1955 issue of Guns Magazine online

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Very interesting. Two of the main articles could have been written today.

"How Cops Get Killed" is an examination into the lack of training police officers got, and the danger it placed them in. Things are far better these days, but in many rural areas, this is not the case.

The other one, written by a police officer, lambasts NY's Sullivan Act and other places that make it difficult for honest citizens to get a permit to carry. Some of the prices for reloading presses and such are absolutely hilarious!

Thanks for posting this!
 
For the younger folks, Guns was the first magazine to break into the firearms field, other than The American Rifleman, which was and is an NRA membership magazine, not generally sold to the public. The NRA interest was primarily in target shooting; their collector magazines were yet to come.

The only other general circulation magazines that even mentioned guns in other than a negative manner were the three "sporting" magazines, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and Sports Afield, and they stuck to "sporting" guns; articles on military surplus or handguns were definitely not welcome.

There were a few gun periodicals of limited interest and circulation, like Muzzle Blasts, and some hunting publications by state fish and game associations, but that was about it. Once in a while Popular Mechanics or Mechanix Illustrated would do a gun article, or one of the "men's" magazines, Argosy or True, would publish something involving guns, usually a "rambo" type story filled with gung ho and gun errors.

So, a salute to Guns. The competition is greater now, but we all have benefited by their entry into an unfriendly world in January, 1955.

Jim
 
I wasn't able to download that one but did get the one they had on before 1955 I think. I also looked over some originals in a local gunshop. There was an article by Ed McGivern casting doubt on some of the speeds claimed by Ojala and other Hollywood gunnies.

The most recent Guns seems to have gotten thicker than they were for a while and the circulation has made a significant jump in the last six months.
 
/That's still pretty cheap for an anti-tank rifle. It seem like the Lahtis were higher. I also remember that the 20mm rounds were a dollar each. Outrageous at the dollar value of the time. Most magazine's advertised webley .455s and the enfield spurless revolvers for 12-14 dollars and one of the latter even had a "fast draw" holser with it. Colt 1917s were as little as $22.50 with the Smiths a bit higher. Lugers were pretty expensive at $39.95- all these prices are from the '60s.

YOu could also get some victory models that had been reblued and bored out to .38 special. Lee H. Oswald had one of those. On firing, the special case would rip from one end to the other in those overlarge chambers.
 
I was 3 when that mag was published...

Like Erik F said most of what's in that mag could have been written today which is a little disheartening. Pro-gunners have been making the same arguments for the last 50 years. 50 years seems like enough time for the message to have sunk in along with the evidence that what they/we are saying is true.

I wish those Fitz grips for the 1911's were still available but they must have been really special to be priced at $25. There were guns in there advertised at less than $25.
 
A .55 caliber Boys anti-tank rifle was used to open up a bank vault, and that was the reason the GCA '68 categorized any firearm over .50 as a destructive device.

Which means that we are unlikely to see everyone's dream gun, a 4 ounce, 2 inch barrel, S&W Scandium revolver in .780 Caliber, firing a 2000 grain bullet at 15,000 fps.

Jim
 
Very fun to read.

Also found myself drooling... New Service revolvers and surplus 1911s for $30... a New Service in .357 for $60... a Sauer .32 for $20... lunacy! Schofields (or rather SW #3s) and Colts for $30... Snail drums for TEN BUCKS!

I realize in adjusted dollars those were still SMOKIN' deals. After all, dad paid $70 for his Ruger Mark 1 in the early sixties.

I guess Ruger was a pricey gun back then.
 
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Even at $700 in adjusted dollars, the anti-tank guns would be a massive bargain. Over on the Mosin boards I recently saw a Finnish anti-tank gun for $20,000
 
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