Remembering the Older Days of Reloading/Shooting

[memtb]

We have a small town grocery store about 19 miles from our house that has firearms (rifles,shotguns, handgun) and ammunition ! Kinda nice to see that these things still exist! memtb

 

[Rob L.]

What's even more eye opening is that True-Value Hardware used to sell reloading supplies! . Man, times have changed.

Our True-Value Hardware still sells guns, ammo and reloading supplies up here in North Central Idaho in my town of 1200 folks, lol. We also have a gas station/gun store less than a mile from my ranch. Very cool to have like in the '50's and early '60's.

 

[Rob L.]

Well as long as we're reminiscing:

I started reloading in 1961 for my M1 carbine. I could produce .30 cal cartridges for less than I could buy .22 rimfire! Trouble is, that carbine threw the empty cases far enough I couldn't always find them. A guy in town had a gun store in his garage. He had several drums of military surplus powder, and would weigh out however much you wanted in a brown paper bag. IIRC, that powder was about $2 a pound. He also had bins of part for military surplus firearms, and I bought an entire Garand trigger assembly for something like $5.00. I used mostly CCI primers, and although I don't remember the price I know it was doggone cheap.

Those were the days. Of course I had a weekend job that paid seventy-five cents an hour, so I didn't exactly have a lot of money for reloading supplies.

Speaking of M1 Carbines, my Dad and older brother bought surplus M1's for $16 each...wow.

 

[AGGRO]

What's even more eye opening is that True-Value Hardware used to sell reloading supplies! . Man, times have changed.

So did Napa. Wall of guns and other goodies.

 

[338 dude]

My favorite LGS back when was a Mobil gas station!!! Had guns and reloading equip too. I have not seen that since then!

My local Texaco (jacks Texaco )had all the candy and fireworks and packs of BB's a kid could ever want probably had many other things there but at that age that was all I was interested in. And we lived less than 2 miles from school so I had to walk conveniently enough I walked right past Jacks Texaco five days a week.

 

[Rob L.]

Hahaha I wish...

 

[WinMag4me]

I found a few more (1965)

 

[C-130 Dude]

Hahaha I wish...

This is a great idea! Investors out there???

 

[436]

If you want to go to a gun shop where it feels like... Elmer Keith, who has been there many times, and Jack O'Connor could walk in at any moment, well it's LoLo Gun Shop in Lewiston ID. The last time I was in there the floor still had that late 1940s wood squeak to them, and you never forget that real gun shop smell. You older guys will know what I mean, you younger guys, well... sorry you missed a real treat as nostalgia goes. Gentlemen, crack a smile too those days we walked in the sun! Cheers.

 

[Mcranch]

Yeah...the good old days. But you had to walk several miles to & from school...uphill both ways...in the snow. So there's that...

Add a hot potato to keep your hands warm in -30 weather and having it for breakfast when you got there.

 

[Mcranch]

Only thing I think the reloading industry is guilty of is being way too slow to increase production capacity as demand for more product increased.

Just like oil and gas stating that if they can help it crude will never go below 80 a barrel. Maybe the same concept keep um wanting !?

 

[C-130 Dude]

Add a hot potato to keep your hands warm in -30 weather and having it for breakfast when you got there.

I thought I was the only one that had done that. I told my wife that and she laughed! Now I have proof!

 

[RidgeTop]

I had one primer go off in a lee loader. That gets your attention.

 

[RidgeTop]

I had the privilege of spending some time with a Chosin Reservoir survivor (Bronz Star Recipient). We will never know the hardships those men went through. So cold there the trucks and weapons would hardly operate. He is 92 now and suffers from his battle wounds and also his years at Camp Le Jeune with the contaminated base water.