Vietnam Vets and the Guns They Loved

[MistWolf]

I grew up in the 60s and 70s and did a quite a bit of shooting and reloading. Most of Dad's friends were shooters. What I saw were 03s and 03A3s, surplus and commercial 1911s, M1 carbines, Remington 721s, 788s, 700, Ruger M77s with tang safeties, Remington 760s & 740s, Winchester 88s and 100, Model 70s, 870s, Ithica pump action shotguns, Mausers, both modified and unmodified, Ruger 3 screw single actions including one in 30 carbine that had really fierce muzzle blast, Garands (some from the DCM) one Colt AR, more 10/22s than you could shake a stick at, S&W Highway Patrolman in 357, Hi Powers, Springfield trapdoor 45-70s, muzzle loaders, Nylon 66s, remington 600s, 660s and Mohawks.

Everyone had a scoped bolt action. Dad & Grandpa had customized Mauser 98s they mail ordered from Sears in 30-06. Grandpa had his rechambered to 300 Weatherby Magnum. Also SXS shotguns. In the early 60s, M1 carbine could be mail ordered from the NRA for like $15 or $20 bucks. You could also order surplused 03s and 03A3s, 1911s, SMLEs, Carcanos (SMLEs and Carcanos were especially cheap for many years).

Very common were Winchester 94s in 30-30. Lots of single shot 22s and lever action 22s. Grandma had an old Broomhandle Mauser her brother brought back from WWII. Lugers were pretty popular and Walther P-38s were everywhere. While kinda rare, almost everyone wanted a Colt SAA. Many had imported copies or Rugers. I remember seeing a few Belgium FN49s at the gunshows and in gunshops in Southern California. Legal machineguns were much more affordable back then

I'm sure there are a few I missed, but this should give you an idea

Oh, and a plethora of snub-nosed 38s

 

[yaonttwo]

The ONLY thing I remember about the sixtys is that island in South Carolina and the worst piece of crap ever developed as a weapon . . . the m60.

 

[Jaxondog]

I remember Dad having case's on top of case's of Springfield and Enfield 30-06's. I still have one and he also had a few Garrand's and a closet full of canned ammo of which I have some of that too. A couple shotgun's and that was about all I remember.That was mid to late '60's.

 

[mnrivrat]

At home the pistol was a S&W 10 I got from a local police dept for $15 when they were changing over. Followed by a model 19 later in the year. The day I took my induction Physical I stopped at a military surplus store just down the street and bought a new from the crate 1903 in 30-06 . $25.00

Trusty Remington 510 Targetmaster 22 rimfire for the little critters, and a old model 10 Remington for the ducks and fly'n critters.

 

[jaysouth]

When I came back from VN with a pocket flush with cash, I bought a Browning A-5, a Winchester M70 in .270 and after dealing with the rattling, unreliable and inaccurate rusty crap 1911s, a Smith and Wesson M-19 .357.

I have never had the urge to buy any evil black rifles. We were getting killed by the malfunctions in the ones we were issued to fight with. I didn't like them then and have no use for them now.

 

[1911 guy]

Son of a vet here. Growing up, my Dad had a 12 guage pump (Mossberg with the single action bar) and a 5 round magazine fed .22 made by U.S.R.A. for Sears & Roebuck. He sold the shotgun in the nineties while I was in the service. He's got a nice collection goin now, years later, but back then it was a 12 guage and a .22.

 

[Mr Woody]

If your writing a story and these guns are a 'background' item here are my thoughts

If your toon is an avid hunter he had a fairly new model 70 Winchester and a Smith & Wesson .357

If he was just an average hunter he probably had a Winchester or Marlin 30-30 or a sporterized 1903 Springfield. May not have even had a handgun

If a non hunter he probably had a .22 single shot rifle and maybe a shotgun.

Remington 870 would be the choice for a shotgun for most anyone

The Colt AR-15 was selling for around 300 dollars back then and was way too expensive to catch on in a time when Woolworths department store had barrels of surplus military rifles for $5 to $15 dollars.

If your toon is going to carry a gun the model 60 .38 sp Smith & Wesson was very common. If he is a veteran or a target shooter then maybe a .45 Government.

If he is a 'combat enthusiast' the AR-15, Garand, and 1911 are in the lead with maybe a modified .30 carbine.

Lots of options and none of them would necessarily be wrong in that era.

 

[Hangingrock]

Prior to military service I had an Ithaca M37 pump action 16Ga. Viet-Nam a 1911A1 and a Winchester M97 12Ga pump action with exposed hammer, ventilated hand guard, and bayonet lug. Afterwards I didn’t bother with firearms for an extended period of time.

 

[bikerdoc]

I have never had the urge to buy any evil black rifles. We were getting killed by the malfunctions in the ones we were issued to fight with. I didn't like them then and have no use for them now

.

Ours were not that bad in 68-69 But I still don't own one. Never really appealed to me.
Before i went in, in 66 I had an old Ithica shotgun, a 1911, and a smith revolver, an M1 carbine, and a bunch of 22 rifles and pistols.
Since then I have acquired 40 or so more.

 

[Lee Roder]

And not all military vets ever owned or touched a gun again after they got out of the service.

Just because you were in the military or in combat didn't make you a gun-nut the rest of your life.

This is true. My 1911A1 hasn't been fired since WWII ended.

 

[bowserb]

In nam 67-68, had M16 and a machete. Officers had handguns. After return I got an H&R .32 revolver. Never touched another Stoner rifle until this year when I bought an AR before the anticipated new ban.

 

[Hypnogator]

I'm a Vietnam-Era Vet. When I left for service, I left behind an M-1 Carbine, Win Model 12 trap gun, 6" S&W Model 28, 2.5" S&W Model 19, and Rem Nylon 66.

 

[Invisible Swordsman]

Did Army basic at Ft. Dix in January & February 69. All training was with the M14except 2 days with the 16. When I got to Viet Nam in December 69 my unit was still issued M14s (base camp duty). They pulled the M14s and gave us M16s about eight months into my tour.

There were no guns in my house growing up. I bought my first, a Ruger 10/22 in early 1970. My second was a Ruger Single Six I bought when I turned 21. I still have both. My next purchases were a Colt Trooper MKIII w/ 6 inch barrel, Browing Hi Power and Colt Detective Special.

 

[longknife12]

Same ones I have now, Winchesters/Remingtons/Colts & S&Ws....grew up in a shooting culture and it has not changed!
Dan

 

[papaairbear]

As a tanker in the early 70's I was issued a 1911 in a shoulder holster, and an M3A1. Mid 70's at home I had an 870 Wingmaster, a Ruger M-77 in 7 Mag, a 10/22, and a Blackhawk in .357.

 

[HorseSoldier]

Before getting drafted my dad was pretty heavily into target shooting and small game hunting and owned some kind of .22 target pistol, a P-38, and some kind of .22 rifle and a 12 gauge.

After his second tour in '71, he managed to bring back a Makarov he'd picked up along the way. Later in the 70s (after I was born, among other things) we moved to Alaska and he bought a Ruger Blackhawk in .41 mag (bear defense), an 870 and an old Savage 12 gauge, and what I think was a sporterized Mauser converted to 30-06 (once I was old enough to shoot there was a 22/410 over-under for me in the house as well). Outside of the Mak none of them were really "cherished" items -- all very much working guns that put a lot of meat and birds on the table back then.

 

[MidWestDisappearance]

Thank you guys for all the help. I write a lot of stories, and i always try to pay due dilligence to the time period it is set in. Had the opportunity a couple of years ago to frequent a VFW that had a large contingent of vietnam vets and even a sprinkling of korean war and WW2 vets.

I heard a lot of stories and bought a lot of drinks for guys that definitely deserved them. i wish i had tape recorded all of them. Too late now, and sadly all but one of the WW2 vets passed away before i moved. mean old SOB that was the belly gunner on a B29, total hoot once he warmed up to you though.

Thanks,

MWD

 

[joed]

I was in the ARMY from 1969 thru 1970. I'm really amazed that so many of you claim autos were so abundant for pistols. In the 70's here if you owned a pistol you owned a revolver. Police Departments here all had revolvers too, mostly S&W. Wasn't till mid to late 70's that many went to the auto.

Shotguns were common, either Remington or Mossberg. My first rifle was a Remington 700. For a .22 rf I owned a Remington nylon 10C.

I started in the service with an M14. In Vietnam I was issued an M16 which I felt was great for that environment.

 

[lechiffre]

Forget about :

Military style semi-automaic rifles. Except for the M-1 carbine.

Wondernines. Invented in 1970 (S&W 59), Seconded in 1975 (Beretta 92), not popular for another ten years.

Remember :

Revolvers much more popular than semi-auto pistols by about 85/15. The S&W .38 was the Glock of the day. the S&W .357 was the pro upgrade.

 

[JR47]

I enlisted at 17, in 1965, just after High School. While my father wasn't much of a shooter, my uncle, who lived in the same town, was. I had received my first rifle for Christmas of 1962.

An uncle, who died in 1964 from a blood clot caused by WWII shrapnel, operated a Sporting Goods Store in town. I spent a good bit of time there. Rifles, bolt actions, were a big seller. Shotguns were also seasonal movers. Most of the hand-guns that he sold were revolvers, save for the little Ruger Standard .22.

I arrived in Vietnam in 5/66, and finally came home in 4/69. I carried an M14 until 11/67, when we were issued the M16. Total POS. They re-issued my M14 to me, and that was it until I left the RVN. Our pistols were 1911A1s, but, I guess that our AO was lucky, because we missed the mythical worn-out 1911A1s completely.

Upon arrival at home in 1969, I kept what I had before I went into the service for a couple of years, and then augmented it with a Ruger 10/22, a Remington 1100, and a Ruger Security-Six. As my careers matured, I was able to afford more guns, and accessories.

 

[moxie]

I'm a Vietnam vet. When I returned in 1973 I kept the Model 12 and the 336T I had before I went. Took them to Germany and stayed until 1980. Five consecutive overseas tours.

 

[mac66]

I am not a veteran but I started police work in 1975. I had a S&W model 10 HB 38 spl. Snub nose revolvers were very common particularly Colt Detective Specials and S&W Chief's specials (Mod 36). Gun guys more than likely had a Colt 1911 and perhaps a Browning Hi-Power (P35) and/or a S&W Mod 19 357 or a Colt Python or Trooper.

The most common shot guns were probably the Remington 870 or High Standard, Ithaca 37 or Winchester Mod 12. AR15s were really expensive and not very common. One would more likely have some type of bolt action, either a sporterized Mauser bolt action, Winchester Model 70 or Remington 700 or 788 perhaps. Semi's included a M1 Carbine, or a commercial Remington 742 in 30-06, or perhaps a Winchester Mod 100. Common level actions included the Win 94, Marlin 336, Winchester Mod 88 and Savage 99.

 

[Elbert P . Suggins]

I am 64 years and never served because of a 4f deferment. I wish I would have went over there the older I get. But back in 64-68 the guns I had were a Ruger Single six 22, Remington Model 61 22 Pump, and in 1966 I bought a 357 Ruger Blackhawk.

 

[788Ham]

I enlisted in the Naval Reserve my senior year of high school, spent 2 years aboard ship off the coast of VN. Guns around our house were a Savage '99 in .300, an old Stevens 12 ga. pump, and a S&W .357 my Pop had. In '68 when I returned, I bought a Ruger Single six convertible .22, then a Rem. pump .22 rifle, a .264 Win. mag rifle I bought for $100 from my grandpa, still have that one. Since then, I've acquired about 8 revolvers, 9 or 10 rifles of various cal's, and still have my first 870, 12 ga. 30" shotgun my folks gave me when I got home. Thanks guys for your service, Semper Fi and OOHHRRAAHH !

 

[MICHAEL T]

Lets after my 2nd tour I had a Colt Combat Commander A marlin 336 30/30 and a Rossi 12 ga hammer coach gun and of course my first rifle. Present from my father . His Marlin 39A Only one I no longer own is the marlin 336. Rest I still have . .