It Was May, 1984...And Something Wonderful Happened...

[pinzgauer]

In 1984, what would it have taken to make this full auto? $200 tax stamp, but were the parts available from HK? I'm guessing not?

Conversion cost was about $250 at the time most places. Most were just FA, the parts were not available for paddle conversions like they are now.

I remember the 94's selling in gun shows for ~$450 new, and then they went up over time.

To put it in perspective, Rem 700s, Win M70's were mid 200s. I bought a Colt stainless Delta Elite for ~$450 not long after.

So it was like Split window Corvettes... Though it seems cheap now, at the time a transferable full auto 94 was relatively expensive.

So you could easily have $1k in a converted 94 with some mags, and it went up fairly quickly.

Had a co-worker who converted one, and still has it.

[ramairthree]

If only I had money then.

The most I could swing in 1984 was saving up four hundred bucks so my uncle could buy the like new used SP1 for me I saw in a gun store in the big town with a movie theatre and McDonalds about 45 minutes away.


For reference, I was tossing hay, shoveling shit, clearing brush, pumping gas, changing tires, or waiting tables for five bucks an hour then and
The always breaking down 68 GTO I had cost me $800.

A few years later as an E4 on jump status my take home pay was about $800 a month. With a $200 cool car payment, $200 a month insurance, gas, and other basic expenses I was a paycheck to paycheck guy not able to buy those HKs, Steyr GBs, and other cool stuff that came up. The dream Rolex became a Seiko 6309. The dream Randall became a KaBar.

[sundance435]

I saw the same ad and ordered it direct from HK. I ordered a P7 as well. I’m pleased that I’ve still got both. Unfortunately I sold an HK93 to pay for supplies when I went back to college in 87 and I sold an FNC in 1989.


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Ouch, I'd surely miss the FNC if I'd had one. I remember them still being around $1800-2000 when the ban ended in '04. I wish I'd picked one up then instead of the money I wasted on garbage ARs.

[Steve Shannon]

Ouch, I'd surely miss the FNC if I'd had one. I remember them still being around $1800-2000 when the ban ended in '04. I wish I'd picked one up then instead of the money I wasted on garbage ARs.

I had mixed feelings for the FNC. I think the upper receiver was the best implementation of a twin lug long stroke gas system I’ve seen (Garland -> AK -> FNC lineage). The lower was unfortunately lacking. It had no bevel for the magazine, no fence around the magazine release, and no last round bolt hold open.
Being an engineer I wanted it to be perfect.

I have a SCAR 16 that makes up for those lower receiver shortcomings, but I still prefer the two lug long stroke upper of the FNC.

I would like to have a para style stock from my old FNC carbine on the SCAR 16 also. It was the best folding stock I’ve ever had. Rigid when extended and easy to use.

[SteyrAUG]

I had mixed feelings for the FNC. I think the upper receiver was the best implementation of a twin lug long stroke gas system I’ve seen (Garland -> AK -> FNC lineage). The lower was unfortunately lacking. It had no bevel for the magazine, no fence around the magazine release, and no last round bolt hold open.
Being an engineer I wanted it to be perfect.

I have a SCAR 16 that makes up for those lower receiver shortcomings, but I still prefer the two lug long stroke upper of the FNC.

I would like to have a para style stock from my old FNC carbine on the SCAR 16 also. It was the best folding stock I’ve ever had. Rigid when extended and easy to use.

Yeah, but the fact that S&H registered more FNC sears than there were host rifles to install them into meant FNC was a "best buy" for an entry level 5.56 carbine for a long time. I agree the FN para stock is probably the best one ever made, at least until the SIG 550 series came along. I still don't understand why they weren't able to carry over a FAL type bolt hold open that worked with NATO magazines.

I remember people crying about the trigger but I came in from HK rifles so I never noticed. And this was all before I even saw the movie Heat.

[Steve Shannon]

Yeah, but the fact that S&H registered more FNC sears than there were host rifles to install them into meant FNC was a "best buy" for an entry level 5.56 carbine for a long time. I agree the FN para stock is probably the best one ever made, at least until the SIG 550 series came along. I still don't understand why they weren't able to carry over a FAL type bolt hold open that worked with NATO magazines.

I remember people crying about the trigger but I came in from HK rifles so I never noticed. And this was all before I even saw the movie Heat.

The trigger never bothered me, but I completely agree about the BHO. It’s like they did this great job with the upper and then ran short on budget and decided to just mill the lower from a slab of aluminum with no thought at all for user features.


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[SteyrAUG]

The trigger never bothered me, but I completely agree about the BHO. It’s like they did this great job with the upper and then ran short on budget and decided to just mill the lower from a slab of aluminum with no thought at all for user features.


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At least it didn't have an AR buffer tube.

[Steve Shannon]

At least it didn't have an AR buffer tube.

Ha! Good point.


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[militarymoron]

Mentally I'm still the same kid who saw footage of the SAS hitting the Iranian Embassy, I'm the same kid who grew up reading Soldier of Fortune and the details of that SAS raid and I'm the same kid who read Peter Kokalis reviews of the MP5 and generally lusted after all things Oberndorf.

We sound like the same kid. I was in England in the spring/summer of 1980 staying at my cousin's and saw the Iranian Embassy siege live. It left an indelible mark on me that has never been erased, and what kicked off my interest in all things SAS. Last year, when my wife, son and I were on our Europe vacation (good thing we didn't plan for it this year - that would have been a disaster); my wife was wondering why I just had to make a little detour/pilgrimage a couple of blocks from the museums...

[SteyrAUG]

We sound like the same kid. I was in England in the spring/summer of 1980 staying at my cousin's and saw the Iranian Embassy siege live. It left an indelible mark on me that has never been erased, and what kicked off my interest in all things SAS. Last year, when my wife, son and I were on our Europe vacation (good thing we didn't plan for it this year - that would have been a disaster); my wife was wondering why I just had to make a little detour/pilgrimage a couple of blocks from the museums...

Awesome. I've never been there but the details always fascinated me, especially when contrasted with our hostage crisis and Operation Eagle Claw. Of course US news talked about our "military debacle" and it was always somehow "our fault" and "doom and gloom", then I saw a blip about the Iranian Embassy raid in London. Even though it didn't fit the "everything is the fault of the west" preferred narrative they just couldn't resist those explosions in London and I bet most of them thought the shape charges were actually bomb detonations set off in a last desperate act by the hostage takers. The spent 5 minutes on "powerful explosions in London and men with machine guns" but maybe 5 seconds on the actual results of how many hostages were rescued.

Thankfully I got something of a more complete story when SOF covered the event a month or so later and after that I was hooked. I was already a kid who hummed the Ballad of the Green Berets so when I discovered the SAS that was it for me. Add MP5s to the mix and I was all in.

I've probably watched "6 Days" a dozen times. Nice to see they still haven't fixed those windows.