Guns Only Get More Valuable

By Major Van Harl USAF Ret

1974 Issue of Gun Digest
1974 Issue of Gun Digest
AmmoLand Gun News
AmmoLand Gun News

Wisconsin –-(Ammoland.com)-  I looked out my front window, and my niece was walking up to my door with some large telephone-size books in her arms.

My first inkling was that they were gun-related publications, so I made a dash for the front door. My sister-in-law had been hitting the garage sales and came across the 1973, 1974 and 1975 issues of the Gun Digest. At the price of $1 a piece, she decided I needed the 40 year old gun books.

1973 Playboy
1973 Playboy – Great Articles!

Before I ever owned my first firearm, I would stand in the book and magazine section of the Navy Exchange on whatever Navy base my father the Master Chief was stationed at and read Gun Digest. This was the continuation of my habit of always first reading the toy gun section of the annual Christmas toy catalogs. I never bought a Gun Digest–that was way too extravagant for someone who made his pocket money mowing yards. And, much like the magazine Playboy, I did not just look at the pretty pictures, I actually read the articles about the latest gun and gun support products on the market.

For folks who live in Oklahoma, and even those who do not but also embrace the wisdom of Will Rodgers heed this advice, “Buy land they ain’t making any more of the stuff.”

Back in the 1970s, the two things that always went up in price were land and firearms. If the real estate people and the banking people had not taken this nation down the garden path into the arms of home ownership disaster, land might still be one of the two things of real continuing increased value. I believe the market will correct itself on the land issue, but if you lost your home in this mess you many not care what I think.

As I looked at the pages of my new found treasure of old Gun Digests, the two items that stuck out the most were the price of firearms forty year ago and the fact most of the handguns were revolvers that only shot six rounds before you had to stop and reload.

Smith & Wesson Model 66, Stainless 357 Mag Revolver
Smith & Wesson Model 66, Stainless 357 Mag Revolver

The hottest handgun for police work in 1975 was the Smith & Wesson model 66, stainless 357mag revolver that sold for $175. That year, more than 90 plus percent of the State Police or Highway Patrol agencies carried a Smith & Wesson 38 Special or 357 mag revolver.

They do not even make the S&W model 66 anymore, and in today’s law enforcement world, if you see a Cop carrying a revolver, that officer is considered a dinosaur. Currently, almost all Cops carry a high capacity semi-auto pistol. The Smith and Wesson Model 29, 44mag revolver was the most desired by the movie-watching American shooters. After all, that was what Clint Eastwood used in his Dirty Harry movies.

The Model 29 sold for $194 in 1973. Today it sells for $1129. A Ruger Super Blackhawk revolver in 44mag sold in 1973 for $125 and today it is $739. The first computer I bought in 1992 cost me $2500. It eventually found its way to the landfill. You could buy a Winchester 30-30 rifle (just like the cowboys used) in 1973 for $98–look for $500-$600 today.

As I read the antique Gun Digest it was amazing to see quality 38/357 mag revolvers for $100. If only I had known and bought ten of them for that price back then. Of course, I was just out of high school and did not have $1000 to go out and buy ten of the same kind of handgun. While my first computer only went down in value, my firearms acquired in the 1970s and 80s have only gone up in value, and they don’t get viruses.

For the most part, unless you abuse a firearm, they don’t usually wear out. I have a couple of firearms that are older than 100 years, and I still shoot them. The price value of a firearm continues to go up, but the important thing is, even as a collectible item, you can take them down from the fireplace, load them and use them as the tool they were meant to be.

Forty years from now, I will be re-reading the 2013 Gun Digest and be amazed that Glock 19, 9mm pistols sold for under $600 back in the good old days. I will tell myself I should have bought ten of them for that cheap price.

Land and firearms–buy them. The value and the need for both will continue to go up.

Major Van Harl USAF Ret
[email protected]

About Major Van Harl USAF Ret.:
Major Van E. Harl USAF Ret., a career Police Officer in the U.S. Air Force was born in Burlington, Iowa, USA, in 1955. He was the Deputy Chief of police at two Air Force Bases and the Commander of Law Enforcement Operations at another. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Infantry School.  A retired Colorado Ranger and currently is an Auxiliary Police Officer with the Cudahy PD in Milwaukee County, WI.  His efforts now are directed at church campus safely and security training.  He believes “evil hates organization.”  [email protected]

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Mark Janness

Diamonds are not good stores of value like precious metals. I worked in the wholesale diamond trade for 9 years. The spread between retail cost and wholesale cost of diamonds vs precious metals is too extreme. Diamonds have to many variances in quality unlike precious metals which get refined down to 99.9 % pure. You can not sell 1/2 of a 1 ct. diamond with out significantly loosing value. You can sell any amount of precious metal with loading value other than the cost of melting it to smaller ingots. The only diamonds that are of real investment quality are… Read more »

Cecil Flentge

Yes, he is just talking dollar amount. But that is the same with gold, silver, or diamonds. Then again, when they try to take your gold – all you acn do is throw it at them. If they try to take your guns…

Mark Janness

Guns may or may not be more valuable in 20 years from now even if the selli g price goes sky high.

When the value of the dollar declines through government induced inflation the price of everything increases. A gallon of $3.98 gas today is not worth anymore than a gallon of gas at 25 cents back in the early 60’s. In fact gas may be even cheaper today.

The only way you could come out ahead by investing in guns is buying them today with the future devalued dollars.

Ceapea

My father-in-law used to tell me about all of the $57.00 hand guns that were available (new!) back in ’57 when he got out of the service. Luck for me, he bought several and left them to me. I will never get rid of any of them!
I shoot them as often as I can. The old S&W revolvers are absolutely sweet!