doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gunshow shopping kit

Wow. A very good original post sullied by school yard bickering.

Chronic- NOT Cronic "Eddie" Your improper and diction reveal you to be a clodhopper who thinks he is funny and amusing by adopting a "Cornpone dialect">> Give it a rest. RWTF

Chronic- NOT Cronic "Eddie" Your improper spelling and diction reveal you to be a clodhopper who thinks he is funny and amusing by adopting a "Cornpone dialect">> Give it a rest. RWTF

well gee foxie...ah cant be bodered via sum bodie elses spellin rules...who was dis guy webster, any hows...

ah callin erm like ah seein erm an spellin erm how day soun...

hal, the premise of this thread is predicated on a negative approach to what could be a positive experience for both buyer and seller...

too many guys like the prof and others take the fun out of gun shows...

In keeping with the positive question at the start of this thread, what tools would I take, and have actually taken to Gun shows and the local Cabelas gun room, etc.

An exhaustive list of absolutely everything, probably overkill:

-A very Bright flashlight. (Useful depending on lighting)

-Cleaning rod with patches, like you I have been amazed looking down barrels that were not cleaned since last firing, I doubt it was deliberate to hide something, but is indicative of a failure to care enough. I have experienced this even with some sellers I like and now consider friends.

-Chamber Gauge for whatever gauge you are intending to buy (long term having chamber gauges in at least 12/16/& 20 is very useful)(note some chambers were made so tight they appear short on chamber gauges, but when checked with a Skeets gauge show to be good)

-Bore Gauge to verify bore and degree of choke, and chambers sometimes (again a tool most should have and worth the investment)(without a wall thickness gauge being able to measure bores can help)

-Tape Measure

-Snap caps (though many gun shows put trigger locks or zip ties on the triggers)(if 2in is your focus then cut one down or have one short enough)(used for checking safety, trigger, strikers, and ejectors

-Manson gauge for wall thickness or better an Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauge (the Manson gauge is better than nothing and was my go to tool - but a quality Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauge provides better data more easily, though at a stiff price)

-Loop of 550 cord for hanging Manson gauge and to hang barrels to ring.

-A postal scale (to weigh overall gun and to weigh the barrels separately)(I weigh all my barrels which from experience does indicate

-Trigger pull gauge (some of us are sensitive to too light or heavy a pull, though I have not used it much if the triggers felt ok, which they normally do)

-A fulcrum or balance to rough check the CoB (I record CoB in relation to the front trigger not the hinge pin)

-A stiff wood dowel or cut off yard stick (to place on rib to aid in measuring cast, drop, etc)

-A reference card for proof marks or shortcut on your phone

-A cloth and oil bottle to wipe down gun when done handling it (can also be used to pour down the rib if the ringing indicated a fault to see if the loose spot can be easily be shown)

-Though I have never brought one a cradle to hold the gun is useful too.

Everything fits in a gym bag.

Most sellers are decent guys, I do not carry the stuff to avoid being taken, but because many sellers are not as educated or equipped and I want to be sure. I also do not go through the trouble of measuring a gun if I am not really interested in buying it. I am always especially concerned about the barrels. It is not for the purpose of pushing down the price, but does disqualify a gun from consideration that was otherwise of interest. I have the kit in my car, but if I do not see the right gun, I do not bother taking it inside.

Over the internet asking questions of sellers has shown me most sellers are not expert, however well intended. Asking minimum wall thickness is most often stupefying. Looking at a gun in person is always better. On several occasions I have been lucky enough to set an appointment to meet a dealer I initially found on the internet at a nearby gun show. I have ended up buying on two of three occasions, though one was not the gun I went to see, but a different one on the same dealers table.

I have found talking through things positively all but one time I have met agreement in checking a gun out. In fact several times sellers have taken notes so they could remember the data. Some sellers are fascinated as they have never seen some of the things I have or measured some of the things I can.

Yep being an informed consumer takes the fun out of a hukster ripping people off ,selling tarted up turds.if a gun dealer won't let me do my due diligence then he won't get my business ,,no one enjoys finding problems with a gun down the road.and most honest dealers have a good return policy

I haven't been to a gun show in years but my kit is still here and ready to go...

Cotton gloves.

Wipedown cloth

Skeets bore gauge

Bore light

Chamber gauge

Cleaning rod, patches, etc., I filled empty eyedrops bottles with Hoppes, etc.

AA Magnalite w/fiber optic extension

Small tape measure

Pen and pad

Plastic digital calipers, with the bore gauge I could get an in-exact idea of wall thickness, OD minus ID /2

Book of proofmarks

Set of Magna bits

Cash

My contact cards.

Copies of my C&R FFL, if you dabble in old guns, well worth it.

I also carried books about Savage 99's, Winchester Handbook, etc.

Gun sock

These days I also would carry the $30 borescope I got on Amazon that displays on phone or pad.

I also carried a copy of British Proof Laws.

Everything fit in a shoulder laptop case.

OK- "Show me a man who 8s sloppy and careless in his speech, manners, etc. and I'll show you a man who pays scant attention to the finer details that comprise an educated, honest gentleman." author unknown, but those attributes also pertain, as to honesty and fair minded dealing, to gun dealers, used car dealers, etc. I have a brother-in-law who is a used car dealer in MD- specializing in Mercedes and Volvo's-- he stays in business even in tough market times, because his customer base knows he is reputable and stands behind his autos. RWTF

wow foxie, your b in law souns like one hellava uv ah salesman...

wonder if he could sell ice boxes to eskeemoes...

which reminds me uv one hellava story...

wanna hear hit?