Back When Gun Rags Were More Than Rags...

[SteyrAUG]

Yes it was 1981 when I decided I WILL ONE DAY OWN AN UZI. And several years later I did in fact buy a Model A carbine. And thankfully, eventually a real deal SMG. This was also back when firearm magazines didn't completely suck. They weren't all article after article of fanboys droning on and on about Glocks or 1911s. And it wasn't simply manufacturer advertisements presented in the guise of an objective review.

And it was guys like Hackathorn, Cooper and Kokalis doing the writing. And it was glorious.

But it wasn't merely intelligent articles and honest reviews that made magazines such as SOF one of the best things going. It was a lot of the other content.



And THAT ladies and gentlemen is how you promote your convention.

And who can forget the advertisements.



Yes where else could you get a 12 inch section of 3" PVC with screw caps for the bargain price of 19.95? Adjusted for inflation that would be about $48.00 today. And don't forget to look into making your own body armor, that seems like a totally safe thing to do.

And you are gonna need a cool ass T shirt so everyone knows you are the real deal hard core type.



Somehow "Give me your hearts and minds or I'll burn down your damn huts" says it all.

And plenty of other stuff to buy.



For only $79.00 (about $200 adjusted for inflation) you can trick out your Mini 14 "A Team" style. You are also gonna need an M-43 style SS cap, a Jivaro Blowgun (awesome deal for only $9.97) and a Commando watchband.

Honestly those Jivaro Blowguns actually did kinda rock, I wish I had bought 12 more.

And every now and then they'd actually advertise something of serious substance.



Btw if you are wondering, back in '81 that FN LAR retailed for $2,000.00, which adjusted for inflation is about $5,139.95 and that is why almost nobody you knew back in the early 80s actually had one. Especially when you could buy a HK 91 for about $350.00, which of course explains why everyone DID have the HK 91. And it sorta makes those $3,000 pre89 FALs on Gunbroker seem like quite the deal.

[ALCOAR]

Love it, great gun rag even though that quality pre dates my extensive buying of gun rags.

1. Blow Guns are straight up AWESOME...just remember the Clinton policy, don't ever inhale

2. Derived directly from 1., that gun rag/blowgun reminds me also of another extinct great commodity and that was the classic Army Surplus stores that I went ape shit in as a kid. I still prob. have various blowguns, Nazi paratroop regiment's knife that folds more like a butterfly than a traditional folder does, the infamous Gas masks(covered all the bases...had the U.S., Chinese, Soviet's, etc.), one more for sentimental value...the uber badass ninja throwing knife set and a few ninja stars for good measure. Damn I love those stores and your mag is cut straight outta that same mold imo.

[one]

Wow, I actually remember every one of those ads. Even the one for the little Nazi cap and "commando watchband".

[armakraut]

I need a jewzi.

[steve-oh]

What is up with that broads toes?!

[variablebinary]

What is up with that broads toes?!

Sick. Imagine playing footsie with that on a chilly Utah night.

[Iraqgunz]

I think I still have that one issue with the Uzi as well! Holy shit do I remember those days. I was only a teen, but I was at the Readmore bookstore thumbing through all the gun mags back then.

I had a friend who was a little older and he used to give me his used SOF mags when he was done.

I went to the SOF convention twice when it was in Vegas. Despite what anyone says, the demos and the guns and gear for sale were awesome. This predates the SAR Show and other stuff out there.

[Rmplstlskn]

So it was SOF, Gung Ho and the such that corrupted all your minds of mush back in the day, making you the war-mongering gun freaks that you are today.... (joke intended, for the sarcasmly-challenged)

I'm in good company then...

Rmpl

[Cagemonkey]

The good old days of SOF. The Cold War was still raging. Reagan was president. The term "Assault Weapon" didn't exist. Machine guns were still cheap because new weapons could be registered into the pool, pre 86. Their weapon evaluations were no BS. The SADF were busy killing commies (Marxist guerillas and Cubans) in South West Africa (Namibia) and Angola. The US was fighting communist insurgencies in Central America. Gas was cheap and no one new what the National Debt was. We had a trade deficit with Japan and the only chinese made goods were made in British Hong Kong or Taiwan. I was a naive teenage kid who couldn't wait to join the Marines. PS, this month SOF's Gary Paul Johnson did an article on Bravo Companies 12.5" SBR and 16" Middy. I guess I keep my subscription for nostalgias sake and the hope maybe they'll bring back P. Kokalis along with Hackathorn.

[Redmanfms]

Ugh, monkey toes!!!



I love the PVC pipe hideaway tube for $20. You can make the same thing today for $5-$6. It was probably 2 or 3 bucks back then.

The "commando" stuff must have been era code for "tactical" or "spec-ops."