Even More Vintage Gun Advertisements...

[SteyrAUG]

Most of these were taken from early issues of SOF 1981-82.

We start with a 1983 issue. (That one is for you Templar).

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000117.jpg

This one has an extremely interesting article with Peter Kokalis getting the opportunity to evaluate the Russian AK(S)74. It is important to remember that during the Cold War such things were near impossible and our knowledge of Warsaw pact guns so limited that Kokalis pondered if a bayonet for the rifle even existed since none had ever been reported and the muzzle brake seemed to preclude the use of one despite the fact that the rifle had bayonet studs. Today of course we know different.

And as an indication of the mystique associated with the Kalashnikov rifle in general take a look at these advertisements for the newly imported Egpytian Maadi and Yugoslav M70 rifles.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000121.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000122.jpg

In case you were wondering the sticker price on that Maadi was $1,275.00 (which is about $2800.00 today) and the Yugo was $1,195.00 (which is about $2600.00 today). So much for the notion of "cheap AKs back in the 80s."

And in a lot of ways the 80s was a case of "the grass is always greener." Sure you could buy a legally imported Belgian FAL rifle but it was $2,000.00 (which is about $4300.00 today) and even worse the imported FN LAR Match .308 was an investment cast receiver rifle. In many ways it is very inferior to the DSA rifle you can buy today for less than the 1982 sticker price.

And try this on for size.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000128.jpg

Yep that is pretty much the equivalent of a $60 FAL magazine today. HK91 magazines had a similar retail price back in the early 80s. Quite a long way from $2 still in the wrap surplus FAL and G3 magazines. Those of us who remembered paying these prices back in the 80s bought hundreds of those surplus mags when they came on the market.

But that isn't to say there weren't some great deals, especially from HK.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000118.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000119.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000120.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000126.jpg

That $700 HK91 would be about $1,500 today which is pretty much right on for what they would sell for if not banned. The HK93 is similarly priced, ironically they were actually a few dollars cheaper before the ban. But due to finite supply and fewer imported before the ban, they now sell for a much as $1000 more than the HK91.

I don't even want to talk about the HK94 at $650, obviously they cost much more than the 91 and 93 due to relative numbers imported and demand. Would be about $1400 today and even clones can sell for more than that.

It is amazing to read these old issues for a number of other reasons. Except for the whole "Let's help these brave Afghan freedom fighters" the politics is dead on with the hindsight of history. It is amazing how much SOF nailed things accurately from the beginning. Quite ironic given the number of times they were dismissed as misguided Rambo types wallowing in delusion.

But I digress so back to the ads. Here is an interesting one from Bushmaster.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000125.jpg

And I completely missed that Springfield imported some BM-59s.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000123.jpg

Honestly Springfield imported a lot of cool stuff from Greek HKs (SAR 8) to Brazilian FALs (SAR 4800). If memory serves they even imported a L1A1 variant.

Here's a pretty cool ad typical of HK in the 80s. Please note that back in the 80s, everyone had their finger on the trigger.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000124.jpg

And here is a really interesting picture of a SAS trooper from an article about the Iranian Embassy raid, note the early style MP5k.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000127.jpg

And of course it wouldn't be SOF without some schlock.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000129.jpg

I'm definitely gonna need a Big Mac Attack t shirt, some brass knuckle paperweights and I'm pretty sure most of us did buy that M19A BB machine gun. Mine was a serious POS that never worked right, spit out BBs are a rate of 1 every 4 seconds and pretty much just made my hand cold.

But what I wouldn't give for a time machine and some discretionary funds.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000130.jpg

Hands down Dolan's Sports made the best nunchaku in the history of martial arts weapons. What I wouldn't give to place a $1,000 order in 1983 prices, I'd gladly pay retail.

Don't even get me started on Bali Song, Inc. (which would become Pacific Cutlery Company) and those hand made "production" Jody Sampson bali songs. Even at $250 each (about $550 today) they were a screaming deal. They can easily go upwards of $1000 today.

I suppose I'd get a sword cane for good measure, God knows I looked at that ad in every single issue.

And here is one for the gun crowd. How many "interesting names" do you see?

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000132.jpg

Not to mention that the notion of NY once being one of the largest importers of military style firearms (second only to GSA in CA) will be shocking to new shooters.

And finally you could learn super secret stuff. Few people even knew the name Sho Kosugi, even fewer knew the name Stephen Hayes, but SOF was right there with secret Ninja knowledge.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000131.jpg

But if you do buy the secret training manual, don't tell anyone what is in it. After all...it's secret techniques.

[TOrrock]

I actually had a Beretta BM-59 Nigerian that I got from Reese.

Again, I miss those days.

[SteyrAUG]

I actually had a Beretta BM-59 Nigerian that I got from Reese.

Again, I miss those days.


Like me, you will just have to take comfort in the fact that we finally have a bunch of that stuff in the safe and we were there to enjoy reading about it as a kid. Kinda like being lucky enough to be aged 10-13 when the first Star Wars movie came out, perfect time to be the perfect age.

Sure we had to endure questionable music, horrid clothes fashions and President Carter, but being 12 years old and having SOF and Ezell's "Small Arms of the World" as your night time reading sorta made up for it.

Crap now I gotta go watch Star Wars.

[Iraqgunz]

J Curtis Earl. I remember his ads as well as Cieners. I like the write up that SAR did on him. It was very insightful. I remember buying a slightly used HK93 from my recruiter after basic training for 350.00 cash! It had a sling, triangular handguard and round handguard plus 2 25 round mags.

.223 ammo wasn't terribly expensive and it was accurate as could be. Wish I had that thing still. I also wished I hadn't sold my Bali-song as well.

[Abraxas]

I love these vintage ads. The ninja one made me laugh

[armakraut]

Looks like the photographer seated the mag incorrectly on the 70AB in the lower left hand picture.


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/SteyrAUG/GunAds000122.jpg

[TOrrock]

Bob Reese used to own Springfield Armory, back when they put out M1A's built with all USGI parts, and imported Hellenic Arms G3's, Imbel FAL's, and Beretta BM-59's. They never did import a L1A1, you might be thinking of the Joe Poyer guns.

He left it to his two sons, who took over about the time the Green Box transitioned to the Blue Box. And things have never been the same. Springfield Armory isn't even in the Reese family anymore, I don't think.

My BM-59 was beautiful. Gorgeously figured walnut stocks, like you'd see in a pre-WWI military Mauser, and the workmanship on the rifle overall was just outstanding. Serial #1516, and every part was stamped with a PB.

Mel Tappan was a big proponent of the BM-59, and I remember reading his stuff when I was a young guy in the early 80's. I had to have one.

My first exposure to an AK was a Steyr Maadi that hung from it's sling on the back of my boss's office door (loaded) at the shooting range I worked at when I was 16 (1987). He was a retired Lt. Col. and a veteran of Korea and Vietnam. He definitely appreciated the simplicity and reliability of the AKM. He also carried a HK P9S, which definitely influenced me and I wound up owning 4 of them through the years.

I remember selling Valmet's, HK's, FN's (particularly FNC's), Colt AR's, IMI Galil's, and even a couple of SIG 550's that came through the shop.

Hell, an Action Arms Galil was right at $1K in 1989, when a Colt AR-15A2 was about $500-$600. Definitely remember selling bunches of HK 91's and 93's for around $600.00.

[Dunderway]

I love these vintage ads. The ninja one made me laugh

"HAVE YOU EVER BEEN RAPED OR NEAR RAPED?"

I always hoped that I wouldn't laugh when the word rape was involved, but I just did.

I will throw some money down if SteyrAUG will do at least a monthly thread like this. These vintage SOF threads have become the highlight of my time on the internet.

[SteyrAUG]

"HAVE YOU EVER BEEN RAPED OR NEAR RAPED?"

I always hoped that I wouldn't laugh when the word rape was involved, but I just did.

I will throw some money down if SteyrAUG will do at least a monthly thread like this. These vintage SOF threads have become the highlight of my time on the internet.


Consider it a serial, I'm willing to do regular installments. I'll have to do some articles to make it interesting. Eventually the advertisements repeat themselves.