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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Shotgun News question


Horsefly

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Fly I haven’t picked up a copy in years. I subscribed years ago for three years but didn’t renew in the early 80’s. Don’t think they could ever duplicate the Shotgun News of the past. The magnificent brass paperweights, full auto conversion instructions, the non corrosive surplus ammo ads that was in fact very corrosive, the merchants mostly in the New Jersey area that would take your money then send the wrong gun, get rich quick schemes, deals to good to be true that took your money order then disappeared. I do recall a New Jersey merchant that got prison time. A shooting bud ordered something from them I just can’t recall for certain what it was. I think it was a US GI leather sling and belt for Garrand clips. He was sent two dummy potato mashers that looked like they were made in a grade school art class. He attempted to return his order but the parcel came back saying something about business closed by order of the New Jersey atty general. 
 

Despite the garbage and crooked ads there were in fact good real deals to be had from legitimate merchants. I spent a lot of bucks buying surplus ammo and could spend hours reading it. A close friend with legal full autos bought 10,000 rds of Spanish 762 paying less than a dime per round, freight paid with 10,000 rd minimum order. When 762x39 wasn’t available, two friends and I located a bunch of Finnish surplus from a tiny ad. I know hard to believe 762X39 was once near impossible to find late 70’s or early 80’s. When I subscribed the first of the month issue always had a full page ad sometimes two pages from Springfield Sporters. I wasn’t happy until I thumbed through all the pages until I found their ad of surplus rifles, bayonets and ammo. I bought several rifles from them late 70’s and early 80’s and still have some of their 7.65 Argie ammo left. 
 

I could write several paragraphs reminiscing about the Shotgun News of the past. I really enjoyed looking for the ambiguous coded messages like “tour guides needed in Angola” or something like “leaving Buenos Aries 1/15 arrive early”. Often with a Mexican or foreign address to respond to. 

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It's called _Firearms News_ now and it is a pretty good magazine.  They cleaned it up a lot over the years.  I subscribe to it.  It's now about half glossy with articles and the rest is more sanitized ads, but still Sarco and some of the other old ones, plus new vendors like Royal Tiger.  Ten years ago, they were well on the path of cleaning it, with a lot more articles but only the occasional large glossy edition.  20 years ago, it was closer to what Az describes, and 30 years ago it was wild wild west time.  Pick up a copy at the grocery store and see if you like it today.

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