A Bit of History

Making me feel old, in 74 I was 14.

Hey I'm right there with you Ernie! 4-20-60
Must of been a year the Lord was putting out handgunning pastors!
I can't remember the exact year, but it must have been the mid-late 70s I bought a new Colt Trooper MK 3 for around $175.

As soon as I turned 21, I bought a Dan Wesson 357 w/8" Vented Heavy barrel for $154.00 in 1974. Had to pay it out in four installments.
I was in tall cotton when I brought it home.
I purchased a Rem 1100 w/case and cleaning kit for $170.00 at ----are you ready for this-- TG&Y if any of you remember them. I worked evenings stocking and got my 10% discount. Paid it out also. I got it just to shoot crows in SW Oklahoma where they used to come to roost every year.
I still have the receipts for both of them.
My dad got me a H&R model 939, 22LR, 9shot revolver for Christmas in 1964, I was 11, to use when we went to hunt squrlz. He kept it put up for me and when we took to the woods I would have it with my homemade holster from a GI 1911 holster. Someone got it when they broke into my house in 81. Sure miss it.
I killed many a turtle and rabbits with it, not that many tree rats.

Mike

Wow, 1974, I was still 8 years from existing. Shoot, my dad would have been in high school and mom in middle.

cyberhick

well I was 6, born in 68, interesting year according to the history books. I was old enough to remember watching the vietnam war but not old enough to understand. (of course ever since I could understand I've hated politicians, if your gonna fight a war, don't tie your soldiers hands and win the sucker) Sorry I'm an admitted hippy hater but the doctors say I'm getting much better and should be out soon.

Old "Redneck Rod" they call him You central Oregon boys are all the same! 'course I never had much use for Ashland my self!
You guys got me thinking, & I remember buying a Remington 700 ADL in .270 @ Kmart around 1976 & as I recall it was around $149. I just couldn't see paying the extra $40 ish for the BDL

I bought my dad a 4" Colt Diamondback 38spl, in 1973, for his 70th birthday. Got it at K-mart for $119. A week later, he took it back and showed them a scratch on the grip, and they gave him $20 back to buy new grips. I have the gun now. It still has the scratch in the grip. Don't know what he did with the $20.

Nashcat

I'd like to bring those 1974 prices back , but let's leave my Salary right where it is! There ain't no going back to that of I'll have to sell what I have to live! I paid $103 for my S$W M28 in 1972, but had to pay 'rare' pricing for my Dirty Harry 6 1/2" M29 whick I still have LNIB!! Heck I paid $29 for a Remingtom 11-48 16 Ga semiauto ENGRAVED in 1968. I still have that one too!

In 1974 I was 6 years old. Rod, 1968 was a good year!

My Dad bought a Ruger M77 in 243 with weaver K 10 scope and paid $175 for both in 1973. I have the sales slip. He died in 1976 and left the gun to me. The gun is in excellent shape. I have not shot it much since 1991 when I got my pistol permit. Guess it will sit in the gun safe till one of my kids need a good rifle.

Speaking of 1991. I bough a Dan Wesson 357 Super Mag new for $435. Just 2 months ago I bought a 414 DW new at the tune of $999. That's inflation!!

Well, let's not make the good old days too good guys.

Using relative value dollar indexes to adjust for the value of the currency overy time, I calculate the following:

- $144 Contneder (1974) = $500-$575 today's dollars.
- $125 XP 100 (1974) = $425 - $500 in today's dollars

Now comparing the value of money over time is not a simple process, but these are reasonably accurate figures.

What I find really interesting is that up until we saw the huge gas price runups of recent years, the price of a gallon of gas was (realtively) cheaper than it had every been when adjusted for inflation! I was actually paying less in 2003 for a gallon of gas for my truck than my father was paing in 1967 to fill up his Pontiac GTO.

He actually sold the GTO because of the fuel price runups of the early 1970s. I always thought he was nuts because I think gas was .75 per gallon when he sold it. Adjust for inflation and that's $4.25 a gallon in today's money. Ouch.

Grouse

Grouse, you do have a point there. Inflation makes the prices close to being in line. But I think the quality has slipped alot.

1974 XP $125, if still made and sold today, $600 and very possible more. The Savage Striker reatiled for about $450, but not close to the quality of an XP. The HS Precision is a little better than the XP but very close and it retailes for $1300. Kind of makes ya wonder.