How many of Y'all..................

[Bob Wright]

Bought one of those bargain revolvers before GCA 1968? These were so plentiful and such bargain prices who didn't jump onto the bandwagon?

Prices were always under $50.00, Lugers being the most expensive at $49.95, though that did include a box of 9mm with the iron bullets. Find the ad in a magazine there were few gun magazines in those innocent days, but True, the Man's Magazine, Popular Mechanics, etc. carried the ads. Fill out the ad's info, including the statement that one was 18 years old and had no felony convictions, mail that with check or money order, or C.O.D. deposit, and in a week or so Railway Express Agency delivered a box to you door.

Colt and S&W M1917s went for $24.95, Webleys (cut for .45 ACP) were the princely sum of $14.95!

My first was a Colt New Service, a Canadian Mounties turn-in for $32.95. I paid $5.00 for "select condition." This was the basis for my first custom revolver, by the way.


Ah, those were the days...............!

Bob Wright

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I never bought any BUT I wish I would have.
I wanted the Webley that required moon clips for $9.95

How about the 30 Carbines and 1911s from the NRA for $15.00 in 1967

 

[eveled]

I know they were bargains, but when I asked my Dad why he didn’t buy a truck load of the $15 1911’s ? He reminded me how small the hourly wage was back then.

He simply couldn’t afford them. Mortgage wife and kids have never been cheap.

 

[arfmel]

American Rifleman always had several ads like those. “Ye Old Hunter is All Heart”, one read.

As a ten year old I wasn’t old enough to buy any of those pre-68 bargains and my parents weren’t very sympathetic to my desires. But I could dream.

 

[Chief 101]

I bought an Astra 400 out of a barrel of surplus pistols for $20 back then. I then got a Lee Loader in 9mm, a pound of Herco and a 4 hole mold of the proper caliber and the first clip of homemade rounds went off like a fully auto pistol. 7 shots. Back to the lab to take the gun apart and recalibrate the sear and she was running smoothly. I know now that there were a lot better choices in that barrel but no going back.

 

[Hvymax]

I remember the early 80's. Barrels of cheap Comblock guns. $65 SKS & $35 Mosins.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I know they were bargains, but when I asked my Dad why he didn’t buy a truck load of the $15 1911’s ? He reminded me how small the hourly wage was back then.

He simply couldn’t afford them. Mortgage wife and kids have never been cheap.

In 1966-67 I was making $4.75 an hour and working 54 hours a week as a Draftsman. I could have bought a bunch, but I though the ammo was to expensive since I didn't reload.
Yep pretty lame excuse. All of my extra money was going to restoring an airplane and buying our first house.
House was a 2400 sq. ft.1 1/2, story that I designed and had custom built for $24,000 with payment of $155+- a month.

House in 1973 with Starduster going to the airport for assembly.

 

[Dan in MI]

Well Bob, I burned through bunch of them back in the 60's, BUT they were cap guns. 😆


I do remember the early 90's Argentine 1911's for ~$150 VERY well.

 

[Hvymax]

Well Bob, I burned through bunch of them back in the 60's, BUT they were cap guns. 😆


I do remember the early 90's Argentine 1911's for ~$150 VERY well.

Wish I would have grabbed a few of the Ballester Molina's. They were the 1911 for the we weren't here jobs. I did pick up an Israeli/Italian CZ 75 clone in 41ae. It's still one of my favorite guns with a 9mm barrel. I still have the 41 barrel and a few boxes of IMI ammo. We really weren't there with that one.

 

[krw]

I remember barrel’s of SKS’s at Tulsa for $80ea

 

[Colonialgirl]

Well, I did buy an Enfield out of a barrel full in a low priced department store ( can't remember the name of the store now) in SoCal for a bargain price of around $9.00. You could also buy surplus ammunition for it at 2 or 3 cents a round.

 

[Randyzzz]

I remember cheap SKS rifles, cheap Moisin’s, and more recently affordable and plentiful ammo. But what I miss the most was having a pocket full of cash and going to the local shop to “see what I didn’t need”. Same with gun shows. Current background checks need to be made quick and painless.

 

[Watertender]

When police departments got autoitis in the 1980's turned in their revolvers some fantastic deals were out there. One wholesale dealer had 10 piece lots of Smith and Wesson Model 10 Heavy Barrel. 38's for $500. You got 2 NIB, 3 EXC, 3 VGC, & 2 GC. I didn't have the extra money and was on a voyage when the deal was offered so missed out

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

I was too young AND too broke. I think 1968 was about when I started getting a 50¢/week allowance. It was actually $1 every other Friday on my dad's payday, and mom doled it out as long as the chores got done. I remember augmenting that by picking up any soda bottles I ran across and cashing them in for the 2¢ bounty. About the best I could ever do was save $2-3 before it burned a hole in my pocket.

 

[jmca]

Into the mid-80's, I lived in NYS and for sure, No Handguns were being bought! Later I had a Federal job which expedited getting a Concealed Carry for NYS. Now living in the Midwest, I can buy handguns without a Permit and at the digression of the County Judge!

 

[jimbo1096]

in "68 I was in the service and in CA. Had too much on my mind and not enough money. Made about $140
I remember the 30 carbines in the barrels along with 1901's and SKS. Never had the interest back then.

 

[Terry T]

I was living in Vienna, Va. in the early 1960s, just down the road from Ye Old Hunter in Alexandria, Va. I remember going through their warehouse right on the river. I did pick up one of the Russian Tokarev semi auto rifles for about $24, a 1938 version, using my paper route money and my dad picked up one of the .38 S&W Webleys with a "war finish" for $14. I remember thinking at the time, if the Russians invade, I'd be able to find ammo for it! Lot of Russian fear then. I debated between it and a Enfield Jungle Carbine. I remember barrels of Russian '95 Winchesters, Johnsons, and M1s. Must have been a couple of years before this ad as the prices are up a bit here.
By the way, I still have Dad's Webley. Got me started with a love of Webleys. The Tokarev was traded off years ago.
Terry T

 

[Terry T]

 

[Terry T]

I forgot to mention the $15 03A3 from the NRA. Still have it. It was as "never issued" condition.
Terry T.

 

[rugerguy]

yep they were out there and yes got a few of them in the early 60's it was NO big deal, not "special" in the magazines, back of comic books, most of us did not care, , even in the early 70s 'Woolworths at the "new" Richmond mall had any military longarm in the barrel for $49...my first gunsmith teacher was buying the Mausers just to get the actions and sporterize them for hunting ,use in Pa......this is where and when I started to "learn" ....again, no big deal had to work and start to raise a family........