Oregon Arms Collector's Show

Dwight Gruber · 08-18-2008, 05:18 PM

Oregon Arms Collectors is a club group which meets once Sunday morning a month with display tables at one of Portland's National Guard Armories, and has a big weekend show every August. If anyone is thinking of coming to the area and wants to know in advance about a good gun show, this is the one to see.

It is strictly arms and military accoutrements, mostly guns; a few knives are there, but they are specifically collector oriented--Kukris, Americana, military swords & bayonets, and the like.

I would characterize the seller participants as collector/dealers, or collectors who actively acquire and trade their guns around. The big area retailers and storefront operators who regularly inhabit the Portland Expo gun and knife show do not participate here; it is truly a quality collectors' show.

The show is much more of a regional event than their monthly meets or the Portland Expo shows--Bob Hogan is often there from Seattle (he wasn't this year); Ken Coyle from Grants Pass; and I recognized someone from the Bay area.

There is usually a significant Luger presence. Jim Waddle was there with a large selection of early Commercial, Imperial, and WWII Lugers, with some unique items salted in. Ken Coyle had two tables of mostly stocked Lugers--Carbines, Borchardt, Ideal rigs, and stocked military guns. I can't give you the details as Steve suggests: I went back Sunday afternoon to spend some time with Ken, but discovered that the show closed as I arrived at 3:00pm. Drat!

--Dwight

08-18-2008, 05:18 PM	#4
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	Oregon Arms Collectors is a club group which meets once Sunday morning a month with display tables at one of Portland's National Guard Armories, and has a big weekend show every August. If anyone is thinking of coming to the area and wants to know in advance about a good gun show, this is the one to see. It is strictly arms and military accoutrements, mostly guns; a few knives are there, but they are specifically collector oriented--Kukris, Americana, military swords & bayonets, and the like. I would characterize the seller participants as collector/dealers, or collectors who actively acquire and trade their guns around. The big area retailers and storefront operators who regularly inhabit the Portland Expo gun and knife show do not participate here; it is truly a quality collectors' show. The show is much more of a regional event than their monthly meets or the Portland Expo shows--Bob Hogan is often there from Seattle (he wasn't this year); Ken Coyle from Grants Pass; and I recognized someone from the Bay area. There is usually a significant Luger presence. Jim Waddle was there with a large selection of early Commercial, Imperial, and WWII Lugers, with some unique items salted in. Ken Coyle had two tables of mostly stocked Lugers--Carbines, Borchardt, Ideal rigs, and stocked military guns. I can't give you the details as Steve suggests: I went back Sunday afternoon to spend some time with Ken, but discovered that the show closed as I arrived at 3:00pm. Drat! --Dwight