Hoard of old Gunmags (the reading kind)

[Dave DeLaurant]

For the past year or so I've been helping my buddy Bob empty his former residence prior to sale, and yesterday while dragging some stuff out of his workshop/garage we found several boxes of old magazines. Two boxes contained his collection of National Lampoon, which we took to a nearby antique store, but another box was filled with old issues of Guns, Guns & Ammo, Shooting Times, American Rifleman and Soldier of Fortune from the 60s-80s. Bob didn't want any of them, so I took the box home with me and spent most of yesterday afternoon revisiting my youth.



Those old SOF mags were a real blast from the '70s -- lots of articles about Cubans in Rhodesia and Angola. American Rifleman transported me back to Fresno High School; my dad would drop me off there around 7am on his way to work, and I'd go to the school library as soon as they opened and read old and current American Rifleman issues until my first class.

Some good stuff in this box -- I found a very interesting article on Colonel Winder of Winder Musket fame. Also lots of pieces in the other mags by George Nonte, Elmer Keith, Charles Askins, Jeff Cooper and so on. I skipped through a generous amount of fuddlore and puff pieces, but found some gold dust sprinkled here and there.

Not the worst way to kill an afternoon, plus part of this morning spent scanning and saving the good stuff as PDFs in my electronic archive.

 

[.38 Special]

I have kept a few dozen copies over the years; mostly somewhat technical stuff I figured I might want to reference some day. I hate how old and quaint those magazines are starting to look.

 

[Leon tP]

I remember a lot of articles by Skeeter Skelton, Bob Mileck(sp?) and so many others that were fun to read.

Yeah, lots of articles about the mythical powers of this round versus that round. Or even the gunwriter versus gunwriter articles in rival gun magazines. That was entertaining! SOF was always fun to read.

Then articles started going downhill, no flavor whatsoever, no sparking the imagination. I wouldn't really know about today's articles since I stopped reading gun rags some time ago. But every once in a blue moon I'll read an online writeup, still not impressed.

Oh well, that's just the way it goes. No going home again.

Btw, I went to Central Union High School back before it became Central Unified and then later known as Central High School West Campus. We played against Fresno High in many different sports, at least back then, don't know about today. Now Fresno High is Fresno Unified but it's still there.

 

[SSN Vet]

Styx sang a song about this.... "too much time on your hands"

Sounds like fun though.

 

[.45Coltguy]

Yeah, I agree with Leon about the articles just losing the umphh some time back. No subscriptions in a while, especially when Gary Siton and Bob Milek passed away. Those two could relay an article with the best, just in a different and easy way. Still like Brian Pearce tho. The old gun rags were pretty neat.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I remember a lot of articles by Skeeter Skelton, Bob Mileck(sp?) and so many others that were fun to read.

Yeah, lots of articles about the mythical powers of this round versus that round. Or even the gunwriter versus gunwriter articles in rival gun magazines. That was entertaining! SOF was always fun to read.

Then articles started going downhill, no flavor whatsoever, no sparking the imagination. I wouldn't really know about today's articles since I stopped reading gun rags some time ago. But every once in a blue moon I'll read an online writeup, still not impressed.

Oh well, that's just the way it goes. No going home again.

Btw, I went to Central Union High School back before it became Central Unified and then later known as Central High School West Campus. We played against Fresno High in many different sports, at least back then, don't know about today. Now Fresno High is Fresno Unified but it's still there.

By any chance do you remember a silver-haired lady who did bookkeeping in the office at Central (CUHS then), and sometimes worked at the window where students payed for stuff, got change for lunch and so on? That would be my mom. I can't recall the specific years she worked there, but through the 1980s.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Yeah, I agree with Leon about the articles just losing the umphh some time back. No subscriptions in a while, especially when Gary Siton and Bob Milek passed away. Those two could relay an article with the best, just in a different and easy way. Still like Brian Pearce tho. The old gun rags were pretty neat.

I still get G&A and American Rifleman, but the first is basically free (like a buck an issue via subscription) and the other comes with the membership. They were a lot more interesting and fun for me back in the day than they are now. Garry James still puts out some pieces worth reading.

The magazines I still get value from these days are Rifle and Handloader from Wolfe Publishing, and Mobray's Man At Arms/Gun & Sword Collector.

 

[Leon tP]

By any chance do you remember a silver-haired lady who did bookkeeping in the office at Central (CUHS then), and sometimes worked at the window where students payed for stuff, got change for lunch and so on? That would be my mom. I can't recall the specific years she worked there, but through the 1980s.

View attachment 1174517

Absolutely, I've seen her many times around campus, usually around lunch. I just never had any lengthy conversation with her that I remember. Your straining my memory with that one but I did see her on campus more than just a few times.

I still get American Rifleman through the NRA but that's about it for subscriptions. On the other hand, I have been known to pick up a copy of Handloader and Combat Arms off a news stand rack from time to time, if they catch my eye.

Haven't done that in a while though, thanks for reminding me

 

[SwampWolf]

I have an attic full of old gun magazines and still subscribe to several. When I was growing up, magazines dedicated to information about firearms were few and far between and I relished reading all them (whenever I could afford to buy an issue). The American Rifleman, Shooting Times, Guns and Guns & Ammo were around if you could find them on the newsstand. Of course, the Gun Digest and Shooter's Bible were being published. Gun writers for the three most popular "outdoors" magazines of the time (Field & Stream, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield) were mainstays for information on guns and hunting. For good or bad, the internet has pretty much replaced the role magazines once played in the world of firearms but I will always remember them fondly (and gun shows of the era too).

I would love to give the bulk of my magazine collection to someone who might appreciate them but there are few takers.

 

[Old Dog]

What a blast from the past. I love going through those old magazines, especially from the '60s and '70s. I got hooked on the "gun rags" when I was around nine or ten (I was a huge WWII and old western movie fan by then so I loved the Govt Model and Peacemaker at that young age); Dad dropped me off at his barber's shop for an involuntary haircut one day... the barber wouldn't let me touch the Playboys, but then I found... Guns & Ammo and Guns... "What? They have magazines about nothing but guns! Oh, boy!"

have an attic full of old gun magazines and still subscribe to several.

Same here. I've been slowly sifting through them, keeping some for silly sentimental reasons, but mostly putting them out in the recycling bin. Can't sell 'em, and seems no one wants 'em anymore.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I've been slowly sifting through them, keeping some for silly sentimental reasons, but mostly putting them out in the recycling bin. Can't sell 'em, and seems no one wants 'em anymore.

One nice option that takes up practically no space at all is PDF versions on DVD-ROM. So far I've only done this with the Gun Digest annuals (which cleared about 3 bookshelves), but someday I'll fork over for the back issue archive of Rifle and Handloader on DVD from Wolfe.

One publisher has made this easy: you can find the old issues of Guns in PDF online for free! The online archive begins with issue No.1 in 1955 and they keep expanding it -- they're up to 1972 now.

GUNS MAGAZINE CLASSIC ISSUES

Classic issues of GUNS Magazine from 1955 through 1972 in downloadable PDF format.

gunsmagazine.com

I usually prefer paper copies of stuff, but old magazines like these are an exception. That's the reason I didn't take all of Bob's old National Lampoon copies -- my wife gave me the complete PDF run of that classic magazine on DVD-ROM for Christmas years ago. It's still funny too.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Styx sang a song about this.... "too much time on your hands"

Retired widower -- mea culpa.

 

[doubleh]

I finally threw all mine in the dumpster as no one was interested in them as a gift and they were taking up a lot of closet space. I used to look forward to the monthly musings of some of the gunriters although Kelton and Askins never made it high on my like list. I would kind of like to reread them today.

Between my wife, son, and I, I get the 3 NRA publications. Some months there are interesting articles to be found in one or more and other months I can be done with all 3 in 30 minutes. I no longer subscribe to any others. For some years I would pick up a copy of Muzzle Loader in Hastings and a copy of American Handgunner, Rifle, Guns Of The West, or Rifle Shooter either there or Walmart If I found something interesting. Hastings is long gone and Walmart no longer has them in their much reduced in size magazine selection so I make do with the internet. I seldom watch anyone on YouTube. Most are far too long winded or not really that knowledgeable about what they present. I am a tough audience.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I love reading old magazines, as a whole, the magazine give you a sense of time and era.

 

[J-Bar]

Those magazines are priceless.

You probably could not get much money for them if you sold them outright.

Look for a young shooter and surprise him with an unexpected gift, when you no longer want them. Pass on the pleasure we enjoyed as young devotees. It will be a star in your crown.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Look for a young shooter and surprise him with an unexpected gift, when you no longer want them. Pass on the pleasure we enjoyed as young devotees. It will be a star in your crown.

That's not a bad idea! Though the shooty kids I know (30-somethings) gravitate more toward ARs and AKs than the 'classic' wood and steel arms from that period.

Another thought is to drop them off at my LGS when I go there tomorrow. They have a couple of comfy chairs and some guys (even older than me!) hang out there for hours, like hipsters at Starbucks.

 

[troy fairweather]

I'd love to look thru them old magazines, that women looks a lot like my grandmother lol.

 

[jdsingleshot]

I liked Guns magazine and Guns & Ammo. The first actually had some DIY articles in the '80s and I liked Parker Ackley's gunsmithing column. I thought I might like to be a gun writer and did get a "think piece" published in Guns magazine sometime in 1984 IIRC. They spelled my name wrong, (David, instead of Davis) which soured me on the concept.

Now days, whether in print or online, most writing is full of repeated text, missing words, fluff and commercialism. As noted above, youtube stuff is way too long winded--they spend half their time welcoming their viewers and explaining what they are going to say. There
is one guy who does presentations about antique guns. He doesn't waste time, but he gets some things wrong.

 

[entropy]

I just recycled 30+ years of Trap & Field, Shotgun Sports, Shootin' Trap, and Trap USA because we had to make room for the older son. I kept some older issues, and one went to Armored Farmer a while back, his picture was in it for being the Top Junior shooter at the Illinois State Trap shoot in 19something or other.
I kept enough of them, and some Shotgun/Firearms News, as well as Small Arms Review, to tide me through the long winter nights....

 

[tark]

Another thought is to drop them off at my LGS when I go there tomorrow. They have a couple of comfy chairs and some guys (even older than me!) who hang out there for hours, like hipsters at Starbucks.

Fantastic post, Dave! I have three years worth of the American Rifleman, from the mid 60s and I love the old mail order ads and the prices.

Here's an idea: drop off a copy at the local barbershop as well. I'm not talking about the big chain shops, I mean the little shops. We have three in my small town. All of the barbershops in my part of the world have gun mags on display. When I left a copy of the Rifleman from 1966 on the table it drew a large audience and much discussion. Several people asked where it came from and if there were there any more. I had offers to buy. The two ladies ( good, Country girls ) that run the place were very co-operative. I did sell some issues ( for a pretty penny ) and I have the satisfaction of knowing that they will be cherished and preserved.

I am lucky enough to have access to every issue of the Rifleman, from day one to the present, reprinted in hardbound form. They are in the archives section at the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, where I do volunteer work.

I'm off to work now. Pictures tonight.

 

[Old Dog]

I love the old mail order ads and the prices.

When I see these, it kinda makes me regret all the money I spent on booze and women (instead of guns) when I was young... then there was all the money I wasted, too.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

When I see these, it kinda makes me regret all the money I spent on booze and women (instead of guns) when I was young... then there was all the money I wasted, too.

I've been mostly remembering just how little discretionary money I had for any of the above when I was in my 20s. I can recall buying $150-200 handguns on layaway, with payments running a couple months or more.

 

[Old Dog]

I've been mostly remembering just how little discretionary money I had for any of the above when I was in my 20s. I can remember buying $150-200 handguns on layaway, with payments running a couple months or more.

Indeed! When I was in my 20s, I was a young sailor, and well remember $185 paychecks as an E-3, so it was either save up money... or go out and live life (of course, G&A was only a buck an issue, then)...

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I had a bunch of American rifleman mags. I switched to the online version then.

 

[Hillbilly Hydrographics]

I'm still a big fan of paper reading materials and wish there was still more of it and alot less tech. I couldn't even begin to count how many mags and books I have on hand. And still pick up old firearm mags and books and outdoor hunting fishing mags and books when I come across them at estate sales or yardsales when there free or dirt cheap. I still subscribe to field and stream although there no where near the mag they once was. Guns and ammo I still pick up at the store if it has something interesting in it. Most new literature ain't trying tell you about something but instead trying sale you something