What was it like from 1994-2000?

[Wallabing]

During the AWB.

What was it like during the 90s, What guns did you buy, how many times did you go shooting, what gun was considered cool during that period?

This was all before I didnt own guns and wasnt aware of it.

[Tasty]

I've often wondered this too. What was it like? I turned 18 in 2005, so I didn't really concern myself with the shooting "scene" prior to that. Hell, I didn't realize I could own an AR until 2008!

[12voltguy]

During the AWB.

What was it like during the 90s, What guns did you buy, how many times did you go shooting, what gun was considered cool during that period?

This was all before I didnt own guns and wasnt aware of it.

I was in AZ 92-97
saw colt ar15s at lone wolf for $800
I bought a dawoo dw200 in 96
I didn't even know anout the ban then.
had a CCW,open carry was legal,now CC is legal no permit needed
in mid 90s walmart sold me my 1st glock 23,$375

[hellayella]

I was attending UCR in the early 90'
Turner's Riverside had Tula SKS in the bins for $99, MAK90s were $179, NHM90/92 for $279, Maadis etc
I watched the NoHo shootout on the way to work on KCAL9
Sharon Tay looked hot compared to how she looks now (plastic surgery mess up)

[CAL.BAR]

I have had the good fortune to grow up shooting since I was 12. I did most of my early collecting from 1985 through 1988. Those were the days when you could walk into a Turners and pick up an Uzi and walk out with 32 round mags. I purchased many of my now AW's with newspaper route money including my HK93 ($750.00) .223 rounds were running about $3.00 for 20 rounds. Of course I still thought they were expensive back then.

I shot mostly at Lytle Canyon. In THOSE days, there was no range - only chaos. The road ended and the war zone started. You'd find a spot by pulling over through the brush up against the hillside(s) and go at it. EVERYTHING was out there. Old cars, washing machines, TV's etc. people would bring anything to shoot. Which they did - and then left it there. The shotgun and old shell casings were so thick that you'd scarcely walk on dirt in many places.

Of course many gang members would go up to try out their new AK's (about $350.00 BTW) with the big curved banana mags of course. And what would a day at the range be w/o a case or two of beer which they would also bring in quantity. Things could get sketchy. In fact I can remember one time shooting at targets up against the hillside when a large pick up came down the road with a big old dude in the back with a FA belt fed M-60 blasting away at our targets (with us between him and the targets). I can still remember how it felt to have myself and three other friends each with one of my AW's and full 30 round mags feeling completely outgunned by one guy with this FA. On the bright side, the cops NEVER went up there. No range master telling you you're shooting too fast or whatever. No ammo checks - steel case was the order of the day. No range fees and no rules. While at times it could be scary, we felt free - if only for the briefest of moments - before heading back to the 15 and "civilization".

[hambam105]

Gun owners and especially action style shooting competitors were much more civil to one another.

Your average shooter & gun owner was better informed on the pending gun laws, now it's chaos. I am sure someone on Calguns is posting good political intel but I can't find it. The "Assault Weapon" portion of the shooting market was about 10% of the market. What is it now, 25%?

Many were convinced at the time that the proposed AW bans would prohibit the sale and ownership of what is commonly referred to today as an AR or AK.

Thanks for asking.

[blazeaglory]

I turned 18 in 1998 and bought an SLR-95 for $399. I loved it.

A year later I sold it for $400 to go back to school. I said I would buy another one soon.

Less than a year later, it was banned and the price had skyrocketed to $1000.

I had no idea a ban was coming, otherwise I would have never sold it. I suspect millions of others didnt know a ban was coming as well.

Same as today.

[bohoki]

its like the exact opposite of today ammo was cheap and magazines were expensive like $90 for a glock hi-cap $50 for a butler creek 10/22

kmart had thunderbolt on sale every now and then for $8 a brick a 100 pack of 9mm at walmart was $9.97

223 remington yellow box was $3.50

[G-forceJunkie]

7.62x39 was .99 cents for a box of 20 and Russian SKS's were $79-125 cash and carry. AR's simply no longer siad "AR-15" on them and had the bayonet lug ground off and a plain muzzle.

[JustaBlokeAnywhere]

I worked at the Pasadena Turners back in 1990. SKSs went on sale often for $69.99. Mak-90s were $175. 500 rounds of Wolf 7.62x39 was $60 bucks. I thought a HK SP-89 was pricey at $799. And Colt ARs were the shindigs at $600. You didn't have a "real" AR unless it was a Colt.... ;-/

[jdouglas]

I should not have looked at this thread.

SKS rifles for $100 (or less)? I wish my grandparents had stocked up on me SKS rifles instead of giving me savings bonds on my birthdays...I'd be a rich man now.

[NoSpam]

I had gotten into the gun thing in early '99 and learned a lot from some coworkers who had been in the sport for decades. Their recommendation to me at the time was to get an AR or AK before they were banned. They also recommended buying hi cap mags for any weapons I ever might own in the future because those were being banned too.

That was sound advice back then. Did I get price gouged and raped like crazy? You bet. $40 for NIW AR15 mags, $30 AK mags, $60 Beretta mags, and $100 Glock mags. My Ciener 22lr mags for my AR conversion were a special price of 3 for $210, instead of $80 each. That was the last chance of legally owning those things here in CA. What few you could afford to buy had to last you a lifetime because the idea of rebuilding a magazine wasn't possible at the time.

AR15.com, AK47.net, Glocktalk.com were the hot spots online for info.
Romanian AK's normally $250 were $400
AR15's normally priced $600 were $1000. The market was dominated by the ABC's at that time (Armalite, Bushmaster, Colt).
rebuilt Beta C 100 round drum mags were selling for $400
USGI bulk worn surplus mags that sold in bins for $5 were $20
HK94/MP5 clones were going for $2000+
.50 BMG bolt action uppers for AR15 were $1500+. .50 BMG ammo was $6/round.
50 cal ammo cans in excellent condition 3 for $10
Surplus machine gun 7.62x51 was $20/100 rounds
Wolf 7.62x39 was $2.49/box of 20
22LR was $10/brick
Wolf .223 was $2.99/box of 20; Brass cased .223 was $3.50/box.
Winchester 9mm at Walmart was $6/box of 50. Ammoman.com charged $120 for a whole case shipped to my door.
Federal Hydrashok HP's were big technology

My local indoor range at the time (no longer there) charged $8/hr for a lane, and sold 10-hour stamp cards for $50. Renting a gun was $5 and you could exchange it for another gun as long as you were buying the ammo from them.
The Pomona gun show was an all day event because there were so many vendors spanning like 7 buildings.
The laws regarding transport of a handgun was allowed in a "lockable container" as opposed to today's "locked container".
The HSC didn't exist. We had to take a class or watch an instructional video to get a BFSC, which was supposed to be good for a lifetime.

[Cato]

Well I remember being in Florida and guys telling me I should be buying as many ARs and mags as I could; this was 1992. I was still bummed that I couldn't buy full auto anymore. I missed that boat altogether.

[Javi]

Wish I had family members that shot firearms =/ My cousin & I are pretty much the first "enthusiast" shooters in the family & we started nearly three years ago.

[Quiet]

I bought a Norinco MAK-90 in 1993 for $250.
Shot 5000 rounds through it.
Sold it to a friend in 1999 for $500.

I bought a Underwood M-1 Carbine with twenty 15 round magazines, eight 30 round magazines & 3000 rounds of Lake City ammo in 1994 for $400.
Still have it.

I bought a Tula Arsenal SKS in 1995 for $100.
Did not shoot it.
Sold it to a friend of a friend in 1996 for $250.