Off to a Local Gun-show

That uniquely American event, the gun-show, was a wonderful thing but now seems to be more like a fudge-flea-hotsauce-military surplus show. Anyway, despite misgivings, I popped for a fiver to attend this past weekend's Old Dominion show at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds. Held in the main exhibition hall, it loosely filled half the building where once upon a time it packed the whole building. Sellers were outrageous on most everything. One seller told me it was 5% off this afternoon. That's sales tax in VA. His prices were STILL out of line IMO. Saw a Winchester Legacy .38-55 NIB for a mere $1599. Old and not so old beat up Marlins were asking $350. Did see some Savage 99s but one was refinished and asking the same price as an excellent original. I had some money and couldn't find a thing to buy. Did get to speak to a friend and meet his uncle.

I also saw the Beretta version of the Colt Lightning, the Gold Rush, chambered in .45 Colt. No coonfingering allowed but the "color case" looked good. Don't know if it is real or applied. Has a funky Beretta inset. This was a carbine. The forward band is screwed together at a protrusion below the mag tube. IOW, the band is a clamp and the screw is in that protrusion. I thought that looked a bit odd as well. I don't remember the originals being like that AND this isn't shown that way on the web site. Price was $1200 or thereabouts IIRC which is less than MSRP. I've seen the Taurus Thunderbolt and it looked and handled good for me. I didn't get to handle the Beretta but it looked better but I don't know if it looked $700+ better. Some of that difference is in the exchange rate. I've heard that the Taurus has some teething problems. I'll wait a bit. In any case the weak primary extraction of this rifle makes me lean towards the more strongly tapered .44-40 cartridge.