Prices of powder in 1976

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FMJBT

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I just picked up an old hodgdon manual. In it was an old price lost. I wasn't even alive yet. Seeing these prices makes me whimper a little. Just thought I would share.

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To put it in perspective. From Answers.com:

In the year 1970 when President Nixon was in office, gas prices were an astonishing $0.36 a gallon. Of course you could also buy a house for $26,000 and the life expectancy rate was about 70 years old. In other words, the economy was much better. I don't know if the economy was any better, we were just using smaller numbers. Average hourly pay was $1.65.
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I remember traveling through the Dakotas (don't remember if it was north or south) in the 60s when I was a young kid. We paid $0.20 per gallon for gas, and I remember my dad commenting on how much cheaper it was than back home in NC - $0.25 per gallon. LOL
 
So, prices quadrupled in 39 years. Sounds about right. I used to get a quarter's worth of gas for my little Honda to motor to school and back a couple of days. Now that wouldn't get you a wiff of fumes...... :(
A loaf of bread was 27 cents back then, over three bucks now.
I remember when ten grand a year was a decent wage a guy could live on. Now it's less than subsistence level.
At that time, I was reading the gun magazines, and seeing Colt M1911A1s going for $157 each, an AR15 went for about $300. A Mauser Kar98 rifle was under $50.

Yep, it's all relative. :banghead:
 
When I first started reloading in 1963, surplus 4831 was .35 cents a pound, in the paper roll top bags. I still have one to remind me of the "good old days".

I can remember buying gas for .15.9 cents a gallon during a "gas war", and passing by the station that was selling it for .18.9 cents a gallon, because it was too expensive. I was making $1.25 an hour, and when I went into the Marine Corps in 1965, they paid me the grand sum of $68.00 a month until I promoted to PFC, when I got a raise to $72.00 a month.

Primers were about .39 cents a hundred, and you could go into the local "reloading store" and buy powder by the pound, if you brought your own container, which meant a coffee can with a lid made of aluminum foil.

It's all relative, but it seems we didn't have as much of a disposable society bag then. We fixed things that broke and used them long after there weren't "pretty" anymore. Steel was the norm, and plastic wasn't that common, but Bakelite was. And kids could go to the park by themselves without someone calling the police to report parents for being negligent.......

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
I think I've told this story here before, of when I was a kid in the early 60's. My Dad would give me a quarter, two bits as he referred to it as. He would send me to the gas station to get a gallon of gas for the lawn mower, and enough left over to get a Snicker bar, and still had a few cents change.

Those Hodgdon prices are a but higher too. Retailer's often sold it for less than the manufacturer did.

I remember buying 25 lb. sack of chilled shot for $7 or $8 in the early 80's.

GS
 
My first M1 Carbine was $20.00, delivered, through the DCM ($17.00 for the rifle, and $3.00 shipping). You could get a 1911 through the DCM for $17.00, delivered, but my Dad talked my out of it, because "they kicked like a mule". Dad wasn't always right........

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
If you were making 1976 wages, you'ld be screamin bloody murder about how expensive things were.. I think I was making about 4$ and hour then before taxes.
 
I have a top of the line pickup my family bought brand new in 1977 for $6800. I have 77 Harley that was about half that.
 
Prices of powder in 1976...I wasn't even alive yet...
Click to expand...

There's something about your posting that makes me want to reach out and slap you!

I'd probably pull a muscle trying that, though...

:neener:

Seriously, it's always neat to see the price differences on various items over the years.
 
I had to walk uphill both ways in 2 feet of snow to school everyday. Lol. Remember that story? Used to tick me off when dad told me that. I found a box of Sierra 30 cal bullets of dads from who knows when. He paid like 7 bucks for the box. Ah the good ole days. And I dont even remember them cause I was too busy chasing girls.
 
Price sheet/receipt

Heck I remember that store...and I was from Maryland. I only went there once cause the prices were too high..I ended up buying my stuff from Clair Franks at Willow Street Pa.. But I was buying even before the date on that receipt.. I do remember shot at 4 dollars a bag..shotshell primers were 5.50 And in 1964 bought 100 lbs of 4831 delivered from Hodgdon for 70 bucks..It came in a copper(coated) keg..Bought another in a year or so and it was 75 delivered..But I had a car to pick it up in then...first time I was on a bicycle. REA guy wouldn't let me get the powder. Had to get my mom to pick it up for me. I have some powder here now priced under a dollar. Still good too. Good hunting bullets too..3-4 dollars a box of 100
 
1961, Hodgden H240 was $1.25/pound.
1980, Lawrence shot was $4.40/bag at K's Merchandise Mart (for a short time).
1975 I bought Alcan primers for $5.60/thousand. (had to take them to get Smiths for dealer price. (A 29 cost was $220 but you had to take $440 in "related" Smith merchandise.)
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
There's something about your posting that makes me want to reach out and slap you!

I'd probably pull a muscle trying that, though...

:neener:

Seriously, it's always neat to see the price differences on various items over the years.
Click to expand...
I got to agree with you Chief. I was on the Uss Oriskany in 76 pulling shore patrol every third day making sure that Olongapo was safe. Good memories.
 
I just finished up a pound of unique from back then. I think the sticker said $8. It was a cardboard can. It was still good after all these years. Still have some win 748 and 760 in metal cans. I'll have to see what the price is on them when I get home
 
Seabeeken said:
I just finished up a pound of unique from back then. I think the sticker said $8. It was a cardboard can. It was still good after all these years. Still have some win 748 and 760 in metal cans. I'll have to see what the price is on them when I get home
Click to expand...


According to the inflation calculator I used that 8 dollar powder cost you 33 dollars in today money. No bargain at all!
 
Bud0505 said:
I got to agree with you Chief. I was on the Uss Oriskany in 76 pulling shore patrol every third day making sure that Olongapo was safe. Good memories.
Click to expand...

And it wasn't really all that long ago that I remember Dad asking Mom on her birthday "how's it feel to be half a century old?"

And now, here I am, the same age he was when he asked Mom that question!

;)
 
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