A small blast from the past

D

Dick Grosbier

Club Coordinator
Hart1.jpgI was cleaning out my Computer room (an enormous amount of accumulated clutter) when I came across an assortment of RW Hart catalogs. I have owned three Hart actions and liked them very much but this is not a commercial for Hart. Most of these catalogs had full descriptions but the 1981 catalog had prices , I sure wish I could buy an action at these prices today.

Hart1.jpg


My first complete BR rifle was a Light Varmint Rifle with a Hart 2A action, Hart Barrel, 2 oz trigger ,Micmillan stock and built to use the relatively new at the time 36x Leupold scope. All assembled by Wally and his crew. If I recall correctly the entire rifle cost me the princely sum of around $950

Another thing I found interesting on this page while prices on actions and triggers have almost tripled in 30 years Arbor presses are pretty much the same price.

Dick

Hart2.jpg
 
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I bought a new CPS SHV action from Walt Periera in 1985. The action cost $375. A Meyer that I bought from Fowler Shooters Supply sometime in there was $400. In 87, I bought a Panda, $600, a Hall was about the same price. Still have the CPS, but don't have any of the other actions.
 
Some things never change. I could not afford a custom action in 1981 and I cannot afford one today. (That doesn't mean that I didn't buy one, then or now. Only that I could not afford them.) :) :)

ray
 
Ray, if you think about it, gas was around 59 to 75 cents a gallon then. It's now over $3 most places. That $375 action now sells for about 4 times that amount just about the same as everything else except cattle and other farm prices.
 
According to online calculators, what cost $100 in 1981 would cost $236.73 in 2010. My government says there was no inflation in 2011, except for unimportant things like food, gasoline, and medical, so custom rifle actions should be the same in 2011 as they were in 2010.

Ray
 
FBecigneul said:
Please post a pay stub from the same era.
Or a paycheck you didn't cash will do.
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Has nothing to do with that Francis I know full well adjusting for inflation the prices are not all that different. What I am saying is I sure would like to buy an action at those prices. Even more I would like to buy some of my 1950 to 1960 vintage Lionel trains at their original selling price. Heck I would take all of those I could get at 5 or 6 times their original price.
 
Why does a car battery still cost around $50?
1978 I bought one for $50. There is a long story attached.......That is why I remember the price.
 
Mike Bryant said:
Ray, if you think about it, gas was around 59 to 75 cents a gallon then. It's now over $3 most places. That $375 action now sells for about 4 times that amount just about the same as everything else except cattle and other farm prices.
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Mike, You must be a young man to remember gas prices in 1981 at .59 to.79 cents a gallon. Actually in 1981 when this calalog was printed gas was $1.40 or so a gallon. Under the Carter administration gas went from a low of around $.90 a gallon to over a dollar a gallon in the years 1979 to 1980 and we never ever got the chance to look back.

I also remember very well that in 1981 as a young Marine Buck Sergeant ( E-5 ) that Hart action would have cost me an entire paycheck. Some things never change.....

Roland
 
Besides the prices, check out the weights of the different actions. The lightest one (#1) is 2lbs, 9oz. The LV/SP action (2A) is 3 lbs, 2oz.

Nice post, Dick...thanks! -Al
 
Al Nyhus said:
Besides the prices, check out the weights of the different actions. The lightest one (#1) is 2lbs, 9oz. The LV/SP action (2A) is 3 lbs, 2oz.

Nice post, Dick...thanks! -Al
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Harts are heavy actions, mine had a fluted bolt , aluminum bolt shroud lighter than average stock and a 20" Barrel. It was designed for the lightweight 36 Leupold any other scope was too heavy it also required the ultra light Bushnell rings.

Dick
 
Interesting that this came up, I was going through some past mags this weekend too. Lapua 222/223 brass .41ea, 6BR .37 ea. 8lb Hodg. $105, Vitha Vuori 8# $117, 12 x 42 NXS $1495, Eley 10X $8.44, Federal UM1-UM1B $7.65, Weaver T 36X 1/8 dot blk $352 these are just 10 years ago Jan 2002
 
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Hombre0321 said:
Mike, You must be a young man to remember gas prices in 1981 at .59 to.79 cents a gallon. Actually in 1981 when this calalog was printed gas was $1.40 or so a gallon. Under the Carter administration gas went from a low of around $.90 a gallon to over a dollar a gallon in the years 1979 to 1980 and we never ever got the chance to look back.

I also remember very well that in 1981 as a young Marine Buck Sergeant ( E-5 ) that Hart action would have cost me an entire paycheck. Some things never change.....

Roland
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May have been '77 they were around 59 cents per gallon. When I started driving, I'd never fill up a car, put $1-5 in and drive anywhere you wanted. Gas prices then were .29. Didn't go up until '73-74 when we had the first gas shortage until gas prices rose to where they wanted them. Then no more shortages.
 
Mike Bryant said:
May have been '77 they were around 59 cents per gallon. When I started driving, I'd never fill up a car, put $1-5 in and drive anywhere you wanted. Gas prices then were .29. Didn't go up until '73-74 when we had the first gas shortage until gas prices rose to where they wanted them. Then no more shortages.
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Got my first auto, a '67 International Scout, in 1970. Gas was .399 a gallon until the first "oil embargo" in 73-74. Oil embargo my arse. There were scores of tanker off San Diego that couldn't unload because shore storage tanks were full. It was a manufactured event by our cuddly friends in the oil industry. The first time around gas station limited each car to like 5 gallons. So, cars had to go to 2 and 3 stations in order to fill up, waiting in line wasting time and gas idlying in the cold weather.

It's not so much an issue of being willing to pay a fair price, but the jerk around we've gotten, the absolutely lame excuses for the price increases and the accompanying "shortages" the irk me. Only way to beat them is to buy Exxon Mobil stock. --Greg
 
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It's not so much an issue of being willing to pay a fair price, but the jerk around we've gotten, the absolutely lame excuses for the price increases and the accompanying "shortages" the irk me.
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So you're not one who likes the free market economy? The notion that says "If they can get it, they should charge it"?

Remember, conservatives in 1776 voted for George III. (well, sort of.)

Edit:

Just to say something interesting (maybe) my first car was a 1947 Buick, straight eight. Which had overhead valves. You haven't lived until you lifted the cylinder head of that suckah.
 
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Charles;

Was that with the two speed "dynaflow ?, And.....did you find you had to grind the valves at 40,000 ?
Just turned 200,000 on my 98 dodge caravan , and it runs just.....fine !
 
Joe Maisto said:
Charles;

Was that with the two speed "dynaflow ?, And.....did you find you had to grind the valves at 40,000 ?
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Yes.

As to the valve grinding, my dad was one of the "let me show you how" dads. There were a lot of things I never got to do by myself until I moved away from home. He was a good man, but often slowed down my hands-on-learning.

BTW, IIRC, old British cars needed rod bearings every 20,000...
 
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