Do Boomers consider themselves lucky regarding guns?

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Old Dog said:
70s, bro. But the guns, music and chicks good stuff did bleed over into the 80s... (except for disco)
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No doubt. I drive a 66 F100 and a 79 F150. Plus mustangs from 86 -2004. The 352 in the 66 will destroy my 400CI 79 even with a 1 gear handicap and no electronics at all.. Id say 60s was golden age for cars. By the mid 70s cars sucked. By late 70s our 400 CI Ford was making close to 150 Hp and getting 12 MPG.

Hell in 75 a Covette was way under 200 HP. Jamming to Dancing Queen. Nothing golden about that. Lol

I actually own a shop. I make a living off of midlife crisis "golden age muscle cars". They are slow, hard on fuel, handle awful and people pay double for them what they could get a new Mustang or Camaro with 400+HP, a warranty, and heated seats and steering wheel...... I drive old cars because it's free advertising. Lol. I figure if they know I can keep a 79 Ford with the worst engine Ford ever built on the road and pulling after 40 years then I can fix anything. Lol. Plus I like the smells... lol. Traction control, ABS, seat belts.....all for sissies. It's comical when people drive my old vehicles. They remember how bad they really were. No PS. No PB. No tilt. No AC. No syncronizers, no electric choke. Lol. Can't reach the pedals?....grow a few inches or get taller shoes

Much like the old guns people pay so much for. SpAS 12. BREN 10. Etc etc. Weren't even good when they were good. Now people wish they could find one. Lol.

People tend to forget the bad parts. They forget why they ditched those things as soon as they could.
 
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Technically, I'm a "pre-Boomer" (born in 1945). I started getting interested in guns in the early 1960's. Yes, prices were low in those days, but so was disposable income. When you take disposable income into account, there was no "Golden Age." Every gun that I bought through the 1970's represented a sacrifice, some more than others. It's easy now to say "I should have bought more," but at the time it wasn't so easy. I was making $7,200 a year -- in a good job -- in 1970. Buying a Thompson for $750 (plus the $200 tax) in 1975 was a big deal.
 
I think the best years for buying accurate, reliable guns at the best prices in relation to wages were from about 2000 until recently. Quality depends on how you define quality. In older guns you got better wood and metal, but accuracy and reliability standards weren't what they are today. And while people poo-poo plastic stocks and matte finished metal you have to remember many of the budget guns from 50 years ago used cheap wood and cheap metal finishes too. And you can still buy those features on guns today. But most people won't pay the price.

I bought my 1st centerfire rifle in 1975, a 1974 production Rem 700 ADL and paid $175. It was considered a budget gun with a blind magazine and a slightly different stock. A BDL at the time was $250. Sounds great, but based on the income at the time a person today could work the same number of hours today and earn enough to pay $1000-$1200 for a rifle.
 
Not "lucky" so much as Fortunate.

I grew up in the era when you could order a rifle or pistol from a catalog,,,
And the postman would leave it propped up against your door.

But then again while you started in an era of restrictions,,,
Imagine our pain as our rights were stripped away for over 40-50 years.

We're getting some of them back with the reverse swing of the pendulum,,,
But even if I live to be 100 years old,,,
It will never be as it once was.

Aarond

.
 
jpricewood said:
.... and no one in my family passed down any cool firearms.
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Family issues. The firearms handmedowns are a tradition in my family. I've got two firearms passed-down through the family Alpha male man chain, both are late 19th century revolvers. My all time most cherished handmedown is a 1911 Colt that my Mom's Dad passed down to me. We don't wait until we die. We hand them down once things quit working. I haven't handed anything down yet ... everything is still working. The Sons are stsrting to circle though.

I have better than a dozen firearms that were passed-down, not just from Grandparents and Parents but from my Dad ... and I am a 50s Boomer but I don’t think we Boomers have the market cornered on keeping it all in the family. I feel certain my kids will honor the tradition ... even the SiLs.

Point being, I'm not so sure we ever had better deals on buying new firearms back in the day. They've always been expensive, relatively speaking. Now, there was a day not all that long ago with old shotguns and leverguns could be had at a steal but those days are gone.

jpricewood said:
I always get a bit jealous when I hear older guys say ...
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Well, there's your second problem. We're notorious braggarts when it comes to our firearms and shooting prowess .... reloading supplies, our beautiful wives and girfriends, bank accounts, old trucks and whatever you do don’t ask me about my dogs. They're the absolute best on the face of the earth. Guns and dogs are what life is about. ;):what:
 
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One never knows what'll become the next hot thing. Yeah, there's some collectible stuff that I wish I'd had the foresight to snatch up while the getting was good.

But really... $500 in today's money for a fully functioning AR, from a number of different makers.
Sub-$400 semi-auto pistols with 15+ round capacity that aren't inherently junk.
It ain't all bad nowadays.
 
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Mars5l said:
Im sure in 30 years when im in my 70s some will think this current era is the golden era just for the variety available
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In that way, I already do think this is the “golden era,” and I’m a bonafide “boomer” (born in 1948). As I’ve mentioned several times on THR, my custom built 308 Norma Magnum rifle was my retirement gift to myself when I turned 62. It’s bead-blasted stainless steel, and it wears a granite-grey synthetic stock - because I ordered it that way. I like stainless steel rifles with synthetic stocks. And these days, I can walk into almost any gun store and find quite a number of stainless steel rifles (and handguns too, for that matter) with synthetic stocks.
On the other hand (as I’ve also mentioned before) I have a 1962 Winchester/Western catalog sitting on the computer table in front of me, and there’s not even one stainless steel rifle listed in that catalog, let alone a rifle with a synthetic stock. Besides that, the most expensive Model 70 in that catalog is the “African” - $310.00. I paid about 10 times that for my custom, Montana Rifle Company retirement rifle. But when I retired in 2011, I was making 10 or 12 times as much as my dad was making in 1962. And my 308 Norma is a custom job - not an “off-the-rack” Model 70 Winchester.
 
edwardware said:
I think the old guys usually leave out the fact that "a couple hundred dollars" was a couple week's pay "back then".

In inflation-adjusted terms, I'm pretty sure firearms were cheaper than they'd ever been for 3-5 years prior to the Panic.

There was no Golden Age. In 1950, the "Middle Class" family owned 1.3 cars, lived in a 1300sf home with 2.5 children, and didn't have air conditioning. In buying power and luxury, that same family would be well below the poverty line today.
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I agree. What "golden age" would the OP be thinking of? Things in general, not just guns, and especially consumer electronics, were more expensive then than now relative to income.

If there was a golden age it was just before President Obama took office. Elections do have consequences and apparently the consequences are desirable to a majority who keep voting for more of the same consequences. I do think gun and ammo prices are in for a spike because of material shortages, supply line issues with vendors and inflation. I am a "Boomer" and I am still buying because back in that golden age I could not afford much due to guns being way too expensive compared to my income.

And like @.308 Norma, if it is not stainless, I probably will pass unless I am looking for something very specific.

3C
 
Those were the days that if you had a C&R FFL you could clean up on great, cheap surplus firearms/ammo shipped directly to your door. The days of surplus firearms are just about done with now. There were some good decades in there that just don't exist anymore.
 
This thread brought back a memory of my first '92 Winchester in 44-40. A coworker said he wanted to sell it, but felt it was probably more than I would pay. When asked how much, he said $55. SOLD!
 
.455_Hunter said:
I don't think you were looking in right places. Good shooting grade Model 10's were frequently in the $200-250 range during BO's reign. You could buy 500 rounds of Federal Champion .22 LR at Walmart for $14.97 the week before Sandy Hook in 2012.
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Correct. I started buying in 2012. Over the next few years I found a LNIB model 10-8 for $250 on Armslist. A model 15-2 with a bit of rust but otherwise good to go for $200. Model 29-2 6.5" for $700. A LNIB Colt Woodsman Series 1 Match Target for $1,700. Got a sweet shooting WW2 era Colt 1911 modified for target shooting for $500. Got my C&R license and found a Nagant pistol for $200, a K31 for $299, Garand from the CMP for around $750. Heck,, I even found a LNIB Sig p210 Target for $1,200 at Scheels a few months back. You've got to keep your eyes open and check your local shops facebook pages on a regular basis. Armslist used to have private sellers that would try to sell a gun at local shop, get lowballed, and go sell it on armslist for what still amounted to a great deal. Unfortunately Armslist has gone down the tubes and the milsurp market has all but dried up.

I still see posts about people finding deals on Gunbroker and Proxibid on a regular basis. The catch there is that you have to spend a decent amount of time scrolling through auctions every week. Looking at all the photos, researching various models, trying to find a diamond in the rough that might slip through the cracks. It's easy to spend a couple hours every week perusing auction sites...
 
aarondhgraham said:
I grew up in the era when you could order a rifle or pistol from a catalog,,,
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Yep, there's that. As I said in my post (#34), I have a 1962 Winchester/Western catalog sitting in front of me. It was one of the gun catalogs my folks had in the country store/gas station they owned and ran when I was growing up. They didn't stock guns in their store, but they could, and did order them from a wholesaler on occasion - whenever a customer or they wanted one. They ordered my first "deer rifle" (a Model 100 Winchester) as well as my first shotgun (a Model 1100 Remington) from that wholesaler. And I got them to order my first handgun (a High Standard "Sentinel") from that wholesaler too.
All of that changed with the GCA of 1968. It became too much of a hassle for my folks to sell guns through their store. They still stocked some of the most popular ammo, but they quit selling guns.:(
 
The roughly 1990 - 2010 era was definitely a "Golden Age" for many firearms enthusiasts.

Once the milsurp flow was reestablished in the waning post-Cold War environment, the flood gates opened...

Arsenal reconditioned and unissued Enfield No2, Mk 1* = $125 in 1990 (my first revolver)
Arsenal reconditioned and unissued CZ-52 with holster and two-mags = $150 in early 1994 (my 18th B-day present)
Unissued No 4 Mk 2 Lee Enfield in the mummy wrap = $249 in early 1994 (my first personal 4473)

Most used bolts actions in great shape were $75 - $175, depending on rarity and exact condition: Mosin Nagants (Russian and Finn), WWI & WWII Lee Enfields, all Mausers (lots of Swedes and Russian Capture K98Ks), MAS 36, Mannlicher M95, K31, the list goes on and on.

There were good deals on domestics two...

Almost brand new blued Ruger Police Service-Six .357 Mag = $185 on my 21st B-day in 1997 (not a .40, so not worth anything;))

Once the '94 AWB expired in '04, the AR and to some lesser extent AK markets blew-up. Really the only area that was suppressed were items hit by the remaining general AW import and Norinco bans. Of course, the 9mm re-patronization started at this time too.
 
.455_Hunter said:
The roughly 1990 - 2010 era was definitely a "Golden Age" for many firearms enthusiasts.
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For buying used i agree. That's when I started buying. BUT for buying new guns those were the dark ages. Lol. A new cdl/bdl was expensive, likely poorly fitted and most likely inaccurate. As an added bonus it may well shoot when you flip off the safety. Ugly painted black guns with plastic stocks took over. Colt was selling abomination AR with odd pin sizes. Olympic and bushmaster made commercial models and that was about it. Handguns were limited to 10 rounds and most sucked. RUGER had their p series which was abysmal. BILL had pissed everyone off over his comments on mag capacity. SIG was switching to solid slides (IMO better) which pissed people off. Plus alloy frames And much to the chagrin of gun folks everywhere Glock had finger grooves..... lol. Not to mention could slip through airport security and costed more than a Policeman made in a month according to expert, John Mclain. The only 1911 were Colt and Kimber and Kimber was junk back then. COLT weren't stellar either. Smith added a lock that people despise plus their semi autos were about the weight of a shotgun today. Hk hated civilians...well I guess HK was always the same. At least they are still consistent. Imperto was just finishing running Ithaca into the ground before stealing the Henry name. Kelgren was doing the same with Grendel before Keltec....we also had companies like Jennings, Bryco, and Lorcin.....

Dark times IMO
 
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I bought my first firearm in 1971. It was a used .22 LR Remington 572 slide action rifle. I paid $62 for it, IIRC. Of course I was working in a neighborhood grocery store and making $0.90 per hour. You can see just how much work it took to buy a used .22 back in the day. Ammo was $0.49 per box of 50 Federal yellow box plus sales tax ($0.04). To buy ammunition, my younger brother and I would spend our time after school and on weekends patrolling the highway and country road ditches with our bicycles equipped with side baskets for pop bottles. The 10 oz. bottles were good for 2 cents each and the 16 oz bottles were 4 cents each. We really hit the mother lode with a quart bottle: 8 cents!

"Golden Age" my tushie.
 
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My first gun bought with my own money was 1966. I was 15 years old and bought a used Marlin 22rf for the grand total of $27.50. It took me 22 hours of work at a drive-in theater to pay for it at a minimum wage of 1.25 per hour. Two years later the 1968 Gun Control Bill was passed. Most stores didn't have a clue about the law. I had to get my mother to pick up the air rifle that I had ordered.

The little mom and pop store near home would sell me 4 or 5 410 shells at a time. Western Auto had 22 shells for 27 cents a box. Life was GOOD!
 
Depends on how you want to look at it.
Yeah, Back then it took a months or more to make what people make in a week today. But, Back then only one in the average household worked.One stayed home to tend the kids. Today the average household needs two to work and pay daycare. I think cars lasted a little more than 60, 000 miles and cost around $7000. Then it was made of medal. Today $20, 000 is cheap and its made of plastic.
Back then everything was made to repair and use again. Today everything is made to use today and trash tomorrow.
You could sit here and go back and forth all day. But, to me. You traded this for that. I see no big difference. Execpt.
To Me. Born in 1947.
The Biggest Thing that I see different in yesterday and today is by far.
Is, Today Hate, Greed And Envy Is The Rule.
+ No Morals what so ever.
+ As long as I have mine, Screw you." Thats put mildly compared to todays language"
+ I'll sell my kids future for a $ today.
+ As long as I have my Drugs I'm good.
+ My Country is only worth the amount of my welfare check.
+ Pride in Myself and My Country is worth , Well, Not Much.
+ I could go on. But, So Much has gone so very Wrong. We have Voluntary Given Up So Much For So little.
 
tws3b2 said:
I think cars lasted a little more than 60, 000 miles and cost around $7000.
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Yeah, 60k is a bit harsh. Lol. I dont fool with cars prior to the 60s much and if i do they tend to be a 30s Ford with a small block Chevy engine and a Mopar dash so any origin story is lost.... but from what I see in my shop and my experience as a car guy, most of the old 60s and 70s cars that get towed to us to restore were parked in the 80s with 100-200k on them . Usually closer 150k. And most were parked with incredibly minor issues really. I think it's likely the owner just wanted a newer fuel injected/ air conditioned car with shinier paint. Vast majority of them are running within an hour. Transmission issues are more common than engines. And when you look at the oil they used and roads they traveled 150k isn't bad. DODGE used the LA block (318/360 etc) Ford used the Windsor Block (302/351 etc) and the 385 Lima block (460) and GM used the small block and big blocks from the 60s to way up into the 90s and beyond, well after cars were well known to hit 200k regularly. So they weren't just inherently bad designs that died at 60k. The switch to unleaded caused issues then emissions regulations causing 7.5:1 compression and camshafts that resembled candlesticks combined with that gas caused detonation but 60k is pretty pessimistic

7k would have bought a hell of a car prior to the 80s too. A 70s mustang or camaro was only 2-3k. A new Ferrari or Rolls Royce was only 15-20

As far as trucks, my grandfather bought his last new farm truck in 71. Was 2200 dollars cash

Not everything has gone up though. I paid more for an HD 55 inch Sony TV back around 2000 than I could buy 2 80 inch ones today for. Lol
 
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As a comparison my first house in 1979 in Ohio was 26k. That same house is now about 150k.

so a revolver that cost $100 in 79 would be roughly $600 now.

a new f150 in 1979 was about 6k. Today it is 60k.

d
 
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