Reminiscing…

[jdgabbard]

So I saw this posted on a different platform the other day. I thought I would share it here, as several members have previously thought I mixed up dates, and the prices like this were from much earlier…

Pay attention to the date on the invoice. That there is 20k primers… Sure some might have been hard to seat. But that’s basically the price for 3k primers today… I’m still shooting yo some Wolf Primers (mostly in large pistol and small pistol magnum). Tula Primers also weren’t too bad - still hard to seat sometimes. But not bad if you swage your primer pockets.


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[Nines&Twos]

I can remember my 1st SKS and ordering wolf ammo from the back page of Shotgun News for 89 bucks a thousand. *sigh*

[country gent]

I would buy Portuguese surplus 7.62 ball ammo for practice at 129.00 / 1000 case.

[jdgabbard]

I can remember my 1st SKS and ordering wolf ammo from the back page of Shotgun News for 89 bucks a thousand. *sigh*

I can remember, when you could get an SKS along with the 1k of Wolf for around $80-90. I also remember when them Nagant revolvers couldn't be given away for $40-50, now they're priced about $500-1000 on Gunbroker....

[rancher1913]

cabelas used to stock s&b primers and they had frequent sales, anytime they were on sale for around 10 bucks a brick, i bought all that my points would allow so now i have a good selection of them for free. sure miss the old days.

[jdgabbard]

I would buy Portuguese surplus 7.62 ball ammo for practice at 129.00 / 1000 case.

I kind of remember that... I also remember they were selling 50BMG from I think J&G sales for like $1/rd... That was also back when you could buy a 50BMG AR-15 Upper for like $1200...

[jdgabbard]

cabelas used to stock s&b primers and they had frequent sales, anytime they were on sale for around 10 bucks a brick, i bought all that my points would allow so now i have a good selection of them for free. sure miss the old days.

Never saw the S&B primers, but I have never been a big Cabelas, or Bass Pro, fan... I've only recently come to appreciate them, as I can order primers and have them shipped to the store which is about 2 miles from my house to avoid hazmat....

[TNsailorman]

Yeah, in the good ol days I use to look at the adds in the back of gun magazines with 20mm Lahti anti-tank wheeled guns for sale for $399.00 and up depending on condition. I lusted after one of those. They also, at one time in the 60's, had desert shoots with them in Arizonia. 1,000 and 2000 yards targets if I remember correctly. I started out using Remington rifle and pistol primers in the early 60's and at that time the local hardware store would sell you a box of 100 large rifle primer for $1.25 or a brick of 100 for $12.95. I was making $1.57 an hour back then so I could not afford a whole brick. Mahoney's would sell you a 1lb bag of loose military powder for .75 a lb. Again, half a hours pay. Things have changed over time and not all of it is bad. I miss those days too, james

[schutzen-jager]

.22 shorts .39 for 50 - .22 lr .50 for 50 -

[jdgabbard]

.22 shorts .39 for 50 - .22 lr .50 for 50 -

That's a good one.... Those 550 packs of Remmington and CCI .22LR were something like $10/pc. Also, you could get Winchester White Box 9mm in loose pack 100rd boxes for $7.99. Still have one or two laying around in one of my ammo cans...

[schutzen-jager]

That's a good one.... Those 550 packs of Remmington and CCI .22LR were something like $10/pc. Also, you could get Winchester White Box 9mm in loose pack 100rd boxes for $7.99. Still have one or two laying around in one of my ammo cans...

still have some of a 500 rd brick of Remington .22lr thunderbolts purchased for $4.50 at Kmart -

[Rockingkj]

Ruger 10/22 on sale at Wally world for $55.00.

[country gent]

Theres a box of Remington kleen bore 22 rim fires in my grandfathers tackle box the price tag reads 19 cents.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

cabelas used to stock s&b primers and they had frequent sales, anytime they were on sale for around 10 bucks a brick, i bought all that my points would allow so now i have a good selection of them for free. sure miss the old days.


Never saw the S&B primers, but I have never been a big Cabelas, or Bass Pro, fan... I've only recently come to appreciate them, as I can order primers and have them shipped to the store which is about 2 miles from my house to avoid hazmat....

I wasn't reloading when S&P was on sale that cheap, but I do recall one Cabelas primer sale, probably about the Date on the packing list photo in the OP, when S&P were either $16 or $18 and Winchesters were $22. I recall I bought enough to where I was nervous driving home from the store ;)

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I can remember my 1st SKS and ordering wolf ammo from the back page of Shotgun News for 89 bucks a thousand. *sigh*

The early 90s was a wonderful time if a fellow wanted to shoot cheap commie ammo in cheap commie guns. I recall visiting my favorite shop, "Jack's gun and pawn". He always had some SKS's on the shelf. Banged up ones were around $100, and nice ones were $130. Now, I'm not sure where he got this case of china ammo (1100rd corrosive), but he wanted to unload it quick for some reason. He says, if I buy one of the nice unissued SKS, I could take that case of ammo for free.

[jdgabbard]

I just wish I was old enough to have been around during the Chinese ammo imports.... I would have bought a garage full of that stuff.

[TNsailorman]

I almost forgot the single six .22 that I bought in the 60's for $47.50 full retail. Also one of the brand new at that time 10-22's for $42.00 (gun store owner said they wouldn't sale long--too short). If I remember right, it had a walnut stock, not hardwood. james

[dverna]

I wasn't reloading when S&P was on sale that cheap, but I do recall one Cabelas primer sale, probably about the Date on the packing list photo in the OP, when S&P were either $16 or $18 and Winchesters were $22. I recall I bought enough to where I was nervous driving home from the store ;)

My memorable drive was 50k primers about 50 years ago. I was living in Canada and my mentor found a deal in Detroit.

I had to have a permit to transport them over the Bluewater Bridge between Sarnia and Port Huron. You should have seen the looks from the Customs and Border folks.

[jdgabbard]

My memorable drive was 50k primers about 50 years ago. I was living in Canada and my mentor found a deal in Detroit.

I had to have a permit to transport them over the Bluewater Bridge between Sarnia and Port Huron. You should have seen the looks from the Customs and Border folks.

Yeah, you probably wouldn't be allowed to bring them back today. Sad state of affairs...

[Rockingkj]

Nice pre-64 win 94 30-30 for $125 in the early 70’s at a gun show and that was the expensive one.

[jonp]

I can remember my 1st SKS and ordering wolf ammo from the back page of Shotgun News for 89 bucks a thousand. *sigh*

$69 a case for surplus Yugo 8mm. Bought 2 of them and if I were the Amazing Kreskin I would have bought 20

[jonp]

Nice pre-64 win 94 30-30 for $125 in the early 70’s at a gun show and that was the expensive one.

How about a pre 64 300 H&H with a Redfield distance scope for $250? Still have the scope but the rifle is long gone because I had to have something else.

[405grain]

In the early 80's I picked up a pre 64 Winchester model 70 (made 1951) in 30-06 at a gun show in San Francisco for $150. I put a Leupold scope and a Fajen stock on it and hunted with it for many years. I still own it, and its still just as accurate as ever. Back in the days when you could get an SKS for around $80 a relative of mine picked up a nice one. He shot it for a year or two, then stuck it in a closet for decades. Later he told me I could have it because he said that he had shot corrosive ammo in it, didn't clean it, and now the barrel looked ruined. This was no problem because new barrels were available and cheap back then. First thing I did when I got it was take it apart and clean everything so I could see what parts might need replacing. Once I cleaned the rifle the bore was mirror bright. There was no rust anywhere. Then I went and had a look at the box of his old ammo that he'd sent with the rifle - and it was all Wolf non-corrosive. It turns out that there was nothing wrong with that rifle, he'd just never cleaned it. I still have that rifle too, and surprisingly for what it is, on a good day it will shoot 2.5" groups at 100 yards.

About two months ago I found a sheet of rifle primers that had a $1.25 price tag on them from a Payless drug store. Ten years ago I bought two complete 1895 Mauser actions for $35 each. The list just goes on and on. Those really were the good old days, and we will never see their lot again.

[MrWolf]

Took awhile but I found the receipt for 10,000 of each spp and lpp of S&B primers from Grafs and Son:

Ordered 1/23/2013

Products & Fees
Item # Name. Price. Quantity. Total.
SBV360157U. SELLIER & BELLOT PRIMER. SMALL PISTOL 5000/CS $109.99 2. $219.98
SBV361607U SELLIER & BELLOT PRIMER LARGE PISTOL 5000/CS. $109.99. 2. $219.98
RTTRUE1. RAMSHOT TRUE-BLUE 1LB POWDER (PISTOL) 10/CS. $20.99. 1. $20.99
HDUNIV1. HODGDON UNIVERSAL CLAYS 1LB POWDER 10/CS. $20.99. 2. $41.98
Handling & Insurance. $6.95
NRA Donation. $0.62
Hazardous Materials Fee. $27.50
Total. $538.00


Glad I took the time to make everything all lined up and the system smashed em together.

[curiousgeorge]

1976 I was a 17 yr old freshman in college in Bowling Green, KY. Bought a Marlin model 60 .22 rifle at K-Mart and a brick of Federal Lightning shells for $45.00 out the door. The local Watson's had a Christmas special sale that year. You could choose a Marlin or Winchester .30-30 or a Stevens double barrel 12 ga for $99.00. Did I buy any of those? No, got engaged instead. But I really can't complain because 47 years later I still have the wife. Probably would have traded off the guns long ago.

[jdgabbard]

1976 I was a 17 yr old freshman in college in Bowling Green, KY. Bought a Marlin model 60 .22 rifle at K-Mart and a brick of Federal Lightning shells for $45.00 out the door. The local Watson's had a Christmas special sale that year. You could choose a Marlin or Winchester .30-30 or a Stevens double barrel 12 ga for $99.00. Did I buy any of those? No, got engaged instead. But I really can't complain because 47 years later I still have the wife. Probably would have traded off the guns long ago.

Back during the 2012 election craze I ended up trading for a Model 60. Had about $50 in it when I trade for it. Still got it, it's a good gun. But I don't really have much of a need for it these days. I'm a city dweller now, so aside from target shooting with it, no real need for it.

That said, I also had a wife back in the mid-2000s. I but I traded mine off for more freedom and less nagging. Cheers!

[fredj338]

In 1990 I was paying $10/1000 for Win LPP @ a retail shop, not internet orders back then. You could do a bit better at the gun shows, but not much. Powder was never more than $10-$12/# too. OF course gas was about $1.25.

[jdgabbard]

In 1990 I was paying $10/1000 for Win LPP @ a retail shop, not internet orders back then. You could do a bit better at the gun shows, but not much. Powder was never more than $10-$12/# too. OF course gas was about $1.25.

Man.... I don't think gas was even that high... I can remember when I got my license to driver back in the mid-90s, dad took me down and filled up the tank in the pickup he bought for me. 0.79/gal. Those were the days.

[Apple Man]

I just used the last of my small pistol primers that I paid $12/K.

Still have a lot of small rifle, and large rifle from that vintage.

[charlie b]

Yep, prices were lower back when I was younger. But, my take home pay as a new 2nd LT was $660 a month, when a new Python was $375. Rent for 2BR apt was $150 and my car payment was $150.

And yes, a box of .22LR was $0.40. Up from $0.25 a box when I bought my .22 at the age of 13 (the Rem was $49).

The only things you can count on are death and taxes.....and inflation.

[jdgabbard]

Yep, prices were lower back when I was younger. But, my take home pay as a new 2nd LT was $660 a month, when a new Python was $375. Rent for 2BR apt was $150 and my car payment was $150.

And yes, a box of .22LR was $0.40. Up from $0.25 a box when I bought my .22 at the age of 13 (the Rem was $49).

The only things you can count on are death and taxes.....and inflation.

That must have been a fair bit of time ago... When I was in back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, as an E4 I was bringing home $2400/mo, and closer to $3200 with BAH. You toss in hazardous duty pay while over there in the desert and I was approaching $3500/mo - as an E4.

[TNsailorman]

I got out of service in 1962, june. My pay at that time was $158.00 a month which included $5.00 sea pay. They took $40.00 of that each month for my wife's allotment. Not much wiggle room for anything but rent, groceries and baby formula. james

[charlie b]

My commission date was Jun 75. Retired after 20.

[CastingFool]

I still have the first box of Remington 30-06 ammo I bought in 1971. I paid all of $4.97 plus sales tax. of course, it has been reloaded 3 or 4 times. lol

[MOshooter]

I remember late 1980's Walmart was selling surplus Norinco AK47's stuffed in plastic trash cans with no boxes 199.99. I can also remember early 90's Norico SKS's with a tin of ammo 88.00, my wife's uncle bought one.

He didn't know to clean the cosomoline from the rifle, talk about dangerous!! :) lol

I bought my first deer rifle 74' or 75' a Remington 742 Woodmaster 30-06 from Walmart 199.99. I was 10 years old and bought it with my paper route money.

[Jack Stanley]

I remember the surplus 7.62x51 ammo selling for eleven to fifteen cents a round . What I bought of that deal made up for me not being able to buy a Barrett fifty cal. fifteen years earlier with a price tag of four grand .

Still got a little of the surplus 7.62 left after wearing out the barrel of an M1A with it .

Jack

[Nines&Twos]

Knob creek 20 years ago I bought 5 cases (1400 rounds on stripper clips in cloth bandoliers) of Turkish 7,92x57 for $65 each....there was a disabled but VERY motivated veteran driving an M274 in exchange for donations [because it would have been some kind of violation to actually charge...Vets should get a pass on those things but whatever] and I gave him $50 to take me from the tent to the back of my truck to unload and then back to the show. Awesome times...sad the younger ones will never see that again.


If we're throwing memories out there..Knob Creek should be high on the list. $1/shot for 50 BMG ball ammo...$75 AK parts kits with EVERYTHING in the bag....I remember a guy charging $5 per shot to shoot an L39 Lahti...that's a 20mm anti tank rifle...$5 is expensive but how many times in your life are you presented THAT opportunity? I bought some kind of Argentine made 20g shells for $1 box .....Never again people. These are our old man stories that make the kids call us liars.

I remember paying $25 for one magazine full in a Barrett M82...I was shooting at some kind of early 80's Pontiac compact car. Twenty five bucks well spent.

[murf205]

The good ole' days. IMR 4350 @$3.05 a lb, my 336 Marlin bought in 1970 for $68 and gas was $.25 a gallon-premium was $.28! HOWEVER....back then when a member of the community had a heart attack, they were dead and cancer was a sure killer. I believe I will take this days medical achievements but we are indeed getting hammered on handloading supplies.

[WRideout]

The old Army Navy surplus stores had all kinds of great stuff. I remember seeing barrels full of bayonets. They were so common, some people bought them to cut down into usable knives.

Wayne