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$4.50 for a box of 25 16 gauge

R

Riverkilt

.22LR
Found the sticker on an old box of shells I'd tucked away....figure I bought them back in the late 60s when I traded an Enfield rifle for an Ivar Johnson single shot 16 gauge during the MLK riots. I was a young LEO and wanted the then pregnant wife to have some home defense since we lived near a hot spot. Still have the old shotgun...probably should check it out before running the old shells through the old gun. Figure the shotgun is from the 30s.

But dang....$4.50 for a box of 25...the price tag is historic too....
 
That is a crazy price compared to today. I bought the last box of 16 ga I found. A whopping $22!! One of the guys at the gun club says he has cases of them I can buy (reloads and new).

I have an ammo box with old 300 Savage rounds in it. Many show $12 unlike the new ones at $32.
 
Great story! Old coppers have some crazy accounts that's for sure.

ASre the hulls purple? That seemed to become the predominant color code for 16-ga shells when it was far more common.

I think 16-ga and 28-ga are the most expensive shotgun ammo I've ever seen. I actually thought I was going to read a thread on how you reloaded a box with primers and lead shot that you bought back ten years ago and that is what your entire expense came to!!!!
 
I enjoy hearing stories like this.

Just seeing an actual price tag sticker is getting very rare anymore. nowadays, it's all scanner barcodes.

I always personally liked 16 gauge. I never understood why more people don't own them. I don't think there's anything I can't do with a 16 where a 12 gauge is better. For that matter, I have no reservations admitting that my old 16 has brought home more game than everything else in my safe.

Since the shells are getting harder to find in my area (even before Dec.), I purchased a couple of cases of 6 shot to put back because it would break my heart not to be able to use that gun when I wanted because I couldn't find shells for it.

Looking back, I'm glad I did now. I wouldn't even want to guess at the next time I expect a manufacturer is going to be making anything but the major/popular calibers and gauges trying to catch up.

Just for reference, I'm pretty sure I paid $90 for each case, so that would be about $9 a box before shipping, which I thought was pretty good considering that a box locally were around $13 a piece on the rare occasion I did see some on the shelf.

Ironically, a box of 410 shells in my area cost more than 12 or 16 either one.
 
,,,, :lol: i just found an old box of remington #5 in my garage. from the '80's. there's a price tag on it for $8.95 25 shells from "playtogs". was an old outlet store in upstate NY.
 
^^^ hehe I remember playtogs! Store up in Middletown filled with home junk and shirts with one sleeve slightly shorter then the other. I'd be careful firing off those old rounds, lol.
 
NYmossyMike said:
^^^ hehe I remember playtogs! Store up in Middletown filled with home junk and shirts with one sleeve slightly shorter then the other. I'd be careful firing off those old rounds, lol.
Click to expand...

^^^yup :lol: my grandad had a chicken farm in Otisville way back when.

got my first stevens .22 pump in a lgs in middletown back in the late '50's :D
 
My Grandad still has an old box of 12 gauge shells, Peters branded I believe if my memory is correct out in his work shed. The price tag is from a Western Auto store. Any of you guys remember that place? I remember them being everywhere in southern Texas back in the early to mid 80s. Ironically my Dad has the shotgun now and one day it will be mine I suppose but those shells would do Grandad no good. Even if those things are in decent enough shape to be shootable. Probably not but next time I visit Grandad I'll have to see if I can snag em. I think it would be neat to have em as I love old stuff. Hell he most likely doesn't even remember them being out there.

Yep price tags are a thing of the past mostly as are hardware and automotive stores that sold guns and ammo too. I also remember when Montgomery Wards and Sears had gun counters in their stores. Wards is gone and Sears as I understand it isn't all that far from being in the same boat. I remember when those were some of the more dominant retailers in the market place. Damn I am getting old.
 
Yeah, we had a western auto up until about ~9 years ago or so.

I miss them.

As well as a bunch of other retailers that have went by the wayside through the years.

service merchandise, TG&Y, JJ Newberry's, Ben Franklin, A&P, Cas Walkers, etc etc etc
 
I've got an old 16g SxS, a 25-20 bolt rifle and a .22short rifle that were my grandfathers. I think the last box i found for the 25-20 were arounf $50. Crazy.


I haven't looked for 16g shells recently but i think I will start to keep my eyes open if they are getting that hard to find.
 
Wow a whole four dollars fity U.S.......................If only we had those prices today ???

I recently bought some 1oz 20 guage cartridges for my Hatsan semi auto that was bought for me as a retirement present five years ago.

In good old sunny Spain they cost me 7 Euros 50 cents per box of 25 cartridges. That works out to 9 Dollars 81 cents U.S. !!!
 
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