"Back in the day" firearm deals

[DeanC]

The great thing about gun "investments" is you can play with them. My stocks just fill up lines on paper.

[DanM]

When I was in an NRA Junior rifle club in Burnsville I drooled over the surplus gun ads in the gun magazines. Until a neighbor offered an Enfield No. 5 Mk. 1 Jungle Carbine in mint condition for $13. It was mine in a heart beat (with Dad's permission, of course). Kicked like a mule, huge muzzle blast, lots of noise, turned heads on the firing range - perfect for a 14 year old! Surplus ammo (corrosive primed) was all I could afford on a paper route budget. But I cleaned it out with boiling water and lots of cloth patches. Still have it.

Dad could occasionally be talked into taking me to local gun shops (Lake Street?) that had racks and racks of Springfield '03s for $40 and M1 Garands for $60. Almost walked out with an Italian Carcano for $20 (because I could afford it), but Dad talked me out of it. He bought me a brand new Winchester .22 rifle for rifle club target work, instead. I was happy. Still have that, too. It's one of many fond reminders of Dad now that he's gone.

I don't think of the Enfield and Winchester as investments. They are worth much more than I could ever sell them for.

[tman]

The great thing about gun "investments" is you can play with them. My stocks just fill up lines on paper.

I'll trade you all of my oh-so-fun guns for all of your boring stocks.

[LarryFlew]

back in the day (about 1977), everyone at the place I worked knew I was a gun nut so they would offer me the guns they got from their uncle brother etc since they were all city slickers and never shot a gun. Got a 7mm Mauser for $20 (sold next day for $100), A Buntline single six for $50 (turned out to be stolen in Colorado 3 years earlier (orig owner bought back for $100-police shipped it to him), (2) 30's Colt 1903 .32 that where issued to railroad workers during the depression with original holsters etc For $30 each (one was used for a $150 credit on SW model 41 and one sold 2 years ago for $450), Western field 12 gauge pump (like a Winchester model 12 copy) $15 (was stolen when my son took it hunting with his "buddies".

[ijosef]

i clearly remember seeing AK's for $250 and thinking "dang those are expensive"

I bought one at that price in 1994 before the ban. Today it's worth about $600 based on gunbroker prices which is about a 5¼% annual return. Whoopee!

In today's market, a lot of people would be absolutely thrilled with a 5.25% return on investments, especially on typically more secure, lower-yielding types. You used to be able to get 5.25% in a money market account. Now you're lucky if you can get 1%. Passbook savings used to give you more than that.