Gun stuff you rarely/never see any more?

[Labradorian]

I ordered a 183 series Mini14 out of the Sears catalog.

 

[gmerkt]

Rod and Gun Club sales on US Army posts. Or handguns sold in the PX.

Back in the 1970's, one of my shooting pals had been stationed in the Berlin Brigade. Berlin was still technically but legally under Allied occupation up until the German reunification. Some firearms confiscated by the Berlin Brigade MP's were turned over to the army rod & gun club in Berlin for resale to members. My pal bought a Walther PP that way.

Guns at garage sales.

Bought a Smith & Wesson Model 1917 .45 ACP revolver this way for $25. The seller was very skittish, didn't display the gun for sale, had a little sign out with other stuff for it. She made me come back the next day to pick it up.

Discount store branded rifles and shotguns.

I seem to remember many of these not being what I'd call first quality. And in resale, they wouldn't bring as much as even the same model of the maker's name. Like a Winchester Model 70 or 94 with a Sears branding. One I remember having was a Coast to Coast branded .222 Rem. bolt action. I think it was a Savage Model 340 equivalent. With a bronze extractor that needed replacing. Some were made by companies such as Winchester, FN and Sako. But a great many more were made by what some might consider lesser manufacturers.

I'm not sure why this sales practice was discontinued but seems like it parallels the decrease in general merchandise stores that sell firearms.

 

[GrayGoose]

Ammo.

 

[AllDayRay]

HK91's for under $400.00

 

[Boboclown]

Imported AKs.

 

[orygun]

GI Joes

GI Joes was a great place that got hollowed out and scrapped by an investment company. Really sad.

I bought 20 rounds of 30-06 armor piercing ammo and 20 rounds of tracer ammo. THAT was cool.

I still have some of those, too.

 

[BluMtn]

When I had my FFL in the late 70's and early 80's I could hardly wait for my next issue of Shotgun news to show up. I would go through page by page and read everything in it. Looking back I can't believe all the great stuff that you could buy that the Dems would have heart failure with now. I remember looking at buying UZI's, Mac 10's, and who remembers what a street sweeper was. And if you knew how to read between the lines you could piece together certain venders and buy the parts to some really serious weaponry. Also if you sent cash for those parts they did not keep records of were they sent the stuff. I bought a ton of stuff out of that paper, because at the time it was the only source to buy guns and parts available to independent dealers.

And GI Joe's, I can remember going to spent Thanksgiving with my Aunt and Uncle in the 60's and 70's who lived in Vancouver and we would do two things while there. Go to the Portland Auto show and look at all the new vehicles and going to GI Joe's. I would walk around that store with my jaw open looking at all the cool stuff.

 

[loucfir]

Three dollar boxes of ammo!

 

[Member 34319]

Toy guns.

Growing up I had some really cool ones. One of the best were from the Roseville Auction, which was basically a huge flee market, that had little rubbery plastic bullets that you put down the barrel and had to cock the slide each time to shoot.

We would play cops and robbers right out in the street. With pretend guns. Before we were old enough to get nerf guns.

Same with laser tag, I remember the Christmas when we got that kit, running around the neighborhood. So much fun!

As we got older.

Epic water gun battles.

Epic nerf gun battles.

Eventually epic two pump pellet gun wars!

Even in the late teens we had paintball wars in the empty fields surrounding our neighborhoods.

These days, walk around with a toy gun, kid gets suspended from school, parents get arrested, or worse kid gets shot. Toy guns are seen as taboo apparently, even movies like The Christmas Story are getting grief these days for idolizing a gun!

 

[Spitpatch]

The Mattel Fanner 50.

 

[EHJ]

Rifles over the mantle...

 

[orygun]

My sister is building a new "cabin" to live in. One of the things she mentioned was a gun over the mantle. Shocked the living bubblegum out of me. I'm in the middle of putting that gun together for her. it will not be just something to look at, but it will be her home defense tool.

 

[revjen45]

1) "... what gun "stuff" (e.g., firearms, ammunition, accessories) were fairly common back in the day that you hardly ever or never see any more?"
Ammo
Autoloading firearms

2) Accelerator ammo:
Still available @ Ammotogo.
Generally dismal accuracy
Why bother?

3) Traditional walnut and blued steel guns:
I too love the beauty of traditional materials and craftsmanship, but today the performance of entry level models exceeds all but the best that were available 50 years ago. What would it cost to make pre-war Model 70, a Luger, or an original Python today, and how many people could afford it?

4) Gun shows, yup. FTF sales.

5) "DAMN starting to sound like my parents did describing buying a used car for $50 and driving it for years then selling for a profit.........AH the good ol days."
Back in the Dream Time I bought a car for $10 that ran but wouldn't shift past 2nd gear (no title or registration either). Drove it until it quit running (It saved my job.) and sold it for $15. I could have held out for $20, but greed ain't in my nature. It might have been the "good old days" but I much prefer actually having a car that runs all the time.

6) Andy - Unfortunately in today's times SD is the necessity that motivates people to become gun owners. Once they get on board the whole panoply of firearms knowledge is opened up to them. The Bible tells us angels rejoice when a new soul becomes enlightened.

7) "Most everything made the last 20 years is a joke."
Depends on whether you are looking at aesthetics or function. I have some passing familiarity with new Savage bolt rifles owned by a friend. They don't have the cachet of a classic blued steel boltgun in a nicely figured walnut stock, but they perform as well as the best that were made pre-CNC, MIM, etc.

8) "The reason we don't see much of the 264 anymore."
The fact that barrels didn't last long could have something to do with that too.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

3) Traditional walnut and blued steel guns:
I too love the beauty of traditional materials and craftsmanship, but today the performance of entry level models exceeds all but the best that were available 50 years ago. What would it cost to make pre-war Model 70, a Luger, or an original Python today, and how many people could afford it?

Disagree to a point....
My entry level blued steel and walnut stocked Remington 510 preforms very well and can be had at a excellent price point.
My comment which you quoted was not meant for custom or semi-custom firearm like a Colt Python...but more for a return of wood stocks and blued steel on regular production firearms...like a Remington 700 or 870.

6) Andy - Unfortunately in today's times SD is the necessity that motivates people to become gun owners. Once they get on board the whole panoply of firearms knowledge is opened up to them. The Bible tells us angels rejoice when a new soul becomes enlightened.

Self Defense has always been a important consideration in firearm ownership...
My point for the comment , which was quoted was :
That I miss the days in which SD was not the overriding and overly sold reason for buying and owning a firearm...not that one should not have a firearm for SD.
Andy

 

[Member 34319]

Presidents that hunt or shoot, own guns.

 

[edzz]

Presidents that hunt or shoot, own guns.

You may be getting your wish. Sleepy joe clams to have a shotgun after all.

 

[ditchtiger]

Not only do I remember, I got one. Still have it!

Only one?

 

[orygun]

8) "The reason we don't see much of the 264 anymore."
The fact that barrels didn't last long could have something to do with that too.

No, that's a lot to do with the 7mm Remington and marketing.
My friends 264 from Interarms and has seen a lot of use. It's as accurate as it every has been.
The 220 Swift was known as a barrel burner, but that was mostly due to the inability to get a barrel clean of copper fouling. Many guns that were "shot out" have been brought back to life with solvents and cleaning methods not available 40-50 years ago.

 

[Member 34319]

You may be getting your wish. Sleepy joe clams to have a shotgun after all.

Well considering Obama had this and Trump couldn't even manage a similar photo op in 4 years....

Trump held a gun....

Even bush managed a photo op...

Clinton, well he was trying to decide which guns to ban...

 

[JRuby]

Hello,

I am an old lady @ 70 years old.

If talking about guns is 'taboo' to a woman or a man while you are dating or meet in a group setting... you are talking to the wrong person.

If a man (Or a woman!) can't handle some subject matters when it comes to tools or inanimate objects when you first meet or, later on, over dinner or coffee/tea... RUN AWAY!

You can agree to disagree and have various opinions about ALL kinds of subjects from a to z but if they WILT like a rose with NO water in a vase on a 90 plus degree day when you mention the word GUN... look out!

You are hanging around the wrong female or male depending on your situation or crowd!

That does NOT mean that you have to 'force' someone to like/love guns as YOU do or MAKE them shoot, buy, own, or carry a gun. NO man should bully a woman into shooting any gun! Vice versa!

Personally, I don't give a rat's butt if a person chooses to OWN or not own a gun. IT is their decision to make but don't force me to think or live like them!

NO man or woman should force or bully (Or think that it is FUNNY!) another person to shoot a gun IF they believe that 'said gun' would HURT them physically or scare them away from guns.

That is NOT only STUPID - it is MEAN and it makes some people hate guns even more so you end up with another ANTI RKBA person!

Would you want someone to do that to you? NO. Apply the Golden Rule here when it comes to guns.

They should NOT let a Newbie try out a gun and NOT have them WEAR safety glasses (Rx or not.) and good ear protection to protect their eyes and ears!

Plus if the Newbie has a disability or is frail and IF they have never shot a gun before... don't give them one of those Light Weight Guns in a large caliber where they will feel tremendous recoil on their shoulder, wrists or in their hands depending on the GUN be it a shotgun, a rifle or a handgun in some designs.

(It depends on the INDIVIDUAL shooter because some ladies and gentlemen can shoot larger caliber firearms even if they are smaller and have a disability BUT they usually work their way up to them or THEY are willing to try them out - their decision.)

I detest BULLIES and idiots especially when it comes to guns, in other freedom issues and when they are in POWER as in politicians! Ugh.

And if guns TRIGGER THEM, in OR out of a political office, and they WANT more BANS, restrictions, more gun laws imposed upon us, anti this or that in very SPECIFIC matters and you do NOT agree with those crazy, my opinion, and unconstitutional IDEAS... you would NOT want to make someone like that your long term partner as in a 'wife' or husband.

I am not saying that every person HAS to get married either! Or that dating only means marriage either! Or that dating means a long term relationship either!

You can date some people who might not agree with you in all of your ideas but when it comes to a LONG term relationship if you should CHOOSE to have one... I see it as a BIG mess with conflicting ideas, morals, freedom, constant fighting, etc.

IF you don't LIKE and RESPECT someone as your best friend... I sure as heck do not see how you could LOVE them as a wife or husband.

That does NOT mean that you have to agree with them 100% in every single THING in your life either. But when it comes to your basic BELIEF SYSTEM - religious or not, your morals, your goals in life, a solid foundation, ideals, sense of freedom in a sane or crazy society, your gut, your brain, your soul, GUN OWNERSHIP, etc. - you should be on the same page or 'wavelength' as the old saying goes.

GUN control = people control.

Triggered people? I stay away from them. It makes life much more calmer.

Save the drama for your Mama comes to mind! LOL

Cate

I have rarely learned anything from someone who tells me exactly what they think i want to hear. My wife does not play this game and i am grateful for that