Some things just make you feel old

Was doing a little cleaning and organizing on the reloading bench a couple days ago. Trying to get an inventory of whats on hand. I found these and the price tags made me feel old.

Yes my friends that is .79 and .80 cents. And magnums at that. These probably date back to my high school days. Back then I was loading for an 1889 Marlin in 38/40 caliber. Loading on a tong tool with home cast bullets using FFG black powder or P Pyrodex. Lots of fun and lots of good memories. The CCI's have a Hamlin Gun Shop price tag on them. He set me up with the old tong tool and bullet mold when I couldn't afford or sometimes even find 38/40 ammo. This would have been about 1980, so cowboy action shooting was at best in it's infancy.

To put the price tags in perspective. I have 200 empty 9mm cases to load up sitting on the bench. I'm trying to get my inventory back up. My dealer hasn't had any CCI small pistol primers in weeks. Figuring I was going to use 200 of my old stock, I purchased 400 new ones. I bought Winchesters at $3.20 a hundred. Federals were $3.65 .

I feel old. Jim Rabjohn closed Hamlin Gun Shop in the spring of 2001 and retired. I had kept a gun on layaway in that shop almost every day for 20 years. As soon as one was paid off, I'd buy another. He had nice terms $5.00 down, payment every two weeks, paid in full in six months. The old Marlin has been gone for years. If I could afford to buy it now, I'd be afraid to shoot it like I did back then.

Memories are fun, even if they make you feel old.

Woods