Henry Rifle Forums

Going thru the gun cabinet today just to inspect the herd and put a few rounds thru my S&W 10-5 the receipt for $76.50 still in the box from 1968 ( I was 6 years old) fast forward 8 years I worked on the commercial fishing docks all summer and wanted a new bicycle, dad took me to western auto and suggested I buy the Revelation 30-30 on the wall priced at $97 due to my expressed interest in deer hunting, since my big brother said I could use his beat up winny 94 32 special I Bought the bicycle and now wish I had a time machine.. I did get a deer and that old 32 special is still in the family at my nephews.. why I still think of this I don't know..

Yep.
I remember being 17 and dad taking my brother and I to the Gibson Discount Dept store,
on a Friday evening before that deer season.
My younger brother by 3 years bought a brand new Win. 94 30-30 for $99.99 plus tax.
He killed his first deer the very next day. First time he even fired the rifle.

RP

I remember those prices, but I also remember gas was less than 30 cents a gallon, you could get a drink, fries, and burger at McDonald's and change back from a dollar, and 22 ammo was a penny a shot, if not less. My first part time job, my first check after taxes was about $18 for a twenty hour week.

I saw an article recently that said that realistically, guns are cheaper today if you covert the prices from "the old days" to today dollars. I don't really know...

... But we have some finance guys here, what say you?

There are inflation calculators on the internet for this. One of them indicates $100 in 1968 is about $906 today.
A new Win94 today starts at about $1100-1200.

I enjoy collecting early catalogs and magazine ads for some of my guns. Here's some 1960s vintage prices.

The first ad for the Tc Contender which ran 1967 and 1968 (the Contender hit the market in 1967). Today, barrels start at about $250, but most go for $300 plus and that's just the barrels.


One of my favs, the very first ad for the 10/22, circa 1964


My recently acquired 1968 Colt Targetsman. Note that the Targetsman was the economy version of the Woodsman.

Got my first centerfire rifle in 1963: Savage 99 in .308. I worked all summer on my uncle’s farm to get that rifle. Seems like it was about $110.
Bought a 68 GTO convertible when I got home from my all expenses paid vacation to SE Asia; $3700 brand new.
So, inflation factors in to today’s prices.

Everything is way more expensive today than it should be and the quality is worse than it was years ago.

What you said, forty.
EXACTLY

RP

fortyshooter wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 11, 2025 8:17 pm

Everything is way more expensive today than it should be and the quality is worse than it was years ago.

Yup, for sure.

From time to time I run across some of the receipts from gun purchases over the last 40 years. I'm amazed at first, but then I remember that at the time, it was appropriate for the time it was.
I think I got my 1022 when they would go on sale for just under 100 dollars. I got my Henry H001 for just under 200 dollars when it went on sale.
I got my first Henry, a Golden Boy, at a store that was on hard times. They ended up giving me 150 dollars off it brand new.
That gun, in time, led to these forums.

As I have gotten out of middle age and into older age, I find myself going back and looking at things that this thread makes you think of. Like finding a price tag attached to a vintage box of ammunition.

The thing that I like is we are able to keep up with the times. As Dave pointed out, everything is relative. The prices may change, yet we still seem to be able to buy what we want.

One of the things I enjoy about vintage guns, especially vintage revolvers, is that they were made in a way that is now history and a thing of the past. That appeals to me.

Of course, I fully understand the reality of the way guns are made in this day and age. The change was inevitable and I'm okay with that, too. Not only would all the hand fitting of my old 1930s Colt revolver be impossibly expensive to make today, there would be no skilled people to do that hand fitting, anyway.

Personally, I am grateful we still have revolvers and lever guns and single shots to buy, no matter how they are made and that there's still enough folks who like to shoot them to support a market for them. I think that's pretty cool.

My first centerfire firearm post college was a 4" S&W Model 66-2. Bought it from a fellow who owned a furniture store, but had an FFL side business. A ten-percenter. Cost plus 10% plus the background check and freight, and he'd get you anything you wanted (that he legally could).

His cost - $235
10% Markup - $23.50
UPS freight - $3.50
Background check - $5

Total - $267, out the door.

She's a little scarred these days, but still shoots as accurately as when brand new.

A Model 66 (no dash) new, runs about $950-1000.

I was recently cleaning out part of my pantry and found a bag where I stuffed a bunch of receipts for guns when I moved. I looked through them, much like the first post here. There were a few revolvers under 100.oo. Used of course.
Probably the best receipt was for my Smith and Wesson model 1917 in great shape with only a chip out of one grip. - $300,oo even. I still remember that day vividly. It came with a Gov't model holster cut to hold the revolver and a canvas half moon clip holder and three half moon clips.

cpaspr wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:32 pm

My first centerfire firearm post college was a 4" S&W Model 66-2. Bought it from a fellow who owned a furniture store, but had an FFL side business. A ten-percenter. Cost plus 10% plus the background check and freight, and he'd get you anything you wanted (that he legally could).

His cost - $235
10% Markup - $23.50
UPS freight - $3.50
Background check - $5

Total - $267, out the door.

She's a little scarred these days, but still shoots as accurately as when brand new.

What really stands out to me is the UPS freight at $3.50. Today that would be around $25.00.

I think I mentioned this not long ago but even in the last 5 years that prices have really gone up.