Remember when ?

[waterdogs]

This might come as something of a shock to you youngbloods out there, but back before the introduction of the GCA (Gun Control Act) of 1968, you could actually buy *all sorts* of firearms by mail order (!). Every outdoors magazine had ads from gun dealers all over the US....all you had to do was to fill out a small disclaimer form (provided in the ad) stating that you were of legal age, not a convicted felon, and not a habitual drunk. Sent in along with a USPS Money Order, your new gun would arrive in a couple of weeks, delivered by your friendly Postman.
Some sample offerings, with then-current prices:

P08 toggle-switch 9mm Luger....$49

S&W Official Police .38 revolver....$44

M1 Carbine....$79

M1 Garand....$129

Browning 9mm auto pistol....$125

[Spawn0701]

I knew this existed, however, sadly, I was not around to see it.

If only prices on those today were even remotely close to that. D:

[Komitadjie]

Aaaah yes, times like this that make me want to find the nearest liberal and punch them in the teeth. :devilfinger:

[Spawn0701]

Aaaah yes, times like this that make me want to find the nearest liberal and punch them in the teeth. :devilfinger:

Why stop at just the nearest one?

[KMNREMTP]

I've heard about them.... Kinda like the T. Rex dinosaur though, at least to me.

[Zero Gravitas]

I was a youngster when my dad was buying firearms through the mail. I can remember unwrapping an 8mm Mauser and an 03-A3.

[Sheldon_Wickersham]

Aaaah yes, times like this that make me want to find the nearest liberal and punch them in the teeth. :devilfinger: Green sent for the laugh! :bwah:

[bfm]

Every Sears had a gun rack on the floor.

I remember being in my mid teens and stopping in a general store in upstate NY that had crates piled high with 1903s and Lee Enfields. They were rough, but they were also under $100.

[Southern Cross]

That's insane. I just hope I'm not telling similar stories to my son and his buddies 30 years from now. "Back when I was your age you could actually own guns. And you could actually choose how you wanted to spend your paycheck. Now duck boys...Libby the automated government robot is here to anally rape us again"...

Man...that got dark quick...

[Guillermo]

I remember when Charles Askins said that a Browning High Power was his choice for carry on a airplane.

[waterdogs]

I remember when Charles Askins said that a Browning High Power was his choice for carry on a airplane.

Yep....you could carry a gun on a plane, and everybody SMOKED on planes, too :devilzeek

Man, those days seem like the Wild fuckin` West compared to nowadays.... :bwah:

[Allen207]

I also remember walking into a gun show in OK when I was 14 and buying a used Remington model 51 (which I wish I still had). The table owner asked if it was "ok with my dad". I said it was and forked over the $. Of course it WAS ok with my dad, if I tried something like that without his permission, he would have kicked my ass off the face of the planet. Amazingly enough, I never robbed a liquor store or shot up my school.

[waterdogs]

I also remember walking into a gun show in OK when I was 14 and buying a used Remington model 51 (which I wish I still had). The table owner asked if it was "ok with my dad". I said it was and forked over the $. Of course it WAS ok with my dad, if I tried something like that without his permission, he would have kicked my ass off the face of the planet. Amazingly enough, I never robbed a liquor store or shot up my school.

I still remember a story from one of the gun mags from around 25 years ago....the author (Skeeter Skelton, maybe ?) was recalling how when he was in maybe in 9th or 10th grade, he was going on a weekend hunting trip with his friend and the friend`s father, so that Friday morning, he brought his rifle on the school bus, and into the school, where he left it in the Principal`s office until 3 o`clock. There was no terrified screaming, lockdown, or police SWAT teams called in....it was just another day, back in The Day....

[TacoMan5000]

I've heard about them.... Kinda like the T. Rex dinosaur though, at least to me.

As opposed to the T. Rex llama?

[the dude]

i'll take 10 garands please

[Guillermo]

I still remember a story from one of the gun mags from around 25 years ago....the author (Skeeter Skelton, maybe ?) was recalling how when he was in maybe in 9th or 10th grade, he was going on a weekend hunting trip with his friend and the friend`s father, so that Friday morning, he brought his rifle on the school bus, and into the school, where he left it in the Principal`s office until 3 o`clock. There was no terrified screaming, lockdown, or police SWAT teams called in....it was just another day, back in The Day....

I saw this happen to a classmate like about 1981. The principal called a student or two to his office early that morning. When They returned to class they told me that he wanted them to get their shotguns out of their car and lock them in the band room. They went duck hunting that morning with a coach and he didn't want someone to steal their guns. And about that time I had a teacher get mad because none of the boys would give her a pocketknife. She wanted to pry a nail or something and we didn't want to get our knives messed up. Ah, the good ol' day.

[Southern Cross]

Things are definitely different than they were. Hell I'm not even that old and it's waaaay different now than when I was in grade school. In the 3rd grade I brought giant (at the time of course) buck knife to school to show my buddies like an idiot. I bought it from the farmer's market the weekend prior. I was asked the same question...is it okay with my parents...it wasn't of course. Needless to say I got caught with it in school. I was detained in the office until my bother came and got me. Didn't get suspended or anything...my mother wasn't happy though. Funny thing is the two other kids in there with me got suspended for a week. Their charge...one lit a match on the way home from school...the other got caught smoking. They got a week and I got nothing. Christ it would be national news today. "Student plot to slaughter teachers and fellow students foiled".

[perado]

Incrementalism. Fellow frogs, is the water getting a little warm?