Yesterday's gun and ammo prices in today's dollars

[smle-man]

Pardon me if others don't find this as interesting as I do, but I enjoy running the prices for shooting stuff from the past through the Federal Reserve of Minneapolis inflation calculator to see if things were really as cheap back then as we thought. Here are my latest gleanings taken from three ads:

Potomac Arms 1962:
Dewat set of a ground version of the Lewis MG
and a U.S. M3 submachine gun, today's dollars:$542.38

Sporterized (bubba'd) Spanish M93 mauser today's dollars $91.32

Webley Green .455 revolver today's dollars $144.27

Western Military Arms 1964:

Mauser 98K today's dollars $189.82

WW2 German P08 9mm today's dollars $281.45

.30-06 ball non corrosive per 20 today's dollars: $31.70
7.62MM NATO ball per 20 today's dollars: $52.84
7.62x54R per 20 today's dollars: $42.27
.30 carbine per 50 today's dollars: $42.27
.45 non corrosive per 50 today's dollars: $38.75
9mm per 50 today's dollars: $28.18


And the best for last:

1966 A.E. Bechter

Swiss Solothurn 20mm AT gun with wheeled carriage and illuminated telescopic sight all in VG condition, regularly $1,988.52 (today's dollars) but 1/3 off close out price!

Looks like ammo has continued to trend the same cost wise (the 90s were an exception due to the sudden dumping of entire cold war stores) but firearms were indeed less expense than today.

Information

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[Carl R]

I'm glad I stocked up on surplus ammo when it was cheap. I have fifteen rounds of German 7.92 x 57 purchased in the late 60s for 75 cents. That would be the equivalent of $4.57 today which isn't unreasonable at current prices but a lot more than the 5 to 10 cents a round I purchased equivalent ammo for four or five years ago. Thanks for your post, smle-man. Carl

[Bat Guano]

No wonder some of those "bargains" back then were out of reach to a college kid.

Although I have fond memories of asking an acquaintance going to a gun show to look for a nice GI .45 for me. I sent him with $45 and he came back with a minty Remington Rand--and $10 change. I was happy with the deal then--and still am.

[Former Cav]

I bought a colt LW commander used in 1980 for $200. It was a "pre 1968" model according to the guy that I gave it to on a tradein at a gun store.
I traded it in as I didn't know you had to replace the recoil spring on a 45 and it was my first gun. Needless to say, I was shooting 230 FMJ loaded with 7.3 grains of unique which was the "hottest load" back in the day. I used to love to see the fireball at the end of the barrel and feel the recoil.
Funny, now that I'm an old man I'm shooting semi wadcutters of 200 grains and only 5.3 grains of W231.
BTW... the then new Colt govt model series 70mark IV was my old gun ($200) plus $150. I was happy to walk out the door with a New govt model for the total of $350 in my mind.
The gun shop guy was happy to get it because it was "pre 1968" and he made a big deal about that. It had a buckled frame and stovepiped about every other round and I told him so. He was still seemingly overjoyed.

[Former Cav]

btw.... about 1994 I bought a case (1000 rounds) of 7.62 CAVIM ammo for $140.
the stuff I had burned clean and shot less then 1 MOA. Wish I would have bought 100 cases of the stuff.

[machinist]

In the mid 80's I bought 5000 rounds of 8mm @ $80 per 1000 and that included shipping and bought 2000 rounds of WWII surplus .30-06 in bandoleers and stripper clips for $200 per 1000. Wish I'd bought twice that much.

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Just one observation. Thare ain't no such thing as a Webley Green.
W.G. is an abbreviation for Webley Government.

Oh by the way, my Lewis cost $35 in the transit case from Ye Olde Hunter.
But that was around 1959 plus $200 to activate. Current price (working) $10,500 to $11,000

[KenK]

[QUOTE=John Sukey;39782]Just one observation. Thare ain't no such thing as a Webley Green.


http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=126948501

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Yeah, the seller got that wrong. The original error was in an early book on the Webley by W. Chipcase Dowell, reprinted in 1987 in a limited edition.
Green had a seperate shop with no connection to Webley. Unfortunately later researchers didn't catch the error and passed it on.
The later book, Webley Revolvers, by Gordon Bruce and Christian Reinhart printed in 1988 corrected the error, but it seems to have a charmed life.

Oh by the way I have one of those revolvers.

[KenK]

Yeah, the seller got that wrong. The original error was in an early book on the Webley by W. Chipcase Dowell, reprinted in 1987 in a limited edition.
Green had a seperate shop with no connection to Webley. Unfortunately later researchers didn't catch the error and passed it on.
The later book, Webley Revolvers, by Gordon Bruce and Christian Reinhart printed in 1988 corrected the error, but it seems to have a charmed life.

Oh by the way I have one of those revolvers.

Thanks John. I always wanted a MK1 with the birdshead grip.