...when we could buy rifles back in the day for less than it costs us today to buy the ammunition? I remember buying (in 1962) a 1903-A3 Springfield in .30-06 made by Smith-Corona which was still in the box and wrapped in wax paper and cosmoline for LESS than a twenty dollar bill. Swedish Mausers in rifle and carbine styles were also less than $20.00, as were .303 British Endfields in a number of similar versions, and Remington rolling blocks were available for as little as $11.50. .30-40 Krags were less than $50.00 when I bought mine, and the first Winchester '94 I bought in .32 caliber took less then $70.00 out of my pocket. What are your memories of the good old days and prices?
2014-03-03T23:11:39Z
Thinking back on those "good ol' days", (in 1964) the second Winchester '94 in .30-30 set me back all of $75.00, but it had only been fired 7 times at the range and included a padded gun case, cleaning kit, and two boxes of ammunition (minus the 7 rounds). The original owner sold it to me because the very first time he went hunting, he got lost and spent the night in the woods. LOL
2014-03-03T23:15:58Z
I sold the '03-A3 a couple of years later to my brother who still has it and refuses to sell it to me. Go figure.
Anonymous2014-03-04T06:20:28Z
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We had a place where there would be several barrels (actually cardboard drums) full of surplus rifles. I think the majority were Lee Enfield #1 and M1917 models w/ a few Carcano, Mannlicher, Mauser. For about $15-20 of these found new homes where about ¾ of them had of the fore end was sawed off (at a rakish angle if you were daring) and sometimes shellac or varnish was applied (sometimes on the metal to waterproof it!) and declared sporterized or even a custom rifle. Cardboard boxes on the counter by the cash resister held piles of loose ammo you could pick through for your new prize - maybe 2-5¢ apiece? Reloaders bought loose surplus powder weighed out in paper sacks for maybe $1-2 per pound. My first new Winchester 94 with a Lyman peep sight set me back $55. Sold it shortly for a like new Rem 760 (.270) w/ K4 for $100.
Even in the 70's- I bought a new Rem 1100VR at J C Penneys for $199. From TG&Y a Rem 742-$169. I paid $125 for a Ruger Blackhawk 357 magnum.
I have my granddad's S&W 32 Police revolver- still in the original red cardboard box. The only way I could tell the gun had been fired (it still looks that good) there was about 15 rounds of ammo in he box. I know the gun had not been fired since the 50's. I'll bet that gun did not cost much over $40 new if that much.
Edit: I am remembering Sears & Robuck selling fine double barrel shotguns made by Antonio Zoli.
Edit 2: Looking above at WRG and the vette.......I bought a brand new F100 1/2 ton 72 Ford pickup in 72 for just under $2600 out the door. I can not remember what I paid for my new Ford maverick in 70.....I'm thinking it was around $1900. I think the Honda Civic first hit the street for $895-new?
And those guns were MUCH higher quality then modern guns. All metal milled from a single ingot. Hand fitted parts. Remember walking into most any Western Auto hardware store and seeing one or two Thompson " Tommy guns " on the rack for sale ? Brand new, beautiful Thompsons, for like $400.00. ( allot of money then ) And all the magazines you want, including 100 round drums. I remember always two or three of them, brand new, in paper wrappers in the case also.
Added : Believe it or not in High School (early 70s) many high schools had a rifle range IN the school. We shot in the girl's gym. The school sold .22 ammo, cost $0.35 cents a box then. AND I had set several records at our school. They paid for ALL my ammo, took me to and paid entrance fees for ALL matches. Even bought me a BRAND NEW Anschutz 1413 match rifle, and a hard case for it. The 1413 was $450.00 back then with sights in a separate wood box. Would people go BONKERS today if any school bought a kid a gun ? We walked across the street after practice to the new Mall with our rifles, to get our ride home. No one was the least bit concerned. We live in very different times today. AND not better that is for sure.
A memory from the days folks had common sense, and morals.
You left out the fact that you could mail-order your firearm from the Herter's catalogue and the mailman would deliver it to your house. Of course, these days, the milsurp rifle being dumped is the Mosin-Nagant. With the end of bolt guns as standard military weapons, we'll have this last run, and that'll be the end. My first Remington 700, by the way, cost near $250, including the price of the Lyman scope with post-and-crosshair reticle on top, mounts, dies, sling, etc. That was more than a month's wages for a lot of folks.
In the early fifitys I bought a bbl full of 03-A3 Springfield 30-06 rifles mililtary issue unused for about $5.50 each. The shop teacher at my school let me bring them into the shop an showed me how to turn them in sporting rifles. Turnred the BBLS, added a Bishop stock, Timmen triggers. Blued BBL and Finished Stocks. Sold to local hunters and I am still using the first one I compleled today.