Remember 1960's Gun Deals (Gun Shows, Mail Order, Dealers, & Individual)?

[arizona98tj]

Early '70s, when I was in highschool, I refinished a couple of long guns in shop class, including hot bluing. They had tanks for the students who wanted to do that. The long guns were taken to and from school on the bus (we lived about 15 miles out in the country in Northern Minnesota). The only "concern" was from the bus driver, ensuring it was unloaded.

Now days, in school, if my grandson nibbles his poptart into something that might be interpreted as a firearm, he gets suspended. Convince me we haven't lost a LOT of our liberties in this country!

 

[Gun Master]

Getting Back to 1960 Deals

In the early '60's, I went to an out of town "Trade Day". I had an old Stevens 12 ga. double, that I was determined to trade for a suitable handgun. A "dealer", who was also out of town, had several handguns crammed into a metal basket. I spied a Walther P-38, and asked him how he would trade. He said he would take the Stevens and $5.00. I know my jaw must have dropped. What a great deal! But, I didn't even have $5. I showed him a 12" Bowie Knife, which I had bought for $5, and asked if he'd trade for the gun and knife? He accepted, and I know my jaw was dragging dirt again! I walked away with the P-38 (which I still have), and tried to keep that silly grin off my mug.

 

[Gun Master]

Early '70s, when I was in highschool, I refinished a couple of long guns in shop class, including hot bluing. They had tanks for the students who wanted to do that. The long guns were taken to and from school on the bus (we lived about 15 miles out in the country in Northern Minnesota). The only "concern" was from the bus driver, ensuring it was unloaded.

Now days, in school, if my grandson nibbles his poptart into something that might be interpreted as a firearm, he gets suspended. Convince me we haven't lost a LOT of our liberties in this country!

Amen ! See post #1.

 

[Nanook]

What an excellent thread! It was great to read all of the stories, but sad at the same time to see how much we have lost.

I remember an older friend of mine talking about hunting after school in what is now Oak Lawn IL right near the hospital. This would have been in the late '50s or early '60s. He had the rifle in his locker, and the principal looked it over and they talked about guns and hunting for a while.

Can you imagine that happening anywhere in this country these days? There would be a SWAT team in that story if it happened today.

Any members who live south of Chicago know how congested that area is nowadays. The hospital has taken all of the former open spaces and put buildings or parking lots on them.

The high school I went to at one time had a rifle team, and an archery team. By the time I got there in 1966, both had been discontinued. They were both in the catalog though. I may have made a different decision had I known that.

 

[JohnBT]

"1960's Gun Deals"

To keep them in perspective, in 1966 a 16-year-old starting at McDonalds was paid $1.15 an hour.
In '67 I got a tree service job as a groundman and spray truck helper at $2.35 plus time and a half overtime.

Working outside was so much better than hauling 100# bags of spuds up out the basement and making fries.

Seems like there was always a job available for the big kid.

 

[19-3Ben]

In 1964 I bought a new S&W Combat Masterpiece (Model 15), .38 Spec. for $82.00, full retail price.

I think today that even used ones are a bit higher than that.

L.W.

That really says more about inflation than it does about the great prices on guns. $82 in 1964 is the equivalent of $616.51 in 2013 based on two online inflation calculators I just used. That's not too far off from the price of new S&W revolvers today. Of course, if you want to talk about what you're getting for that amount of money it's a totally different issue.

 

[Gun Master]

Early 1960's Gun Deals

At a gun show, I bought a Colt Frontier Scout .22LR (two tone), in good condition showing a little wear, two digit serial # @ approx. $57 range. I eventually converted to the Ruger Single Six, since I became convinced that it was superior to the Colt .22. Apparently others thought so too, since the CFS ceased production long ago, and the Ruger is still going in full swing mode. I've owned a couple of these over the years.

 

[Landgroove]

Another old ad

 

[jimsouth]

Herters did carry their own line of revolvers - don't know who manufactured them. I know I saw a nice .357 a while back. Anyone???

 

[jimsouth]

What an excellent thread! It was great to read all of the stories, but sad at the same time to see how much we have lost.

I remember an older friend of mine talking about hunting after school in what is now Oak Lawn IL right near the hospital. This would have been in the late '50s or early '60s. He had the rifle in his locker, and the principal looked it over and they talked about guns and hunting for a while.

Can you imagine that happening anywhere in this country these days? There would be a SWAT team in that story if it happened today.

Any members who live south of Chicago know how congested that area is nowadays. The hospital has taken all of the former open spaces and put buildings or parking lots on them.

The high school I went to at one time had a rifle team, and an archery team. By the time I got there in 1966, both had been discontinued. They were both in the catalog though. I may have made a different decision had I known that.

I remember barrels full of military surplus rifles "outside" the Army - Navy Store in Pottsville, Pa. Bought a Savage ( or a Stevens ?? ) over under turkey gun ( .44 mag on top - 12 gauge below ) for $60. at a Miller's Auto Supply. I guess the .44 mag was incase the frickin turkey was hiding behind a tree. I think of the turkey & the Sharps rifle in the first True Grit.

 

[Gun Master]

Herters did carry their own line of revolvers - don't know who manufactured them. I know I saw a nice .357 a while back. Anyone???

J.P. Sauer and Sohn of West Germany made their revolvers. They had other European companies to make their firearms, most notably BSA in England.

 

[jimsouth]

I know the in cosmoline 03 Springfields my dad bought after WW2 , were like $35. - $40. each. I can't imagine what one still in the crate would go for today.

 

[Edventures]

In a inner city High school there a shooting gallery in the basement of the main building. I didn't go to that school ,but have talked to a few men who took their cased rifles to school. They would leave them in their lockers till team practice.
How times have changed.It was a after school porgram.

 

[tactikel]

My middle school in the '60s had a gun range in the basement, long abandoned, apparently intended to teach boys to shoot for WWII , I was fortunate to be born 8 years after VJ Day.

The last page on a guns and Ammo mag during the 60's had M1 carbines for $79 and M1 Garands for $89. Mailed to you door

 

[rehorne]

Anyone remember Bannermans. I thought that was the greatest gun dealer out there. I spent a lot of my burger flipping money there.

 

[Archie]

I cannot read Shotgun News anymore. I remember some of the great classified ads - one in particular from a gentleman I can no longer name, always announcing "... the finest example of Civil War cutlery ever..." and so forth.

The current Shotgun News (good luck to them) is just sad to peruse anymore.

And yes, I remember the Lugers for $40 and 'select' grades for $80. Not that I had $4.00 in those days.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Well, if you can't remember, you can always re-read your copy of Unintended Consequences, and John will remind you through the ads he included.

 

[SunnySlopes]

Well, one upside. In my home state, in the 60s, nobody but cops could carry a gun as a sidearm. And there were no CCLs.

Whenever I get to missing the "good old days", I go home in July and turn off the air conditioning.

 

[Gun Master]

1958 & Later Gun Deals

Those ads of "Ye Olde Western Hunter" (Interarms- Alexanderia, Va.) were great ! GI .45's , Auto & revolvers, less than $30, etc. I can't do pics, so would enjoy those who can, Thanks

 

[JohnBT]

 

[DF Smith]

I remember working with my dad in the late 50s early 60s. He owned a surplus business that delt with rifles, jeeps, ect. We picked up a order of 600 springfield O3s in wooden crates, 400 Winchester/Remington Enfields, 200 mod. 97 Trench guns in crates. All sold for 25-35 dollars apiece. Military jeeps sold for 600-800. Most people did not want "that old junk" I wish I had ALL that old junk.

 

[SC Shooter]

In the early '60s, all Sporting and gun magazines would have ads for hand guns for less than $20. No name you were ever familiar with, and the only requirements was that had to be shipped pre-paid and by Railway Express. I also kept my hunting rifles in my college dorm room.

 

[Speedo66]

I remember 1911 style Star pistols selling for $30-40 in magazine ads, but nobody would ship anything to NYC. My first service pistol in 1969 was an S&W Mdl. 10 .38Spl. for $65, plus the nice dealer threw in a holster. Army-Navy stores like Models and Kaufmans in Manhattan had plenty of WWII rifles, including $11 BSA and $12 Carcanos, no restrictions on long gun ownership then.

Later deals included a $79 Norinco SKS, and later, an $89 one, and I was pissed the price had risen so much. Also $79 and $89 Swedish Mausers I bought, the latter being an M38 short rifle with the turned down bolt.

You went to a large HS? I graduated in 1964 from Francis Lewis HS in Queens NYC in a graduating class of 1,563, school total was approx. 5500. No, I'm not making this up. Trying out for a school team was like trying out for the pros.

Believe it or not, we actually had a rifle team.

 

[loose noose]

In 1958 I purchased my first brand new in the box Iver Johnson 20ga. single barrel shotgun for the princely sum of $25.00 from a local Army Navy Surplus store down the street from where I was growing up.

In 1962 I bought my first Ruger .22LR RST pistol for the very high price of $39.95 to check my trap lines, in N/E Wisconsin. Never required any check of any kind.

I'll say we've lost a lot of our liberties since then, and we will stand to lose a lot more if we don't wake up soon.

 

[GEM]

I remember when the FN M1900s were sold for next to nothing. I always wanted one but seeing I was a little kid - that didn't happen. I liked its weird looks.