Advice on Nations Gun Show in Dulles

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  • aab23c

    Active Member
    Dec 22, 2012
    201
    PG County
    Thinking of going to the Nations Gun Show on 28 December. Advice on how early to arrive? I am going to go on friday, want to get there before there is a mass of people, so if any advice on when I need to be there that be great. Show Starts at 3pm

    Thanks
     

    chale127

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 5, 2008
    2,586
    Brooklyn, MD
    Based on what I've seen from the panic buying and Bass Pro and the York, Pa gun show today, I'd arrive sometime on Thursday if you are that adamant on going
     

    -Z/28-

    I wanna go fast
    Dec 6, 2011
    10,642
    Harford Co
    The regular shows there have lines an hour in advance. I'd bet with the panic there will be people there in the morning waiting to get in line.
     

    Jimbob2.0

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 20, 2008
    16,600
    After what I saw at york, unless you are looking for jerky and toy helicopters or older hunting stuff. Id pass
     

    on_the_rox

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 16, 2009
    1,693
    Whiteford, MD
    I have been in the past and have a useful tip. At the Nations Gun show you can pay at the door in advance and have your hand stamped. I guess this starts an hour ahead of time? If you pay in advance once they open the ddors you just have to wait behind the hand stamped people entering and do not have to wait to pay and have your hand stamped. This will save you a lot of time. DO IT. I went to York and although the line was super long it went fairly fast entering. I doubt you will find much in the way of "assault" (their designation not mine) type items there, and if you do they will be sky high, but there should be plenty of other guns there. If you go early you should have a good hour before it gets nuts inside.
     

    rcpd34

    Peoples Republic Maryland
    Jan 29, 2009
    166
    MD
    You certainly won't find any deals and the there are sure to be stupid crowds.
     

    Polecat

    R.I.P.
    Feb 4, 2008
    3,967
    Southern Maryland
    Be there at least 30+ minutes prior to opening. Have a plan (if you have been there before the vendors are usually at the same places). Otherwise, I start on one end and walk the rows back and forth so I cover as much as possible. Be prepared to be crowded about 1 hour after opening and I mean CROWDED.:sad20:
     

    Bullfrog

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 8, 2009
    15,077
    Carroll County
    When you buy or renew an NRA membership at the booth outside the door you not only get in free, you also skip the line to buy tickets and go straight to the hand stamping.
     

    davsco

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 21, 2010
    8,605
    Loudoun, VA
    Based on York last week, AR's and 5.56 / 9mm ammo and hi-cap mags will be few and far between and/or very expensive. everything else should be there though.
     

    RipkinC

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2007
    1,220
    Free America
    Go somewhere pay retail and be happy with that... cuz "deals" will probably be higher than retail at the show if York is any indication. I will be checking out cabelas in west va when I drive through in a few weeks and send a report back.
     

    srephwed

    Active Member
    Jul 25, 2010
    379
    harford county
    went to the york show at 11 am.200 people in line or more.went to lunch and came back about one.line was gone.crowd wasn't bad.the guy selling ammo in the lobby was sitting on a stool and looked like a boxer who just lost a 15 round fight.his tables looked like the milk case before the blizzard.ar's and mags were all gone.some ak's,no223.if anyone would have told me a month ago that a 20 year old lunatic in conneticut was going to cause all the pain and suffering that our entire nation is suffering i would not have beleived it.we must band together and stay strong.join or renew your nra membership.like it or not they are all we have to try to protect our rights.also e-mail everyone you can.attorney general,senators,congressmen even o"mally.seems we were just on the verge of restoring some of our rights here in maryland and this happens.when and i mean when are we going to fiqure out that as long as there are crazy people like this there are going to be violent crimes.more people control,less gun control.
     

    j_h_smith

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 28, 2007
    28,516
    I can't imagine driving anywhere near that place on a Friday afternoon. I've learned a few things in the past week or two.

    1. People will pay almost any price for something others say they can't have.
    2. I too am one of those people.
    3. Many will buy knowing they are getting ripped off.
    4. I too have been ripped off in the last few weeks.

    Just some observations!
    Jim Smith
     

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