The good 'ole days/daze

[texasnative46]

Friends,

The thread on what was the first caliber that you reloaded, got me to thinking of my LONG-AGO "college daze" of the mid/late-1960s & the FIRST "high-powered rifle" that I bought for myself: an "as new" but about 70 year old S-A War vintage Model 93 Mauser.
(LOTS of rabbits, coons, coyotes, feral pigs & other small/medium game fell to the Spanish FMJ loads. WT deer got the FMJ bullets "pulled" & re-loaded with about 175grain FNCB, courtesy of my freshman biology prof.)

I paid 10 bucks for it from THE COUNTRY MERCHANT in my little college town & once I got all the grease off of it, it looked BRAND NEW & shot GREAT. I was REALLY pleased to NOT have to borrow a rifle to go hunting!!
The motto of the store was: "If we don't sell it, you don't need it."
(That country store had literally a 55-gallon plastic barrel-full of the Model 93 rifles, with a hand-lettered sign that said: "7x57 Mauser rifles -10.oo cash & pick your own poison". Moreover, 3 boxes of Spanish FMJ cost ONE BUCK in 1966.)

yours, tex

[Shiloh]

The halcyon days of very affordable quality guns and cheap ammo. Probably all corrosive ammo right??

SHiloh

[texasnative46]

Shiloh,

Some of the cheap/imported ammo was corrosive & some was NOT. = You had to know what you were buying.
(The post-WII Spanish & Latin American 7x57mm ammo was MOSTLY not corrosive OR only mildly so.)

Note: Reference corrosive mil-surp ammo ====> Hot soapy water & gun-oil takes care of corrosive ammo's "problems" for CHEAP.

yours, tex

[samari46]

My first high power rifle was an Argentine 1891 mauser in beautiful condition. Big long box right to my house in NYC. Mom knew about it from the start but Dad almost had a stroke when he found out about it. Mom grew up in Pennsylvania so was used to being around firearms. Dan not so much. Oh yeah the time frame was 1963. Frank

[country gent]

A lot of those old mil surpluss rifle did more service after they were sold off than before LOL. A lot were sporterized for their new service life even. Some were done into complete custom rifles even.
My first new to me rifle was a savage 222rem I bought from a neighbor with Dads blessing. ( I was a minor still) and I hate to think of the woodchucks it took around the neighborhood. I loaded 50 grn sierras with a lee loader and an old bottle capper for a press. I rode around all summer on a bicycle with it slung over my shoulder and a box of ammo in each pocket.

[texasnative46]

country gent,

When I was in HS in the early-mid 1960s, we took our rifles/shotguns to school & checked them in with the HS principal's secretary. (After a shotgun was stolen out of a baseball coach's PU, everyone HAD to check in their firearms until the end of the school day.) = By 0800 each school day, "Miss Evelyn's office" looked like a LARGE GUN SHOP.

Note: Fyi, I had a "ratty" old Savage DB 16-gauge shotgun in those long ago days/HS daze but it was "well-used" for all sorts of small/medium game.
(So disreputable looking that a pal of my grandfather gave it to me.)

yours, tex

[runfiverun]

try doing that today and youd end up in pokey for a decade

I bet you could still pull that off in pokey.
I generally have a rifle on the front of the 4 wheeler I ride around town.

[Gewehr-Guy]

When I took myRG 22 revolver to shop class to make a set of walnut grips, I asked the principal if he wanted it stored in his office, he said no,just keep it someplace safe like in my locker! 1979 in SD, and every farm kid shot jack rabbits on there way home from school.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

My first rifle was a single shot .22 Stevens Mod.15-A at age 12. Took lots of game with it, still have it, still looks good. Next, at age 14, was a No.1 Mk. III Lee Enfield from Golden State Arms. For $1 more they threw in a full length 1891 Mosin Nagant. Still have them also. Took my first deer with the Lee Enfield. No, I don't still have the deer, but I've still got his antlers!

[Buckshot]

.............I had an 01 FFL for 20 years, and gave it up in 2001. I first used it in 1983. However the 2nd GOOD 'OL DAY'S weren't really that long ago (but I'm 64 . These were from the mid 90's Century Arms Intl:





..............Buckshot

[swheeler]

Buckshot your breaking my heart!

[DerekP Houston]

try doing that today and youd end up in pokey for a decade

lol you beat me to it, I can hardly imagine riding around the neighborhood with a rifle strung over my shoulder....and that's in an 'open carry' friendly state. Still think i was born just a few decades too late.

[mrrch]

The golden age of cheap milsurps, love those old ads.

[woodbutcher]

Back in the day,my friends and I would mount up on our bicycles and head to the local dump for some rat practice.There was about a dozen of us.One day one of the neighbors saw us and hollered,here comes the rat patrol.Next thing ya know here he comes on his bike with his.22 to go along with us.He was a WW2 vet.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[RP]

My sons would ride their bikes down the road about a 3/4 mile to hunt deer with a lever action on their back if they got one they would ride back to the house to get a wheelbarrow to bring the deer home. Thing is they would be smiling the entire walk pushing their deer. Most of the time someone would stop with a truck and give them a lift back home.

[Minerat]

I worked all summer in 1968 to make enough to get my first rifle. Cost $65.00 - Mossberg model 800A in 308. Still have it and it will shoot 1 moa groups with no beading or trigger job with a 3x9 banner scope I put on it in the 80's.

[Texas by God]

After football practice we would dove hunt in the field by the school. All us country boys had guns in our unlocked cars & trucks. I bought an Enfield revolver from my teacher in 8th grade. Different times.....

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[texasnative46]

Texas by God,

Fwiw, when I was in boarding school about 1963-65, YE OLDE HUNTER would sell you a WEBLEY in .38-200/.38S&W for 12.95 in mint condition, with a box of 48 shells.

yours, tex