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Sports Afield Gun Annual

ojrojr Posts: 1,344 Senior Member
edited March 2020 in General Firearms #1
When Mum passed away I grabbed most of my fathers[ who passed in the mid eighties] hunting books, 
Most pertained to New Zealand but there was the odd American magazine in there.
Guns and Hunting {June 1965, 50 cents} for example and one with the above title of 
Sports Afield Gun Annual 1967 Edition, @ 75Cents 
It an interesting read, there are several articles in there eg,  ballistic info as known, long range shotgunning, muzzleloaders, info on what collectables were worth, as well as current prices for Shotguns , Rifles and Handguns, all good stuff.

 Especially interesting to me was the prices of rifles.
For example a

Sako Forester l-579 action went for the princely sum of $132.38 for the standard model brand new, I sold one one with a borfus barrel a couple of years ago for 1K.

A Remington BDL though was 17 dollars more at $149.98, the magnums $164.95

Savage  Model 99f, calibre 308, 284 etc @ $137.50
Standard Savage 110 @ $124 magnums $134.

Standard winchester M70 @ $149.95 , I imagine this would be the push feed model

Weatherby MKV at $315 and up.


These are of course USD
Anyone have any idea how to translate that into today's prices? 
What would have been the average wage then and compared to now.?
Let's talk mainly blue collar to mid professional wages/ salary in 1967

The flight was uneventful, which is what one wants when one is transporting an Elephant.
 Reuters, Dec 2020.

Replies

  • Elk creekElk creek Posts: 7,775 Senior Member
    Those are a ton of fun to look through. I have a 1964 browning catalog. Man I would love a truckload of those guns at those prices. As for the money......


    From my exhaustive internet search and a screen shot.... actually just one simple google search🤣
    Aim higher, or get a bigger gun.
  • earlyagainearlyagain Posts: 7,928 Senior Member
    I have a collection of gun periodicals from 1960.. They're a real treasure. Old catalogs and loading manuals are something I look for when I can. During that decade American car companies offered large extensive hard cover service manuals. I used to look and read through a collection my Dad had. Sure wish I had them today.
  • ojrojr Posts: 1,344 Senior Member
    edited March 2020 #4
    Thanks Elk creek,

    The flight was uneventful, which is what one wants when one is transporting an Elephant.
     Reuters, Dec 2020.
  • Elk creekElk creek Posts: 7,775 Senior Member
    ojr said:
    Thanks Elk creek,

    👍
    Aim higher, or get a bigger gun.
  • AntonioAntonio Posts: 2,986 Senior Member
    There are several instant price rate calculators available online when you search for them in Google; just set the year, amount of money and voila! 
  • JerryBobCoJerryBobCo Posts: 8,227 Senior Member
    If you want a real blast from the past, find a Sears & Roebuck or Montgomery Wards catalog that dates to pre 1964.  You will see a number of ads for rifles and shotguns, all available via mail order.

    Skip the ladies underwear section, of course.

    After President Kennedy was assassinated, things change, and mail order guns became a thing of the past.
    Jerry

    Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
  • GunNutGunNut Posts: 7,642 Senior Member
    Elk creek said:
    Those are a ton of fun to look through. I have a 1964 browning catalog. Man I would love a truckload of those guns at those prices. As for the money......


    From my exhaustive internet search and a screen shot.... actually just one simple google search🤣
    Ha!  My dad was an Anesthesiologist and I remember in the 60s his salary was like $25,000 a year.  A lot of money at that time. IIRC my mom said our mortgage was less than $200 a month and two carts of groceries (family of 5 with growing kids) was under $100.
  • ojrojr Posts: 1,344 Senior Member
    Cheers all and thanks Gunnut
    that must have been a very good wage in the 60's.
    The flight was uneventful, which is what one wants when one is transporting an Elephant.
     Reuters, Dec 2020.
  • ojrojr Posts: 1,344 Senior Member
    Thanks earlyagain these catalogues are great to look though   and ponder . like, if only.
    The flight was uneventful, which is what one wants when one is transporting an Elephant.
     Reuters, Dec 2020.
  • ojrojr Posts: 1,344 Senior Member
    See

    "There are several instant price rate calculators available online when you search for them in Google; just set the year, amount of money and voila! "

    I didn't even know I could do such stuff
    Damn, 
    Thanks Antonio and others,.
    The flight was uneventful, which is what one wants when one is transporting an Elephant.
     Reuters, Dec 2020.
  • GunNutGunNut Posts: 7,642 Senior Member
    ojr said:
    Cheers all and thanks Gunnut
    that must have been a very good wage in the 60's.
    It was and Dad was a hard worker so we lived well, nice house etc.  Mom was frugal so us kids never really knew "we had money" and dad never made a big deal out of being a doctor.  His two best friends are a mechanic and an appliance repair man.  Dad never looked at a man and measured him by his line of work, and taught me to do the same.
  • GunNutGunNut Posts: 7,642 Senior Member

    BTW, years ago I used to have a reprint of the 1929 Bannerman's Catalogue (New York City military surplus store).  They used to sell stuff that would make your head spin at prices that will make you sick.  The company owned sooooooooo much stock from armies around the world that when Bannerman built his "Castle" on a private island on the Hudson River they used surplus Civil War Springfield actions as rebar.  Stories say they had BARRELS of those rifles around the store, basically pick your own for just a few dollars.

    I used to go by the ruins of the place every day on a train to New York City and EVERY day I was tempted to buy a canoe and row out to the island to explore, BUT it's not a good idea.  the place is crumbling so very unsafe and a lot of historians say there are tons of unexploded ordinance buried around the island.

    If you have some time google him.  It's a fascinating story.
  • Gene LGene L Posts: 12,777 Senior Member
    The TV show Mysteries of the Abandoned had a show that showed what's left of his castle.  Interesting but brief segment.  Very unsafe, exterior walls still standing appeared to be propped up and IIRC, the island is off limits.
    Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
  • GunNutGunNut Posts: 7,642 Senior Member
    Gene L said:
    The TV show Mysteries of the Abandoned had a show that showed what's left of his castle.  Interesting but brief segment.  Very unsafe, exterior walls still standing appeared to be propped up and IIRC, the island is off limits.
    There was an effort by some conservation society to, if not re-build, at least stabilize the shell of the castle so decisions about what to do with it could be pushed downstream a little.  Not really sure what happened to it but yes, they spent some time/money trying to keep it from crumbling to the ground.  Still a very impressive structure and I frequently had to explain what it was to train riders seeing it for the first time.  The island is REALLY not far from the river shore.
  • GunNutGunNut Posts: 7,642 Senior Member
    What it looks like from the commuter trains coming into New York City.


    Apparently there are tours going on now!




    In it's heyday and now...

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