What ever happened to gun shows in Chatt?

[Guest slim]

Have been upset and wondering as to whatever happ. to chatt. gunshows? Till about 2001, we had 2 at the Trade center,2 at the Alhambra shrine temple, as well as usually a sorry one at the Nat.g. armory! We also used to have 2 a yr. on cloud springs rd. in East ridge as well as 2 in Camp Jordan. So we had at least 7 -8 a yr. Now we have the sorry one at the Armory once or twice a yr. and even those had only started back up about 2 yrs. ago! We still have the one at Camp Jordan. So what the heck happened? Communist conspiracy?

Up till around 01 Chatt. used to have so many shows i didnt know which one to go to, since they were so often, now i am lucky to find a couple!

[Guest voigts]

Being a new relatively new handgun owner, I feel your pain. The only show really is the Camp Jordan one like once a year. Every other show I can find are 2+ hours from here.

[Guest slim]

Being a new relatively new handgun owner, I feel your pain. The only show really is the Camp Jordan one like once a year. Every other show I can find are 2+ hours from here.

Tell me about it, there arent really any gun stores that have a varied selection around, since Classic pawn in chickaumauga closed last yr. I like and have all different types of guns, milsurp as well as new high-tech ones, but mainly love aks, have always had some, but up until 1 1/2 yrs. ago hadnt bought any in 5 yrs.

Have made up for that since and got about 24 guns since then, still need to test and get used to all of those! Just am scared with how things are looking and that a lot wont be available soon.

I hope to find an AMD-65 asap but not by century, have always considered those the ugliest aks ever, but now i really want one so i will go looking at a few dealers around.

I am still upset about that show in knox. today, hopefully the one at the expo in 2 weeks will be better, but somehow all shows have more flea-market junk than guns, which is really sad, however on the other hand if it wasnt for those folks there might be even fewer shows, since the rent for vendors would have to go up 3x, which shows how the gun crowd has been decreasing and or going out of favor!

It is just great that they opened P.Cooper shooting range in 99 or so, since there really isnt any other place available unless you want to join

a club.

[Guest Grout]

Have been upset and wondering as to whatever happ. to chatt. gunshows? Till about 2001, we had 2 at the Trade center,2 at the Alhambra shrine temple, as well as usually a sorry one at the Nat.g. armory! We also used to have 2 a yr. on cloud springs rd. in East ridge as well as 2 in Camp Jordan. So we had at least 7 -8 a yr. Now we have the sorry one at the Armory once or twice a yr. and even those had only started back up about 2 yrs. ago! We still have the one at Camp Jordan. So what the heck happened? Communist conspiracy?

Up till around 01 Chatt. used to have so many shows i didnt know which one to go to, since they were so often, now i am lucky to find a couple!

Competition from shows in Nashville,Atlanta,Knoxville and Birmingham led to dealers going to other cities.The shows at the Trade Center in the 80s and 90s were put on by Todd Bean from Fla. so I think Chatt. was a little out of his normal promotion range.I think Eastman may have put on a couple there as well but he sticks to the Ga. circuit.The Alhambra Temple shows in the 80s and early 90s were great,however they got pretty bad in the mid 90s due to competition from other shows.I think the last few they had were confined to the front room.The first ones at the Armory were really lame.The shows at the old outlet mall in North Ga. were put on by Ga. Mtn shows,I think mall finally found a tenent for the big space where the show was as the last two shows were spread out in the mall itself.I'm not sure if Ga. Mtn still puts on shows or not.The Camp Jorden shows were started by Harold Stockburger and he sold out to RK shows who put it on now.Also the shows at the Armory are put on by RK now as well but since they are in the winter they cannot use Camp Jorden because of the indoor soccer season.I really miss those old shows at Alhambra.Hands down the best food breakfast and lunch at any gun show ever,anywhere.

[Guest Grout]

Tell me about it, there arent really any gun stores that have a varied selection around, since Classic pawn in chickaumauga closed last yr. I like and have all different types of guns, milsurp as well as new high-tech ones, but mainly love aks, have always had some, but up until 1 1/2 yrs. ago hadnt bought any in 5 yrs.

Have made up for that since and got about 24 guns since then, still need to test and get used to all of those! Just am scared with how things are looking and that a lot wont be available soon.

I hope to find an AMD-65 asap but not by century, have always considered those the ugliest aks ever, but now i really want one so i will go looking at a few dealers around.

I am still upset about that show in knox. today, hopefully the one at the expo in 2 weeks will be better, but somehow all shows have more flea-market junk than guns, which is really sad, however on the other hand if it wasnt for those folks there might be even fewer shows, since the rent for vendors would have to go up 3x, which shows how the gun crowd has been decreasing and or going out of favor!

It is just great that they opened P.Cooper shooting range in 99 or so, since there really isnt any other place available unless you want to join

a club.

You live in Marion Co.,have you ever gone up on Aetna Mtn to shoot? I have not been up there in several years but there were a lot of places to shoot up there.

[Guest Spuds]

The shows at the Trade Center in the 80s and 90s were put on by Todd Bean from Fla. so I think Chatt. was a little out of his normal promotion range.

Ernie Bean, Todd's dad, is in Loudon, so he had some help. I think the construction at the trade center and parking situation had a great deal to do with the demise of that show. I recall going once and thinking "I went to a gun show and a knife show broke out." I counted tables with firearms on them--eight.

I think Eastman may have put on a couple there as well but he sticks to the Ga. circuit.The Alhambra Temple shows in the 80s and early 90s were great,however they got pretty bad in the mid 90s due to competition from other shows.I think the last few they had were confined to the front room.

Don't recall Mutt Beastman doing any shows north or west of the GA state line other than a couple in Kenner, LA, but I don't go back too far. I caught the tail end of the Shriner's shows. Small but had that good 'trader' atmosphere.

The first ones at the Armory were really lame.The shows at the old outlet mall in North Ga. were put on by Ga. Mtn shows,I think mall finally found a tenent for the big space where the show was as the last two shows were spread out in the mall itself.I'm not sure if Ga. Mtn still puts on shows or not.

Ron Martin sold GA Mountain to the outfit that sold out to RK. Gun Shows of the South is what used to be GA Mountain/Ron Martin. GA Mountain shows seemed to either be feast or famine, not much middle ground. Rex Kehrli is doing a pretty good job with Gun Shows of the South and had a show scheduled for Dalton before the venue cancelled on him. Spoke with Rex yesterday and he has plans to do a show in Dalton soon, watch for it.

The Camp Jorden shows were started by Harold Stockburger and he sold out to RK shows who put it on now.Also the shows at the Armory are put on by RK now as well but since they are in the winter they cannot use Camp Jorden because of the indoor soccer season.I really miss those old shows at Alhambra.Hands down the best food breakfast and lunch at any gun show ever,anywhere.

Didn't know about the Stockburger sale to RK, preceeds me. Thanks for that info. Heck, thanks for the whole post, great info and refreshes some memories! I love gun shows. I think some folks (the ones who complain about shows) expect to come for an hour an walk away with the deal of a lifetime. Shows are what you put into them. Stay all day and a deal is bound to happen, perhaps several. Get a table and the deals come to you.

Also, the first point about other shows competing is spot on. Rex Kehrli is real agressive with his scheduling and will butt heads with competing promoters by putting a show on the same date as their shows, even if in the same town. He'll schedule shows the week before a competitor too. As was pointed out in a thread on Nashville shows, last month/this month there was a show every week for 4 weeks, 3 of them were RK shows since Pope sold out to him. RK is trying to put the squeeze on Goodman. Tough battle, but I would never bet against Rex, he's batting 1.000 as far as I can tell.

[Guest slim]

Thanks for all that great info. had just always wondered! But i had also as you stated, noticed, that all the local shows had seem to have gone downhill worse and worse each yr.

No, i have never gone shooting on Aetna Mt. never knew there was anything up there, do they have a range? I used to mainly shoot on private prop. in Marion county, which due to crazy work schedule used to get lonely after a while! But mainly i had gone to P Cooper, but havent been there in at least 5 yrs. or so.

Just got back into guns about a yr. ago, and will head back to PC soon,

thanks for all that info, had just always wondered and wish we would have more in Chatt. again.

[Guest voigts]

That was a lot of good info. I just looked at the RKshows site and they are having a smaller show (300 tables) at the National Guard Armory on Dec 13-14. It figures that it has to be on my Army Reserve weekend out of town.

[Almond27]

We have had 2 RK shows this year already one was in may or june and one was in August if I'm not mistaken I went to both and there were deals and then was outrageous prices. I went to the one at the Armory last year and was disappointed but I will attend again this year to see if it has improved.There was one really good table at the last show I hope they are at the December show they said they would be back.

[Guest Grout]

Spuds,at the next Camp Jorden show look real close at the large banner on the fence along Ringgold Rd. that says "Gun Show This Weekend" on the bottom it still has Stockberger's name.

[Guest Grout]

Thanks for all that great info. had just always wondered! But i had also as you stated, noticed, that all the local shows had seem to have gone downhill worse and worse each yr.

No, i have never gone shooting on Aetna Mt. never knew there was anything up there, do they have a range? I used to mainly shoot on private prop. in Marion county, which due to crazy work schedule used to get lonely after a while! But mainly i had gone to P Cooper, but havent been there in at least 5 yrs. or so.

Just got back into guns about a yr. ago, and will head back to PC soon,

thanks for all that info, had just always wondered and wish we would have more in Chatt. again.

Turn beside the Post Office in Whiteside and go under the RR overpass (honk your horn before you do) and turn left and follow the rd up the mtn.My memory is a little foggy but if you go straight on past a trailer and an old house up the rd a bit is a spot cleared out on the right that is good for pistol shooting.If you go even further past that you will come to what was known years ago as the redneck rifle range on the right.You will see it before you get to the turnoff.Bear in mind it has been about 12 yrs since I have been up there though.

[Guest slim]

Guys, thanks again, realy enjoyed all the info and it brought back a lot of memories,i had totally forgotten about the shows at Alhambra, towards the end, being smaller and only in 1 room, but the food and atmosphere was always great.

I guess the last ones there were in late 02 or early 03, i had heard the gentlemen who was in charge of those shows,was also sergeant at arms at the temple and that he had passed away and that no-one else wanted to take charge!

As far as the ones at the trade center went, i had heard that it was due to problems with parking as well as that some politics played into it, but i dont know, but i always had to pay $5. for parking and the shows kept getting smaller and less guns and more flea market items and everybody always complaining, there is a big one in knox.

I go to most all in knox. but this yr. they are nowhere like last yr. i guess gas and the economy have to do with that!

I didnt go to the one at the expo 3 weeks ago, had planned on it but the day before we had the gas crises and all i heard knox. basically out of gas and long lines, so i said forget that! I am glad to hear there is 1 planned for Dalton soon, since i could not find a list. I have high hopes for the Expo in 2 weeks but dont know?

It does seem a lot of milsurps pistols mainly are drying up severely, i do wish we could have gun only shows, none of the other junk, but i guess if not for those folks, there would not be enough tables rented to have a show!

Just have not seen so few AW weapons at a show like yesterday since during the ban! Thanks, James

[Guest voigts]

! I am glad to hear there is 1 planned for Dalton soon, since i could not find a list.

When? I haven't seen anything on this.

[Guest Spuds]

When? I haven't seen anything on this.

Came out of the mouth of Rex Kehrli. No date yet, he had one scheduled but the venue cancelled on him. He told me he would do a show in Dalton as there is a fairgrounds he could use if nothing else. I didn't know Dalton had a fairgrounds, but I'm not that familiar with Dalton.

[Guest FNandGlock]

ChattanoogaNational Guard Armory

1801 Holtzclaw Avenue

300 Tables

$61.00 EA

Show Dates:

December 13-14

Show Hours:

Saturday: 9am - 5pm

Sunday: 9am - 4pm

Dealer Set-up Hours:

Friday: Noon - 8pm

Saturday: 7:30am - 9am

[et45]

Came out of the mouth of Rex Kehrli. No date yet, he had one scheduled but the venue cancelled on him. He told me he would do a show in Dalton as there is a fairgrounds he could use if nothing else. I didn't know Dalton had a fairgrounds, but I'm not that familiar with Dalton.

IIRC GA Mtn shows used the fair grounds or flea market for a couple shows back in the mid-late 90s

[et45]

RK was the last promoter of the shows at the Trade Center.They put on some good ones but the last one during the renovation was the pits.

[et45]

I really miss those old shows at Alhambra.Hands down the best food breakfast and lunch at any gun show ever,anywhere.

Homemade biscuits and gravy,grilled burgers hell yeah!. The shows back in the 80s had so many people that they had to park on the hill in front of the lodge.Best gun shows ever,I agree.

[gtssilver]

the last few years the gun shows at the National Guard Armory have been rather pitiful. they sell more knives than anything. they usually have a hand full of really over priced Garands. Typically a waste of a trip down town. The show at camp jordan in east ridge is usually a lot better.

[Guest Spuds]

300 Tables

300 tables, ha! Only if they are 3 foot tables.