Cap'n Mike
NES Member
The guys shooting from a bench probably dont like 30 round mags because they are using a rest.
I cant get comfortable shooting from a bench, I prefer prone.
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A Brief History of The ’94 Assault Weapon Ban
- Thread starter Reptile
- Start date
The guys shooting from a bench probably dont like 30 round mags because they are using a rest.
I cant get comfortable shooting from a bench, I prefer prone.
amb
NES Member
I went to a bunch of gun shows in the leadup to the ban. Everybody thought it was coming, and production lines were cranking. A friend of mine basically put everything he could into hock to buy all the guns he thought he'd ever want. I certainly learned more about ARs that summer than I'd ever known before.
namedpipes
NES Member
Boy howdy. I lived this same event! I held off on buying an AR 15 until colt introduced the Hbar. Immediately sold my Garand for big bucks ($300) and never looked back. Local gun shop ordered in the colt hbar for me.
Range trips often garnered strange looks and comments. Peopled quite often assumed it was an illegal fully automatic military rifle. I found out that many traditional shooters/ hunters didn’t read gun mags and did not know about about civilian AR. Since I couldn’t hunt deer with it they were confused about why anyone would own one. The ‘06 was king and the .223 puny. Other guys were very interested in it. Most were not real fudds they just didn’t see appeal, and particularly disliked plastic stock. Everyone knew stocks were wood.
Keep in mind that my first AR cost more than any rifle in my collection at that point, almost twice what my Ithaca O/U cost. It was a limited market for the expensive AR and there were no aftermarket parts for them. The few guys I met that had ARs were either military vets who liked AR or guys who wanted to be familiar with current military rifle.
But there were a few real fudds. Just to screw with the real fudds I bought the bayonet for it which for some reason really triggered them. One morning an older guy showed up at range, parked his car and walked up to firing line and just stood watching me with a scowl. I said good morning and got no response. So I reached into range bag and took out bayonet and fixed it to rifle, and dropped 20 round mag and put in a thirty and started a mag dump He was in his car driving away before I fired half the mag (yes I had some jerk in me when younger)
Keep in mind that “ triggered” and “mag dump” weren’t used back then.
got my garand for $150, 1984 valmet 76 folder 4 mags $500,
Should have mentioned that surplus 30 round GI mags were 3 for $10 at shows back then. Pick the ones you wanted from the bin. I picked up a bunch one day near end of show offering to buy $40 worth at 4/$10. If a mag malfunctioned I just tossed it.
I think I only paid $199 for it.
amb
NES Member
The CMP price was $99 (or less) for ages and ages, which I think kept prices down. You had to show proof of shooting some highpower matches to get one, though. (120 shots for record, maybe?)
namedpipes
NES Member
What prevents a modern manufacturer from building new Garands?
For starters, a new production receiver would probably cost more than an entire rifle from CMP. There are so many, and will be so many, Garands on the surplus used market. We essentially have a lifetime supply of USGI receivers and spare parts. There are new production components like barrels and stocks being made.
Edit, the closest thing you can get to a new production Garand is one of the "Special" offerings through CMP. Reparked receiver and parts, new criterion barrel and new production walnut stock.
Cost. You can get them for $650 or so from CMP (lower grades). Even my "CMP Special" match rifle that was reparked and included a new match barrel was $850.
Compare to a "similar" receiver like a Galil or a FAL, those usually run $450+. So that leaves you with $200 for every single part, stock, barrel, etc.
Garands would have to appreciate in value a lot for it to be worth it, and even then you're buying a replica and not a legit USGI one.
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mikeyp
NES Member
Don't forget Weld was for the Mass version before he was against it, but before he was for it again, but that was before he was against it again. And he also said it didn't go far enough. But hey he wants to run against Trump, maybe he can restrict gun rights more than Trump!
namedpipes
NES Member
Weld was/is a joke.
Fulton Armory...
Fulton Armory
Even with an original USGI receiver, the prices will make your head spin.
People must be buying them though because they're still making them and they're still in business.
Springfield Armory built Garands for a bit before discontinuing to focus on M1A variations. There just wasn't money in it with the CMP selling Garands at a cheaper price than Springfield could make new ones.
Great history guys!
I was 16 at the time and more into girls, fast cars, and basketball.
I’m newborn now with only a year under my belt but I own lots and build too. Its amazing how the undue pressure from the government helps me hone my skills and progress rapidly in the gun arts. And to think this Mak90 was only $199 back then! @Thirwell1216
I was 16 at the time and more into girls, fast cars, and basketball.
I’m newborn now with only a year under my belt but I own lots and build too. Its amazing how the undue pressure from the government helps me hone my skills and progress rapidly in the gun arts. And to think this Mak90 was only $199 back then! @Thirwell1216
rep308
NES Member
Rep 308...here is the ad for the drop in sears. Never understood how these were legal, but they were a staple of SGN ad for many years.
I use to think of ways of placing an order and not get tracked, never had the guts and just stared at the ad. I later thought it was a plant to trap stupid people. Does anyone have any idea? Legal product or trap?
Mesatchornug
NES Member
Entrapment is an incredibly hard standard to reach. Unless they forced you to buy it, this is not entrapment.
Remember, law enforcement can lie to you.
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
Many years ago I bought an AK full auto parts kit from an ad in SGN for $28. Still needed the FA bolt carrier. Never used it, because as soon as I drilled the holes in the rec'r I'd have to register it with NFA branch as a post sample. Then I'd be reducing the value of the AK to zero. I made the kit go away. Jack.
I remember when I was in the navy in San Diego, my best friend had an AR-15a1 that we would go out to the desert and shoot almost every chance we got. This would've been in the late 70's. At that time, I was amazed that an average citizen could own one. I was a little naive at the time and though I loved shooting that rifle, I was more interested in motorcycles and girls so I never bought one though I had plenty of chances, even in California during that time.
I never forgot that experience and when I moved back to NH after I was discharged in 1981, I got a pretty decent job making decent money. I still loved motorcycles but I was married by that time so my interest in women was changed to one woman. In 1989, I bought my first AR15, a Colt Sporter H-Bar for around $650. I loved that gun but alas, had to sell it in the late 90's for some reason. I wish I still had that rifle. It was a tack driver. I now have several others but sure wish I still had that Colt.
I never forgot that experience and when I moved back to NH after I was discharged in 1981, I got a pretty decent job making decent money. I still loved motorcycles but I was married by that time so my interest in women was changed to one woman. In 1989, I bought my first AR15, a Colt Sporter H-Bar for around $650. I loved that gun but alas, had to sell it in the late 90's for some reason. I wish I still had that rifle. It was a tack driver. I now have several others but sure wish I still had that Colt.
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Cap'n Mike
NES Member
I also bought a Colt AR-15 in 1989 and still have it.
Mine is a Government Carbine.
I joined the US Army in 1992 and was in Germany when the 1994 ban was passed, so I didn't take much notice.
When I got back in 1995, I was happy that Pre Ban rifle was still in my brothers safe waiting for me.
I have always been at a loss what to do with it. Its really light, but the carry handle makes putting an optic on it a pain and the bayonet lug is useless because of the 16 inch barrel. I bought another upper for it, but after a while, I got sick of dealing with the front pivot screw adapter and the grey/black color mismatch, so that upper grew another lower.
I have a 22LR conversion kit for it and used it to teach my kids to shoot.
I have been toying with the idea of having the barrel shortened and an A2X flashider pinned and welded so the barrel doesnt look so long and a bayonet can be mounted. I was also toying with buying one of Brownells XM177 uppers for it and hope the finish is close.
It’d probably be cheaper to change the barrel with a 16” with a mid-length gas system. With an FSB on it, you should be able to mount a bayonet. It would only be half an inch longer than a pinned&welded 14.5”. You wouldn’t have to worry about pinning anything, it’d be smoother shooting, and give you more velocity than a 14.5”. It also wouldn’t look as weird as a carbine length 16”, because of the longer handguard. You can also easily find some A2 style foregrips in mid-length if you didn’t want to go with a free float rail.
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Cap'n Mike
NES Member
I have a 16 inch mid-length gas AR free floated hand-guard, that was the upper that was on it for a bit, then grew another lower.
My other AR is a 10.5 inch LMT SBR.
The Preban Government Carbine is not as accurate as one and not as compact as the other, its just the odd man out.
I had a 14.5 carbine upper with a A2X pined and welded on it, but I traded that away.
The black and grey mismatch set off my OCD on that one also.
I have had it for so long, The GC has sentimental value at this point.
The only thing it has going for it is its the lightest of the three, and shortening the barrel would not change that.
First world problems I guess.
My other AR is a 10.5 inch LMT SBR.
The Preban Government Carbine is not as accurate as one and not as compact as the other, its just the odd man out.
I had a 14.5 carbine upper with a A2X pined and welded on it, but I traded that away.
The black and grey mismatch set off my OCD on that one also.
I have had it for so long, The GC has sentimental value at this point.
The only thing it has going for it is its the lightest of the three, and shortening the barrel would not change that.
First world problems I guess.
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SOOOO True!!!
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