doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How About Old Gun Magazine Ads

I was over at SDH’s house a couple days ago, talking Guns and shooting. He gave me a few old magazines from shooting times an American rifleman. I find the advertisements more interesting than the articles.

Please can we have the magazine dates?

In the 1960’s I particularly used to enjoy Ye Olde Hunter’s adverts for surplus rifles in Guns magazine.

Remington Rolling Blocks $9.95 - “you can’t buy prime hamburger at this price!”

Sadly now true of 12 bore BLNE guns at auction in this side of the pond.

This was from 1930 American Rifleman…

1908 Outdoor Life

Cool!

I found these, from Rod and Gun in Canada c. 1905 (Thanks for the link Drew) particularly interesting.

The Malcolm scope appears to be off-set to the left, like most British sniping scopes during the First World War.



This Parker-Hale “Easifix” mount shown in their inter-War catalogue being one of the exceptions. The scope is a Winchester A5, some of which can still be found with British Government markings.

I collect old early 20th century Lynn Bogue Hunt hunting add illustrations from the various sport hunting magazines of the period. The current magazines being published just don't have stuff like that at all.

You are right - there are a ton of things to learn from catalogs and advertisements. The 250 page history of Reilly was written in part by reviewing and compiling 5,000 advertisements stretching from 1828 to 1912.

And, you believe in "truth in advertising" I guess?

Stanton, There is no real need for "proof of advertisement" in most of the ads used for historical research. I'll use as one example this ad from Webster's Travel Guide for January 1882. Here's what can be learned from it:

-- The numbering on his two workshops on Oxford Street changed from 502 to 16 and from 315 to 277. (Determined from other ads to have happened first week of November 1881).
-- His sales store in Paris was still open.
-- His private shooting range was still active - the address was obtained from previous ads.
-- He was offering Hurlingham weight pigeon guns - this helps confirm serial numbers because the Hurlingham weights changed several times from year to year. This year it was 8 lbs - a Cyril Adams pigeon gun dated to Dec 1881 has this weight. The following year it was reduced to 7lbs 8oz and there is an existing Cyrial Adams pigeon gun at this weight.
-- For the first time he was offering guns sold "off the rack." This explained the sudden increase in the number of guns serial numbered and also probably his using Birmingham A&D box lock actions.
-- For the first time he was advertising Whitworth steel tubes - used on his pigeon guns when compared to extant guns. 1st extent Reilly with Whitworth tubes is from December 1881.
-- And he was sole UK agent for American Sharps rifles.



This information when matched up with a database of extant guns with addresses on their ribs, patent stamps, proof marks, weights and barrel types, etc. can help with dating them.

So Gene, which ones do you know to be true and which do you accept as not being "truth in advertising". And, how exactly do you determine "most"?

Pardon me, but I will continue to be very skeptical about accepting any sales advertisements as "truth".

Stanton, things like "Largest stock in London" might be hype. Addresses and advertisements for products in stock if not true would negate the purpose of the advertisement.

Yep. Obvious.

I found my IMGUR login so here are a few ads I had saved there --

1915 ad for Ithaca guns with the Infallible Single Trigger --



February 9, 1907, ad for the Philadelphia Single Trigger --



December 15, 1906, ad showing the other side --



Ithaca NID Super-10 from The American Rifleman, September 1929 --



July 1932 for the Magnum-10 --



1890 ad for the American Arms Co. "Whitmore" hammerless double --



1931 ad for The Sportsman --



September 1902, Hollenbeck Gun Co. ad --

Yep. I always enjoy going back through my Winchester Collectors magazines and seeing the prices of the old Winchesters and ads from the retirees who continued to do the work on their own. Even from 25 years ago are pretty great to see.

The American Field, Sept. 25, 1909 --



June 15, 1907, The American Field --



October 7, 1905 --



Didn't save a date for Martin Johnson --



1934 for Clark Gable --



1932 --



1937 --



One more Hollenbeck ad --