Thread: Price of firearms then and now?

For me my first centerfire was brand new Sako Finnbear 270 purchased from Tuckers Sports in Ashburton. Cost was $800 or 8 weeks wages for me.
Was the worst gun, Stock design was horrible and booted me into next week and it was heavy.
Replaced it with a Rem 700 mountain rifle in 1990 in 25/06 which was much better.

Originally Posted by zimmer

Oh, forgot to mention. A year or so before my Sako, whilst I was a rifle club member, I was able to purchase from the Army at Linton a No 4 303 for £5. I think it was a special deal to rifle club members to promote civilian marksmanship. That army culture disappeared not too many years later.

My No 4 was virtually brand new and the only wear was some stock damage from supposedly square bashing. I foolishly sold it to a mate for $10. He promptly chopped it up for sporting use.

please take your hand and slap some sense into yourself haha. painful to know a minter got chopped up

Originally Posted by Tedz50

Arthur's Pass Railway station waiting for the Railcar and no gun covers in sight about 1968

Getting off Railcar at Halpens Creek to go hunting, gun carried in luggage rack but pack in guards van, Those days will never come again.

Love the history of hard yards, one thing I try and install in my lads when I drag them miles round the hills. The journey is what creates memories not kill.

1969/70 I was the senior firearms salesman at Tisdalls in Ch-Ch and we were selling unissued Long Branch No4 .303's for $29.95, and I purchased a very tidy SMLE No1 Mk1 from Cromb & Merrits (over the road) for $7.50. I still have the Tisdalls catalogue I wrote at the time and could post some pages here if anyone is interested.

1975 I bought my Rem 700 BDL in .222 when I started with Forest Service for $220 still have it wont part with it

Originally Posted by gundoc

1969/70 I was the senior firearms salesman at Tisdalls in Ch-Ch and we were selling unissued Long Branch No4 .303's for $29.95, and I purchased a very tidy SMLE No1 Mk1 from Cromb & Merrits (over the road) for $7.50. I still have the Tisdalls catalogue I wrote at the time and could post some pages here if anyone is interested.

@gundoc Yes please. Another member posted old Tisdall catalogue pages some time back and they were of great interest.

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

please take your hand and slap some sense into yourself haha. painful to know a minter got chopped up

Yep, that's certainly the case now but back then they were so plentiful. I was pissed at the time because he wanted to take up target shooting and hounded me to sell it. My rifle although only a 2 groover was very accurate. Next time I saw it it was for sale in the local gunshop, all cut down.

One of my fullbore club members bid for and bought a sizable portion of the remaining army stock of No 4's. My eyes just about popped out of my head when I saw them. Cases (wooden) and cases of rifles. I forget how many to the case. Would be worth a fortune now if trickled into the market.

Pretty sure I remember in 1965, Harmony House, top of Queen St in Akl were selling "sporterized" 303's for 25 quid (pounds, for those unborn back then). My father picked up my Cooey single-shot .22 for a .fiver, for me. I was a farmhand then after bailing from school, so obviously I needed a gun. The values and principles of those times, sadly, are long gone

1965



1970

Interesting the big difference in the prices for 308s.
BSA and parker hale always seemed to have at times quite a large difference for 308s. 243, 270 and 3006 would be dearer

Originally Posted by csmiffy

Interesting the big difference in the prices for 308s.
BSA and parker hale always seemed to have at times quite a large difference for 308s. 243, 270 and 3006 would be dearer

308s and 222s always cheaper than other calibers for some reason.
In Picton at the moment, 2nd hand bookshop has mid ‘70’s Outdoor Magazines, ( mostly in black& white!) and I spotted an ad in a ‘74 edition: Holland & Holland double in 303 British…$3,000!

Originally Posted by keneff

I was a farmhand then after bailing from school, so obviously I needed a gun.

Bought a new Tikka M55 .308 in 1979 for $350. That got pinched, so in 1982 bought a new Sako A ll .308 from Tisdalls in CHCH for $960. Remember that well as it was a heap of money to me then. Still have it.

When I left school in Invercargill in 1966, 303 ammo could be bought at a second hand shop for 2/6 a hundred,in a round container (25c). I remember thinking that I should buy lots but had reason or gun to do so. Referring to stories of transporting guns,a year back an old pistol shooting mate,when we were discussing the days of travelling to Trentham for UIT championships, told me of boarding the ferry at Chch wearing an ex army greatcoat with a 357magnum revolver in one pocket and a S&W .22 semi auto in the other. Went into his cabin and climbed into bed still wearing the coat. Another guy in the cabin asked if he was going to take off his coat for the night. "Nope" Can't do that no more--no ferry.

After buying my first rifle, a new Voere .22LR for $44, the day I turned 16 in 1968, I carried it up to the local police station to have it registered, after previously being there earlier to get the permit to secure, and then walked up the main street of Tokoroa and home, about 5 kms, with the rifle over my shoulder with it's new sling and the magazine and bolt in it and a free packet of CAC .22LR ammo in my pocket. Nobody blinked an eye and several people made friendly comments. Nowadays, if you carried a rifle as far the letterbox in town some nosy neighbour would more than likely phone the police saying, "help, I've just seen someone with a gun" and we all know what would happen then.