1958 Enfield Sale

Well, Bwest, it's been the guts out of 50 years now: how do you like the "genuine spaghetti-grained stock" on your "70VV sniper rifle"? Mine is an AOI and it looks as if the entire Italian Army retreated over top of it and then the Brits drove their tanks over it.... but it was and is the start of my collecting and there is no price on it. It sits in the vault with the UNFIRED Mark IV Martini-Henry (a $17 investment because of extra-nice condition), the W&C Scott 11-gauge double ($15, 10 from me and 5 from my Dad; we co-owned it for many years) and a few other little treasures..... $25 Winchesters, that kind of thing (.32-20 in an 1873, factory extra-long barrel, same in a '92, that kind of junk). My "70VV sniper rifle" arrived here by steam train from Albion Knitting Mills in Peterborough although I ordered from Hunter's Lodge. Paid $1.30 freight on an $11.97 purchase, but it was worth it. I became an instant addict!

The Dollar was bigger, yes. I remember READING about 5-cent Cokes in the ads in Popular Science but they were 6 cents in the machine at Kilfoyle's in Edmonton.... but Coke was too expensive for kids, anyway. Cost 4 cents to send a letter anywhere in Canada and it GOT THERE, too! Then, about a year or so after the King died, they brought out a blue 5-cent stamp and it's been downhill ever since.

Bearhunter, what years were you hanging about at Lever's? I used to go in there a lot while I was working out at CPAL at the Airport.
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smellie said:
Well, Bwest, it's been the guts out of 50 years now: how do you like the "genuine spaghetti-grained stock" on your "70VV sniper rifle"? Mine is an AOI and it looks as if the entire Italian Army retreated over top of it and then the Brits drove their tanks over it.... but it was and is the start of my collecting and there is no price on it. It sits in the vault with the UNFIRED Mark IV Martini-Henry (a $17 investment because of extra-nice condition), the W&C Scott 11-gauge double ($15, 10 from me and 5 from my Dad; we co-owned it for many years) and a few other little treasures..... $25 Winchesters, that kind of thing (.32-20 in an 1873, factory extra-long barrel, same in a '92, that kind of junk). My "70VV sniper rifle" arrived here by steam train from Albion Knitting Mills in Peterborough although I ordered from Hunter's Lodge. Paid $1.30 freight on an $11.97 purchase, but it was worth it. I became an instant addict!

The Dollar was bigger, yes. I remember READING about 5-cent Cokes in the ads in Popular Science but they were 6 cents in the machine at Kilfoyle's in Edmonton.... but Coke was too expensive for kids, anyway. Cost 4 cents to send a letter anywhere in Canada and it GOT THERE, too! Then, about a year or so after the King died, they brought out a blue 5-cent stamp and it's been downhill ever since.

Bearhunter, what years were you hanging about at Lever's? I used to go in there a lot while I was working out at CPAL at the Airport.
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Yes, smellie, --- Its been a While allright, the stock and metal on my Italian 50 VV was not to bad, that was After I got about an inch of grease and grime off it, sorry yours wasn,t better. I can still remember the look on my Dad,s face , when I opened the box, it looked like an old railway tie. It was supposed to come with 100 rds of old ammo, it didn,t, so I wrote and compained about it, and they sent me 100 rds of recent 6.5 ball, needless to say, I never fired it. Its been a wall hanger in a frame I made for years. I Only wished I had of picked up several of those "Gun Crank Specials " Remington Rolling Blocks, they had for about the same price,!! I,m still kicking my ass !! I paid about the same for freight, as you did, and it came in on a Steam Train as well, another passion I have !! Sounds like you have some very nice rifles !! And, yes things were Very different back then, and Before I forget , I sure like to Thank " Moving Target " ( Ed ) for posting that old ad , it was Great to see, and Some Where I still have the catalog , they sent with the rifle, Lots of other rifles, ammo, bayonets etc; all very cheap, at least , compared to todays prices . And if I,d Only picked up more of those hand guns, that Alan, had at Levers, ------- but thats another story, but it where I got my first, a .38 S&W Victory, --- There were Some Many there to chose from. ----- Anyway , Nice to go back in Time !!
 
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No need to cry. In 50 years time, our grandchildren will say: 'I wish I can own real gun like grandpa'.
 
SF, you are exactly right..... unless we all start ACTING like that "powerful firearms lobby" that the clowns in the mass media thinks actually exists.

Who remembers the carefully-planned protest marches against the 'Nam war in the 60s?
Remember the chants from all the Commies and peaceniks and fellow-travellers?

"One, two, three four,
We don't want your f***ing war!
Five, six, seven, eight,
Organise and smash the State!"

These same delightful people have been In Charge since 1968. Today, freedom in Canada has become a rare commodity. Two days ago I was ORDERED to stay in my car. The big heroic guy with the body-armour and the gun was screaming at the cripple who can hardly stand up without help. Two months ago a lady friend was confined in our local police station for over 2 hours. Her crime? "Looking strange."

What we have to do is make it absolutely clear to every politician in the country that OUR VOTE depends entirely upon THEIR returning some semblance of sanity and freedom to OUR COUNTRY.

And then we have to KEEP that promise.

WE are the biggest single "group" in Canada. We are bigger than bobsledding or power-walking or even dragon-boat racing. We are even bigger than Tantra Yoga and sushi bars! And we are being dumped on because we are peaceful and want to be left alone.

Politicians are Public Servants. A Master may fire a Servant. Maybe time to fire a couple of hundred in Ottawa and then start on the Provinces. As we fire each one, tell him exactly why... and do it loudly. The others will get the message.... if they want to keep their faces in the trough.

Votes are just as powerful as bullets..... and they are a lot quieter!

Then perhaps our grandchildren will be able to have their own collections.
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"So, for you older boys on the site is there really a difference??? "

I have done this calculation more than once. In the early 60's I earned $50 a week. Now I earn several times that an hour. I still cringe at those old ads, but fact is, guns today are cheaper.

I man my age can hurt his brain thinkng about the coulda and shoulda situations.

Please don't publish those old ads. For the kids on here, it is a novelty. For us old farts, it makes us feel bad because we didn't back the truck up to the warehouse and say "Fill er up!"
 
smellie said:
SF, you are exactly right..... unless we all start ACTING like that "powerful firearms lobby" that the clowns in the mass media thinks actually exists.

Who remembers the carefully-planned protest marches against the 'Nam war in the 60s?
Remember the chants from all the Commies and peaceniks and fellow-travellers?

"One, two, three four,
We don't want your f***ing war!
Five, six, seven, eight,
Organise and smash the State!"

These same delightful people have been In Charge since 1968. Today, freedom in Canada has become a rare commodity. Two days ago I was ORDERED to stay in my car. The big heroic guy with the body-armour and the gun was screaming at the cripple who can hardly stand up without help. Two months ago a lady friend was confined in our local police station for over 2 hours. Her crime? "Looking strange."

What we have to do is make it absolutely clear to every politician in the country that OUR VOTE depends entirely upon THEIR returning some semblance of sanity and freedom to OUR COUNTRY.

And then we have to KEEP that promise.

WE are the biggest single "group" in Canada. We are bigger than bobsledding or power-walking or even dragon-boat racing. We are even bigger than Tantra Yoga and sushi bars! And we are being dumped on because we are peaceful and want to be left alone.

Politicians are Public Servants. A Master may fire a Servant. Maybe time to fire a couple of hundred in Ottawa and then start on the Provinces. As we fire each one, tell him exactly why... and do it loudly. The others will get the message.... if they want to keep their faces in the trough.

Votes are just as powerful as bullets..... and they are a lot quieter!

Then perhaps our grandchildren will be able to have their own collections.
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Well Said, smellie, ----- Could,nt have said it better, -------Been fighing the Good Fight for many years, long before the days of Kim Cambell , and glad I had the chance to help truf her out on her ass, ----And have No Plans to Quit, any time soon !!!! -------- I want my Grandchildren to have their own collection as well.
 
This thread is awesome. Thank you gentlemen, just by witnessing your discussion we youngins' learn an aweful lot we won't learn anywhere else.
 
Ganderite said:
For us old farts, it makes us feel bad because we didn't back the truck up to the warehouse and say "Fill er up!"
Click to expand...

Oh, you mean the ones that got away. Humm..where do we begin? :)

Guns may be cheaper today. But the selection and Norc knockoffs suck by comparison.
 
Oh boy, this could cause me to jump off a bridge! I bought a beautiful 1904 Portugese from SIR mail order for $40. It is one of the shortened 8x57 versions. It is still safely in my possession. It is an excellent example of not relying on what is stamped on the receiver or barrel as to what caliber is is actually chambered in. It is stamped 6.5.

Most of my better milsurps were bought quite some time ago, when "them old war guns" weren't really worth much. But, as pointed out above, the hourly wages and monthly salaries were probably in line with what the guns were worth.

Most milsurps are still reasonably priced, as the market will only bear what people are willing to pay. I usually don't act according to what the naysayers go on and on about. Prohibs are a good example. I am a collector, the definition of which can change with each personality. This site is a treasure trove of knowledge, and can be rediscovered each time people like smellie, bearhunter, H4831, Ben Hunchak, and many others come on and share their experience.

I have been buying guns and related stuff for fifty years now. I enjoy every minute I can spend sitting in my gun room, inhaling cosmoline and Hoppe's No. 9. I re-read some articles in gun magazines over and over. I have rifles I've never fired. I have enough ammo to hold off the Chinese army for approx. 3 months of heavy fighting. Frankly, I don't give a rat's butt if some of my stuff doesn't suit anybody else.

Keep buying those milsurps, people, as the world will keep turning. And to all the "old-timers", please keep helping us. We need to hear those stories. We need to hear what it was like years back. Some of us get to thinking we know it all, and need to be tuned in frequently.:p
 
I recall back in '76 just as Bill c-51 was coming into place, seeing barrels of Lee Enfields out on the sidewalk in front of "King Sols Surplus" on Queen St. just East of Bathurst...
$29.95ea. "Get yours BEFORE the new gun law!"
 
$14.95 in 1958 is equal to $115.64 in today's money.
$79.95 is equal to $618.42 in today's money.
 
Yup buy your sks and 858 now before those to become a thing of the past. There are skill modern day woulda coulda shouldas out there right now.
 
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