Gun show question

I just Googled gun shows in Dallas. I cannot see any upcoming shows in Dallas.

For years I would go to gun shows in Dallas. What happened? What / when is next gun show in Dallas? Any help appreciated.

I just looked and do not see anything at Market Hall if that’s what you’re referring to. Still shows in Mesquite, Allen, and Fort Worth. Dallas Arms Collectors appears to have moved to South Fork.

With the “fallout” gun shows aren’t what they used to be. Supply and demand, price gouging, lack of ammo and/or components, and poor attendance made it tough to stay active for both vendors and attendees. It’s been 2+ years since I have been to one.

Hope that helps.

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I heard they got kicked out of Market Hall

Yes, Dallas Arm Collectors moved to Southfork a 2 or 3 of years ago. We went to next to last show. Tables were double spaced out and could only fill 2/3 main hall.

Has anyone been sonce they move to Southfork?

It's been two years since I went to one with my son. I've found what I need elsewhere, but would love to go to one to window shop.

The internet.
Gun shows charge admission and you no longer have folks coming in to sell an old gun without knowing exactly what it's value is. The deals are gone, thanks to gun auction sites.

Dallas Arms Collectors show is this weekend at Southfork.

Why pay to park and enter when you can shop at home? Plus there's no bejeweled purses to avoid, weird political mailing lists to sign up for, or bullet proof swim suites to buy in your office at home...

Never understood charging a high admission price for folks you want to come in and spend money. The exhibitors should be charged. I guess they figure they can fleece the public 'cause it's "cool" stuff like guns or hunting. Last gun show I went to was probably 20 years ago. When I heard the admission price, I turned and walked out.

Market Hall no longer has one as far as I know. Mesquite is now at the Rodeo Grounds. Search Texas Gun Shows for a complete listing of shows in our state. They are all still going on, just not in Dallas.

Gun shows went downhill long before the current situation. Tables full of crap that's not firearm related, vendors who are straight up azzholes, paying to park & enter, & the internet killed the gun show a long time ago.

You can get good deals on the auction sites. Death of gun shows is another covid victory for the government.

COVID didn't have a lot to do with the ruining of them. First they lost the big, big near wholesale dealers like Bachman, Schrams, Cast and Blast and others. Gun Zone is about the only one left. Even their prices are no where near what they would have been if they had competition. At the show weekend before last in Mesquite they had a Springfield Armory SA35 I would have been happy to buy, but alas that $600 MSRP pistol was priced $1k. Not gonna pay that. I can get a real Belgian for that kind of money.

Next you had a bad political environment (Dallas Convention Center) combined with absolute idiots that shot at one another (Market Hall), and venues that sold or would no longer rent out for gun shows (Big Town, Lewisville, Irving/Los Colinas, Frisco and more).

Then finally without the big dealers selling things at fair prices, you have a lot of little ones asking ridiculous prices and putting the final nails in the coffin.

It's sad really as someone that has been going to shows since they were old enough to drive and is damn near 60 now.

I have a safe full of gun show guns that could have never been purchased on the internet for as cheap as I got them.

Price is not the appeal of internet shopping unless you're buying something brand new (I never do).

It's getting what you want with much less effort, no entry fee, no parking fee, no $4 per gallon gas, and no purses with rhinestones glued all over them.

first thing to die. IMO good riddance. bunch of aholes selling overpriced Chinese junk.

i used to never miss one, but as stated, the big dealers no longer go, and they were aholes too.

didn't like being approached in the parking lot by all the gang members with wads of cash buying whatever they could.

best thing was the ladies selling home baked goods

I quit going a long time ago when the gun sales shrank to less than 50% of the tables. I have no desire to go look at clothes, chili mix, and cheap knives. Gun shows were dying a slow death well before 2020.

Gun shows have lost their appeal to me. They are no longer a place to buy a decent new or used firearm for a fair price.

I like looking at guns and seeing what's out there, so I will still go from time to time. I've never been to one that I haven't run across at least 2-3 pretty interesting and/or rare pieces. Recently I've seen a 788 in .44mag, a nice paddle-stock Ruger stainless in .243, and some really nice WTO customs.

I hope you bought that 788 in .44

Surprised nobody mentioned reloading components. About the only reason I've gone to any gun show in past 10 years was to pick up primers and powder without paying shipping & hazmat. Other than reloading supplies, I can't recall anything else I've bought.

Goes to show either you never know everything or you forget half of what you knew as you get older, I don't know if I never knew that they made the 788 in .44 Mag or just forgot, same result


I'm with Buzz on that one, unless priced astronomically that would be a good 'en to buy.

I still go to the shows and always will as long as they have them, I still come across good buys that make it worth it from time to time. But sheesh the Fort Worth show is a long dang drive and parking is a witch with a B.

City of Fort Worth killed it for me. By the time I pay parking and entry fee for wife and I, it’s gotten expensive.

I enjoy walking around looking at guns and gun stuff but can’t come up with anything I really need.

Have the prices gone out of sight like everywhere else?

Pretty much, but there are still deals to be had when either a) a dealer is needing to sell something either for funds or because they want to buy something else or b) someone walking in with something, like allways you want to check these guys out.

Another thing that's reduced the sellers at gun shows (my personal view) - there has been more of a crackdown the last few years on people that are setup all the time but NOT licensed dealers. Just this past weekend a dealer was packed up and escorted out at Forth Worth, I would assume by FW police as the seller kept possession of their guns (I wasn't there but my son was working there hawking Cabela's Credit Cards). I personally know of 2 "dealers" over the last few years that it wasn't the local PD that got them and their guns were confiscated on the spot. One of which was several hundred thousand dollars worth on his tables.