My girlfriend and I went on a road trip to Yellowstone last week and stopped through Cody on our way. Mainly for a trip to the firearms museum but we also did some shopping on the strip. While out shopping Friday night I noticed a flyer in a shop window for a 45th annual gunshow with 330 tables of Winchester and Sharps collectors to be present. Needless to say I had to go.
Although the venue wasnt overly large compared to some of the shows I go to locally (usually 500 tables or more) the quality of firearms to look at was superb. There was hardly any newer stuff, near zero. Almost everything was "old west" oriented and I have never seen so many Henry's in one place, and that includes the Cody museum I went to later that day. I know there had to be at least 30 to 40 Henry's present and probably double that of 1866 models. What impressed me most was the number of engraved guns present and the fact that I spotted at least two 1st model 1866's a rifle and a carbine. Needless to say almost everything was for sale but way out of my price range. I spotted a 1866 carbine in the $3000 range all the way up to a $98000 factory engraved Henry. The only thing I did not see there was aN Iron frame Henry which I made up for later at the Cody museum. I'm pretty sure it's the same one in my Madis book with the blotch on the side of the frame and the 1866 rifle engraved for the Philadelphia exposition that is seen in other known Winchester books. Not to mention all the guns with provenance to Cody himself, Annie Oakley, Hickock, Teddy Roosevelt, and Zane Gray.
Needless to say the day was awesome at both places and I had a bit of sensory overload with everything there was to see. I just needed to share.
I recommend going by Cody if you ever are going to Yellowstone and if you can catch it on a gunshow weekend, even better.