Smith & Wesson Still in The Dog House

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Bruzilla

Guest
I went to the Southern Classic gun show down here in Jax last weekend, and it was PACKED!!! That was the busiest gun show I've been to in a long time, and I had to wait in line for close to two hours to get my paperwork done on a nice vintage Colt Official Police revolver that I purchased.

While I was in line, I was next to the display for the biggest vender at the show, who had in the neighborhood of 35-40 tables. There were tables devoted to Glock, Sig, Taurus, Colt, etc., and I was near the tables for Smith & Wesson pistols and revolvers. I was really surpised to see that nobody, in all that time, so much as paused to look at the S&W tables, yet alone pick up a gun to look at. As I got closer to the S&W tables I saw all kinds of signs reading "Clearance Prices on All S&W Pistols", "Ask About Special Pricing on S&W Pistols", etc., so I knew these guns had been sitting around the shop for a while.

So it looks like the stigma over Smith & Wesson crawling into bed with the anti-gun maker lawsuit crowrd continues to cut into their sales.
 
mrweb

mrweb

Iron City
Bruzilla said:
I went to the Southern Classic gun show down here in Jax last weekend, and it was PACKED!!! That was the busiest gun show I've been to in a long time, and I had to wait in line for close to two hours to get my paperwork done on a nice vintage Colt Official Police revolver that I purchased.

While I was in line, I was next to the display for the biggest vender at the show, who had in the neighborhood of 35-40 tables. There were tables devoted to Glock, Sig, Taurus, Colt, etc., and I was near the tables for Smith & Wesson pistols and revolvers. I was really surpised to see that nobody, in all that time, so much as paused to look at the S&W tables, yet alone pick up a gun to look at. As I got closer to the S&W tables I saw all kinds of signs reading "Clearance Prices on All S&W Pistols", "Ask About Special Pricing on S&W Pistols", etc., so I knew these guns had been sitting around the shop for a while.

So it looks like the stigma over Smith & Wesson crawling into bed with the anti-gun maker lawsuit crowrd continues to cut into their sales.
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For the right price, I could get over that stigma.
 
B

Bruzilla

Guest
You would think, but most of the S&W pistols I saw prices on we're $200 OBO prices! I know those guns were selling a couple of years ago for twice that!

I was also surpised to see how well the Taurus line was selling. I've known they're nice guns, I used to have a model 92, but many of the people I was in line with were buying them. I guess they have the right quality level and price point combination these days.

A lot of people were looking at Sigs and Colts, but few buying... the price point factor. There were several Glock buyers in line, but they all had shaved heads and tattoos... definately the shooting sideways crowd.
 
mrweb

mrweb

Iron City
Bruzilla said:
You would think, but most of the S&W pistols I saw prices on we're $200 OBO prices! I know those guns were selling a couple of years ago for twice that!

I was also surpised to see how well the Taurus line was selling. I've known they're nice guns, I used to have a model 92, but many of the people I was in line with were buying them. I guess they have the right quality level and price point combination these days.

A lot of people were looking at Sigs and Colts, but few buying... the price point factor. There were several Glock buyers in line, but they all had shaved heads and tattoos... definately the shooting sideways crowd.
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Yep, saw a sideways idiot when I went to the range a few weeks ago. He fired one round that way and promptly got kicked off the line and invited not to return. The range master was pretty sharp and really controlled his range, left no doubt who was in charge.
 
2ndAmendment

2ndAmendment

Just a forgiven sinner
PREMO Member
Bruzilla said:
There were several Glock buyers in line, but they all had shaved heads and tattoos... definately the shooting sideways crowd.
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Give up with the Glock hate. :neener:
 
teverheart2002

teverheart2002

...
Bruzilla said:
You would think, but most of the S&W pistols I saw prices on we're $200 OBO prices! I know those guns were selling a couple of years ago for twice that!

I was also surpised to see how well the Taurus line was selling. I've known they're nice guns, I used to have a model 92, but many of the people I was in line with were buying them. I guess they have the right quality level and price point combination these days.

A lot of people were looking at Sigs and Colts, but few buying... the price point factor. There were several Glock buyers in line, but they all had shaved heads and tattoos... definately the shooting sideways crowd.
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I have both a S&W & a Taurus, I think that the Taurus is easier to shoot (a .357) compared to the S&W (.38). The trigger pull on the S&W is harder to me. I love my Kel-tec .380, this is the one that I shoot most often. I borrowed my bosses' Glock (.40) and didn't like it much at all. It was fun, they are all fun to shoot, but not one that I had to run out and buy.

Our next gun is going to be a Sig. for the hubby. Mine is going to be another kel-tec (chrome). I can't have him buying a gun without me getting another one. :lol:
 
B

Bruzilla

Guest
I got my Glock 22 on Friday and it's in the rack now, taking the place of a Llama Max-I .45ACP that's ripped apart for another week while I get the slide reblued... by the way... never try to reblue a major gun part like a slide with cold blue at home. It's a waste of time and money!!! I've got a second Beretta 96 coming in from Texas... one of those deals that was just too good to pass up, and I'll get my new Official Police back from the gunsmith who's giving it a tuning this Friday... so hopefully I'll be sending all kinds of calibers down the range this weekend. Maybe I 'll see how many non-intentional discharges I can have with the Glock. :razz:

My next goal is to get one of the Sig Navy P226s. I have a police trade in model, but I'm seeing some Sig factory rebuilt Navy variants showing up on the market and I would prefer to have one of those. I also thought I had found the deal of a lifetime on a Colt SAA at a pawnshop for $600... then I found out it's a new Colt Cowboy revolver that has an MSRP of $599... glad I showed some restraint there!

Hey 2A, aside from police use, I have no issues with the Glocks, which is why I have one. There were four Glock-dedicated dealers at the show, selling guns, hats, mags, etc., and there were people looking but the only buyers I saw were the side-shooting riff-raff types. Most of the "normals" were buying Taurus... primarily because of price I would guess.
 
2ndAmendment

2ndAmendment

Just a forgiven sinner
PREMO Member
Bruzilla said:
Hey 2A, aside from police use, I have no issues with the Glocks, which is why I have one. There were four Glock-dedicated dealers at the show, selling guns, hats, mags, etc., and there were people looking but the only buyers I saw were the side-shooting riff-raff types. Most of the "normals" were buying Taurus... primarily because of price I would guess.
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I would have bought some S&Ws if I had been there. S&W's new management is pretty straight up for the gunners.

Maryland's handgun laws are so screwy. So few new handguns are available in Maryland; they aren't on the approved list. If I had a residence in some other state, the Feds say I could buy in that state as long as I'm there to at least two consecutive weeks as I remember it. Alas, I don't but I am looking.
 
B

Bruzilla

Guest
There's probably about 75-100 pawn shops in the Jacksonville area, and half of them sell guns. There are also a lot of gun shops in town, six of which I visit on a regular basis and most of the bigger ones have their own indoor shooting ranges. There are several HUGE gunshops within an hour's drive of where I live, and you can generally find everything from airsoft to Class III weapons there and at other shops. So all of these businesses add up to terriffic availability and pricing for guns, which makes me happy.

I remember when there was a whopping six gun stores in southern Maryland, and over the years I saw that drop to 1.5. and no pawn shops selling handguns either. I'm so glad I left.
 
teverheart2002

teverheart2002

...
Bruzilla said:
I remember when there was a whopping six gun stores in southern Maryland, and over the years I saw that drop to 1.5. and no pawn shops selling handguns either. I'm so glad I left.
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Thanks for giving me a great reason to tell the hubby that we need to buy a few more before we move (like I needed a reason)

But, this is also why I don't look forward to moving there - thanks a lot for reminding me. :lol:
 
B

Bruzilla

Guest
teverheart2002 said:
Thanks for giving me a great reason to tell the hubby that we need to buy a few more before we move (like I needed a reason)

But, this is also why I don't look forward to moving there - thanks a lot for reminding me. :lol:
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You're moving to Southern Maryland! Don't do it if you're a shooter! Have you checked the purchase laws? That's just the start.

There are only a couple places for the public to shoot in the area, and they are both private clubs. And you can't just walk in and ask for a membership form... you have to be sponsored in by an existing member. There is a state park with a public shooting range, but it's about a two-hour drive away.

You're going to pay top dollar for anything that goes bang because there isn't much inventory to go around there. Plus you can't legally have any guns that aren't on the approved firearms list, so some of your guns might be illegal in Maryland.

You're just a few votes away from losing between some and all of your gun owning rights.

Forget about a CWP... it ain't going to happen.

The place sucks big for gun owners!!!
 
2ndAmendment

2ndAmendment

Just a forgiven sinner
PREMO Member
Bruzilla said:
You're moving to Southern Maryland! Don't do it if you're a shooter! Have you checked the purchase laws? That's just the start.

There are only a couple places for the public to shoot in the area, and they are both private clubs. And you can't just walk in and ask for a membership form... you have to be sponsored in by an existing member. There is a state park with a public shooting range, but it's about a two-hour drive away.

You're going to pay top dollar for anything that goes bang because there isn't much inventory to go around there. Plus you can't legally have any guns that aren't on the approved firearms list, so some of your guns might be illegal in Maryland.

You're just a few votes away from losing between some and all of your gun owning rights.

Forget about a CWP... it ain't going to happen.

The place sucks big for gun owners!!!
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Most of this is correct except "Plus you can't legally have any guns that aren't on the approved firearms list, so some of your guns might be illegal in Maryland." If the gun was manufactured before 12/31/2002, then you can own it. The Maryland "approved list" does not apply.
 
Vince

Vince

......
2ndAmendment said:
Most of this is correct except "Plus you can't legally have any guns that aren't on the approved firearms list, so some of your guns might be illegal in Maryland." If the gun was manufactured before 12/31/2002, then you can own it. The Maryland "approved list" does not apply.
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Got a link for the Maryland list?
 
B

Bruzilla

Guest
2ndAmendment said:
Most of this is correct except "Plus you can't legally have any guns that aren't on the approved firearms list, so some of your guns might be illegal in Maryland." If the gun was manufactured before 12/31/2002, then you can own it. The Maryland "approved list" does not apply.
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That's nifty for pre-2002 manufacture, but blows chunks for newer guns like the new Llama Max-I/IIs that are coming out for sale starting January 2006. They're going to have 17-round magazines, so you can bet they won't make the list.
 
2ndAmendment

2ndAmendment

Just a forgiven sinner
PREMO Member
Bruzilla said:
That's nifty for pre-2002 manufacture, but blows chunks for newer guns like the new Llama Max-I/IIs that are coming out for sale starting January 2006. They're going to have 17-round magazines, so you can bet they won't make the list.
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Actually Maryland's magazine capacity law has a limit of 20. The stumbling blocks for Maryland handguns are spent casing supplied by manufacturer and integral gun lock. Even though Beretta manufactures in Maryland, most if not all new Beretta handguns are not legal for sale in Maryland.

Need a litle help here Maryland voters.
 
2ndAmendment

2ndAmendment

Just a forgiven sinner
PREMO Member
Bruzilla said:
Go to the MSP site at

http://www.mdsp.org/

Select the option for Firearms/Permits/Licensing
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Thanks. I was looking for that too. Looks like the approval board has been adding a bunch of handguns to the list. That's a good thing. When it first came out, I think there were only 6 handguns on the list except for handguns in .22 cal.
 
B

Bruzilla

Guest
2ndAmendment said:
Actually Maryland's magazine capacity law has a limit of 20.
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I couldn't get approval to purchase a Llama Max-IC in 2003 because it had a 13-round magazine and I was told by the MSP in Pikesville that MD was not going to be approving any new pistol with a double-stack magazine frame. Checking the list I see that the Max-IC is still not available.
 
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