We've Come A Long Way Baby...

[SteyrAUG]

When I think how things were during the Clinton ban, and Colts attitude towards "civie" AR-15s directly before and after the ban, this finally makes me feel like we've regained the lost ground which began in 1989.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/000104.jpg

True it is a Bass Pro Shops advertisement, but it was a circular carried by a major newspaper. And quite honestly, that is about as good as things got even during the golden age in the 80s when such ads were generally confined to things like Soldier of Fortune.

Perhaps it is even "newly won" ground as I don't recall many Colt "sporters" being promoted by any large retailer big enough for circulars in the sunday paper.

Colt still seems devoted to their special rifles for "civies" but at least this "sporter" has a bayo lug (unlike most sporters from 1989-1994) and a functional carbine stock. But the black rifle has definitely gone mainstream.

[Heavy Metal]

The best defense is a good offense. Never hold ground, always advance!

[a1fabweld]

This is great for the rest of you, but we've got a loooooong way to go here in Commiefornia. I'm counting the days until I can burn rubber across the state line permanently. The good weather just doesn't cut it anymore.

[The_War_Wagon]

I have a three-drawer file cabinet in my basement, full of about every gun mag that was printed from '88 (when I turned 21) through about '96 (grad school, newlywed that year). When you go back and look at say, the Guns & Ammo Annual for 1989, vs., what's available for sale today, we have it better now in every measurable respect.

Yeah, we don't have purebred HK rifles anymore, but I owned a pre-ban HK91 then, and a PTR91 now (I screwed up in reverse and dumblucked into one of the late JLD guns with the GOOD barrel), and it ain't bad (especially after a Williams trigger job). Ditto for DSA and their FAL clones, even thought their customer service is less than sterling. I had a pre-ban Canadian L1A1 parts gun I got back in the early '90's (no two numbers on it matched, but it performed brilliantly), but a spankin' new SA58 Para-carbine is a thing of beauty to behold! ;)

There were days during KLIN - TON I though, I used to thumb through that '89 Annual, wondering of we'd EVER have it that good AGAIN. :(

Thankfully now... we do!

[Doc Safari]

I think the modern civilian legal AK's are crap with their US-made FCG parts and bastardized "unsporterized" remanufactured and remachined receivers and whatnot. I think the true pre '89 prebans are the only ones worth a darn.

I think we are in the salad days of AR quality and overall gun ownership though.

[SteyrAUG]

I think the modern civilian legal AK's are crap with their US-made FCG parts and bastardized "unsporterized" remanufactured and remachined receivers and whatnot. I think the true pre '89 prebans are the only ones worth a darn.

I think we are in the salad days of AR quality and overall gun ownership though.

I think Nodak receivers and G2 FCGs are every bit as good as pre89 Norincos. I think the SGL series from Arsenal is superior to most pre89 imports in form and function if not pedigree.

[QuietShootr]

I agree - when the NRA is running articles on the benefits of suppressors, things are good. But we have to stay on the advance, or we will lose.

That being said - For sure, the good old days are here again and they're better than they ever were for gun owners. We have the best weapons that have ever been available on the civilian market. The only thing that would make it better would be to get rid of the ****ing Hughes Amendment - but the groundwork is being laid for that as we speak.