While for many readers, giving the gift of a firearm is a welcome item, for many in our society, it is a verboten topic. Yes, the firearms community is working to become more “mainstream”, but it’s always interesting to look back and see where we have come from.

The Tribunist worked to collect and collate 19 classic advertisements for firearms prior to the current state of political correctness removed these ads from mainstream publications, which for a recent example, one needs to only look to Daniel Defense’s attempted ad placement in the Super Bowl. 

Looking over the ads, its hard to not become nostalgic… for the pricing! In one particular advertisement, a R.B. Mark 1 Anti-Tank Rifle goes for sub $100. In another, Marlin rifles are available from $10 to $13.25. Today, we are lucky to find toy rifles for that pricing.

Of course, there is also no getting around the ye olde surplus ads post World Wars, which had various service rifles selling for $9.95. Even Johnson semi-autos went for only $59…

Hit the link here to be taken down memory lane and a tour through the history of advertisement. The Tribunist’s collection covers quite a few different decades, including direct older print too closely associated activities throughout the early to mid part of last century.