From awhile back, and for most of us NOT that long ago !!!!!

[Buckshot]

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

[Winger Ed.]

Those look cheap to us now, but in their day, they were a little pricey.

[cwtebay]

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.................BuckshotWhat year was this from?
I recall my father laughing at me as I bought SKS's for $35 and Mosin"s for 1/2 that out of a barrel on the endcap in a sporting goods store. I still have most of them.

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[corbinace]

One picture says "Available march 1992"

[405grain]

We are living in transitional times. Like the closing of the frontier and the end of the Wild West, the collecting and sporterizing of milsurps is dwindling down. Once there were vast warehouses of Mausers, Mosins, Enfields, Springfields and Krags. They were like the buffalo covering the heartlands. These are but a memory now; the occasional crate or two of SKS's at 10 times the price we paid for them are but a pale shadow of the glory days of our past. We lived in great days my friends. Our only regrets were that we didn't buy more from that fountain of plenty while it flowed. Now scarcity has made even the mediocre more costly and I fear that our generation is the last that will enjoy welding on a bolt handle or carving a stock blank. All eras draw to a close, and as this one slows with age, as relics of bygone battles rest in the homes of those who appreciate them, or actions from past wars now transformed into the tools of hunters and sportsmen go to the field, rejoice in the knowledge that we lucky few were here to live in that great time.

[GregLaROCHE]

I remember prices in the teens in the back of The American Rifleman.

[charlie b]

Back in the 60's I could get a Mauser 98 or M1 Carbine for $25. They were in big fiber drums at the hardware store. Springfields were 'expensive', $40.

My Remington .22 bolt rifle cost $49.

Keep in mind a brand new Mustang in 1966 was $2000.

[smithnframe]

I remember seeing Mosin/Nagant rifles for $12.95 in some old Guns and Ammo magazines!

[tward]

I still remember wanting to buy a Martini Cadet rifle from Klein’s for $12.95. This was in 1959-1961 time frame.My mother would not let me waste my money on junk rifles. (I was 12 and an adult had to sign for the rifles). Tim

[SSGOldfart]

Yep brings back the days of ShotgunNews to. Always had good deals
Thanks for posting that

[MUSTANG]

Some of the "Good Ole Days" reside in one of my safe's.

[jdfoxinc]

Which is at the bottom of an undisclosed lake.

[savagetactical]

Those look cheap to us now, but in their day, they were a little pricey.


Truth.... I did not buy an AG42B because it was out of my reach , mostly at the time I purchased the cheapest mausers I could obtain and as a rule it would take me a few weeks to save up for one .

[MostlyLeverGuns]

My big want was an 1895 Winchester in 7.62 Russion that showed up as surplus in a Herb Klein(?) or Hy Hunter(?) ad, early 60's(?). But very expensive, $50-$60 plus.

[tom catman]

sarco had a lahti m39 anti tank cannon for $100 with pile of ammo back in 1968 ,the s1000 was a little bit more.was 8 yrs old but wanted one.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

How's that song go-- "Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end...."

I guess we all lived through those times and hand much the same experiences. I got hooked on mil surps in the late '50s. Some were always very reasonable like Carcanos, some a bit more expensive like Lee Enfields, and some like British-returned M1 Garands well beyond my reach. I suppose that their prices always remained relative to the rest of the economy.

Some things have changed, though. For example, my first high powered rifle, a No.1 Mk. III Lee Enfield cost me $45.00, and today they bring $450-$650. But I couldn't have bought a new brand name sporter for that $45 then, and today I can buy one for less than the Lee Enfield would resell for. T/C, as an example, and there's some great deals on Remington now because of their business failure.

If you had some money in your pocket back in those days (I didn't!) the guys that really picked up some nice items were the ones that bought things like broomhandle Mausers and those really great S&W Triplelocks that were returned from England.

Great times for collectors.

[Gewehr-Guy]

My first milsurp was a cut down Russian, advertised in the old magazine adds as a "Finncub". I was 12 years old, and bought it from my Dad's best friend for $25. It came with some old russian shells that kicked bad, and I think I still have a few of them left after 46 years. I found a Lee Loader at the Mitchell's Herters store, and shot it with 2400 powder and Hornady short jacket 100 grainers.

The early 90's were the glory days, but I was married and having kids and borrowing money to farm at like 18% interest, so not much left for $49 rifles. The $59 SKS's, $129 M-1 carbines, $39 new condition Finn M39, and $59 like new M96 Swede's are a fond but distant memory.

[444ttd]

The early 90's were the glory days, but I was married and having kids and borrowing money to farm at like 18% interest, so not much left for $49 rifles. The $59 SKS's, $129 M-1 carbines, $39 new condition Finn M39, and $59 like new M96 Swede's are a fond but distant memory.

i was married in the 90s and i had one kid(two-1998). i can remember the prices but i had alot of debt(house, cars).

[dverna]

How's that song go-- "Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end...."

I guess we all lived through those times and hand much the same experiences. I got hooked on mil surps in the late '50s. Some were always very reasonable like Carcanos, some a bit more expensive like Lee Enfields, and some like British-returned M1 Garands well beyond my reach. I suppose that their prices always remained relative to the rest of the economy.

Some things have changed, though. For example, my first high powered rifle, a No.1 Mk. III Lee Enfield cost me $45.00, and today they bring $450-$650. But I couldn't have bought a new brand name sporter for that $45 then, and today I can buy one for less than the Lee Enfield would resell for. T/C, as an example, and there's some great deals on Remington now because of their business failure.

If you had some money in your pocket back in those days (I didn't!) the guys that really picked up some nice items were the ones that bought things like broomhandle Mausers and those really great S&W Triplelocks that were returned from England.

Great times for collectors.

So very true. My last CF was T/C Compass a couple of years ago. After FFL fees and rebate $225. Silly to buy a mil-surp. Had a MOA load with the first batch of test rounds. And the scope went on in less than 30 minutes.

[444ttd]

So very true. My last CF was T/C Compass a couple of years ago. After FFL fees and rebate $225. Silly to buy a mil-surp. Had a MOA load with the first batch of test rounds. And the scope went on in less than 30 minutes.

eh yuck!!! plastic........

[WILCO]

We really need a time machine.

[444ttd]

We really need a time machine.

yes we do

[Wayne Smith]

Yes, but if we had a time machine all our money would have the wrong dates on it!

[444ttd]

Yes, but if we had a time machine all our money would have the wrong dates on it!

sum-a-beech!!!!!!

[Texas by God]

Yes, but if we had a time machine all our money would have the wrong dates on it!Yes, don't forget to take the coin collection!

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[ulav8r]

The time machine would be great. Go to 1848 California and pan/mine some gold, then return to 1960-63 and stock up on guns, then come back.

[Kylongrifle32]

There was a gun store in the town across the river from us. When I was around 12 yo late 70's I remember one of my dad's friends would go there and buy 50cal ammo cans that had 4 1911's packed in cosmoline in them. They were parts guns and sold for $45 per can. He was always able to get at least one complete pistol out of a can but sometimes he would build two.

I bought a 98 Mauser in 1987 to have sporterized in a varmint cartridge like a 22-250. Paid $100 for it got it home and looked it over. It had all matching serial numbers. I didn't have the heart to cut it up so I stuck it in the closet. Last year I heard a radio add from a place that bought military relics and firearms. Took the old Mauser up there and walked out of there with $850 in my pocket.

My dad joined the NRA in 1964 because they had an add for 03 springfield's for $17 if you joined. He had just gotten out of the army and did his rifle training with the springfield and fell in love with them.

[lrdg]

Back in the 60's I could get a Mauser 98 or M1 Carbine for $25. They were in big fiber drums at the hardware store. Springfields were 'expensive', $40.

My Remington .22 bolt rifle cost $49.

Keep in mind a brand new Mustang in 1966 was $2000.

I remember 98s in a fifty five gallon drum at the near by surplus store. $20 each. A year or two after that I took a job for $1 an hour.

[RustyReel]

I remember 98s in a fifty five gallon drum at the near by surplus store. $20 each. A year or two after that I took a job for $1 an hour.

Yep, that's the part I keep trying to remind myself. If I recall correctly, back then my LGS had entry level rifles, Rem 788's and Mossy 800's for around $69 new. Trouble was that was pretty close to two weeks take home pay for me then. I do the math between what I made then and what I make now, even as a retired old guy, and prices don't really seem to be that crazy. 2020 prices of course are the exception!