber in a sea of "sorta looks like that" is inefficient in a gun show space.

 

[T-Unit]

If the show stays to form you'll see a whole variety of guns, not just flint locks there. At least half the tables will have antiques. This is definitely not a show you go to if you're interested in seeing modern firearms as there are not many vendors with them.

I'm pretty much done with regular gun shows and all the rusty $300 top break revolvers, the racks of cheap budget bolt actions by Savage/Ruger, Charter revolvers, gun shows where non-FFL's can't sell their privately owned guns are just no good.

I'd rarely see 19th Century antiques at the shows in New Hampshire, so a show that's strictly just for antiques is what I'm looking for. Since it's only once a year, I may as well go.

 

[T-Unit]

I went.

meh...

 

[citoriguy]

How big was it? Did a lot of people go?

 

[Downwind]

Went today and was disappointed, was hoping to see some turn of the century lever guns in shootable condition and not rotted out bore beginner collectables.

There were a few good ones but the dealers really weren't pricing to sell.

In all fairness there were some nice single shots, flintlocks, and plenty of eye candy for the civil war buffs.

I did find a couple of ideal bullet molds at a good price but they had been altered (vent lines cut in on faces, wire wheeled on the outside etc.) and therefore were no longer " collectables" but will work to produce usable bullets, which is what I want them for.

All in all a long ride from the northshore, gas,tolls,$10 admission (with coupon) and probably won't be taking in this show in the future.

 

[Len-2A Training]

How many floberts were there?