I was 14 years old in 1966 and dad was lamenting his unsuccessful attempts at acquiring a Winchesters Centennial 1866-1966 rifle or carbine limited run and what may have been their first of a series of Commemorative Models of the venerable Model 94. The Centennial was built on the '94 frame and had a couple of features that brought back memories of the older days of the company most notably an octagon barrel. The receiver and furniture were gold plated to be reminiscent of Mr. Henry's brass designed contribution to the Winchester Company's fame in the early years. Dad had tried the area gun shops and was always told the factory was sold out and these mementos of Winchesters 100 years of operation were no longer available.
It was getting late in the year and I was paging through the Montgomery Ward Mail Order Catalog's outdoor sporting section and there it was, a two page spread advertising Winchester's Centennials for sale. I interrupted mom as she was consoling dad in his failed quest. Dad didn't collect guns, his arsenal was a 12 gauge Winchester Model 1912 with a Herter's Ventilated Rib installed on the barrel by a friend that worked in nearby Waseca, MN., this Model 1912 frequented duck hunting blinds and cornfields here on the Southern Minnesota Prairie hunting Ring-necked Pheasants that seemed plentiful during those drought years of the 1960s. An old Remington Model 14 pump deer rifle in .32 Remington that headed Up-North every fall, a Mossberg .22 semi-automatic that loaded through a port on the right side of the walnut buttstock that took rabbits and squirrels and a Colt 1903 Pocket Model in .32 acp that he kept in a drawer at his place of business. I found myself uncharacteristically interrupting their conversation when my teenage mind realized this two page advertisement was the very firearm they were talking about. "Dad, why don't you buy one from the Montgomery Ward Catalog?" That question and my interruption did not bring the chaos that I feared might happen, rather, it brought questions as to what I was talking about, I got up off the floor and took the catalog over to dad sitting in his favorite chair. It was Sunday night and we had been watching Bonanza. Surely Montgomery Ward's was sold out too! A very valuable lesson was learned that day, mom spoke up and said, "I will call them tomorrow morning and see if they still have any left?" They did, but, only the long barreled rifle. The buying pubic had scooped up all the Carbine Models the folks at Montgomery Ward had gotten in stock. The next day by the time dad had the Cities Service gas station he ran closed and was home for supper mom also had the order form filled out and a check written, the envelope's return address area filled in and a 5¢ stamp placed on the upper right hand corner. After supper she gave dad the envelope with order and check inside to review and make sure she had written in what he wanted to buy. He looked it over, put the order and check inside, sealed the envelope and my little brother and I got in the tu-tone 1958 Ford two door station wagon and we all went to the Post Office where dad got out, walked over and put the order in the slot of the outside drop box. Three weeks later mom called #52 and told dad that a somewhat long box arrived and that he might know what is inside it. Needless to say, when the gas station was closed for the day he didn't stop off for a beer at his usual watering hole before supper and we all sat around watching the package get opened. There was a special box and a heavy cardboard display inside with the Centennial. The Centennial was something to be admired to dad and he never fired it, although, there was always a full box of Super-X brand with the big red X .30-30 ammo in a nearby dresser drawer if a need arose. Seeing how much dad liked that rifle the Christmas of 1966 still to this day is one of my favorite childhood memories!
As for that lesson: You do not know someone else's mind or his inventory until after you ask your question, and only then if the person is honest!
Was the old man smoking a cigarette as he carefully opened the box? I could smell it while I was reading your story! Thanks for sharing!
To answer your question, Yes he was, Chesterfield was his brand of choice at the time. However by 1972 he quit smoking, but, he still liked his Old Style Beer and occasionally a Pabst Blue Ribbon and while he didn't drink a lot of it he would really chuckle at the Hamm's Beer Bear Commercials!
I was 14 years old in 1966 and dad was lamenting his unsuccessful attempts at acquiring a Winchesters Centennial 1866-1966 rifle or carbine limited run and what may have been their first of a series of Commemorative Models of the venerable Model 94. The Centennial was built on the '94 frame and had a couple of features that brought back memories of the older days of the company most notably an octagon barrel. The receiver and furniture were gold plated to be reminiscent of Mr. Henry's brass designed contribution to the Winchester Company's fame in the early years. Dad had tried the area gun shops and was always told the factory was sold out and these mementos of Winchesters 100 years of operation were no longer available.
It was getting late in the year and I was paging through the Montgomery Ward Mail Order Catalog's outdoor sporting section and there it was, a two page spread advertising Winchester's Centennials for sale. I interrupted mom as she was consoling dad in his failed quest. Dad didn't collect guns, his arsenal was a 12 gauge Winchester Model 1912 with a Herter's Ventilated Rib installed on the barrel by a friend that worked in nearby Waseca, MN., this Model 1912 frequented duck hunting blinds and cornfields here on the Southern Minnesota Prairie hunting Ring-necked Pheasants that seemed plentiful during those drought years of the 1960s. An old Remington Model 14 pump deer rifle in .32 Remington that headed Up-North every fall, a Mossberg .22 semi-automatic that loaded through a port on the right side of the walnut buttstock that took rabbits and squirrels and a Colt 1903 Pocket Model in .32 acp that he kept in a drawer at his place of business. I found myself uncharacteristically interrupting their conversation when my teenage mind realized this two page advertisement was the very firearm they were talking about. "Dad, why don't you buy one from the Montgomery Ward Catalog?" That question and my interruption did not bring the chaos that I feared might happen, rather, it brought questions as to what I was talking about, I got up off the floor and took the catalog over to dad sitting in his favorite chair. It was Sunday night and we had been watching Bonanza. Surely Montgomery Ward's was sold out too! A very valuable lesson was learned that day, mom spoke up and said, "I will call them tomorrow morning and see if they still have any left?" They did, but, only the long barreled rifle. The buying pubic had scooped up all the Carbine Models the folks at Montgomery Ward had gotten in stock. The next day by the time dad had the Cities Service gas station he ran closed and was home for supper mom also had the order form filled out and a check written, the envelope's return address area filled in and a 5¢ stamp placed on the upper right hand corner. After supper she gave dad the envelope with order and check inside to review and make sure she had written in what he wanted to buy. He looked it over, put the order and check inside, sealed the envelope and my little brother and I got in the tu-tone 1958 Ford two door station wagon and we all went to the Post Office where dad got out, walked over and put the order in the slot of the outside drop box. Three weeks later mom called #52 and told dad that a somewhat long box arrived and that he might know what is inside it. Needless to say, when the gas station was closed for the day he didn't stop off for a beer at his usual watering hole before supper and we all sat around watching the package get opened. There was a special box and a heavy cardboard display inside with the Centennial. The Centennial was something to be admired to dad and he never fired it, although, there was always a full box of Super-X brand with the big red X .30-30 ammo in a nearby dresser drawer if a need arose. Seeing how much dad liked that rifle the Christmas of 1966 still to this day is one of my favorite childhood memories!
As for that lesson: You do not know someone else's mind or his inventory until after you ask your question, and only then if the person is honest!
Was the old man smoking a cigarette as he carefully opened the box? I could smell it while I was reading your story! Thanks for sharing!
To answer your question, Yes he was, Chesterfield was his brand of choice at the time. However by 1972 he quit smoking, but, he still liked his Old Style Beer and occasionally a Pabst Blue Ribbon and while he didn't drink a lot of it he would really chuckle at the Hamm's Beer Bear Commercials!
I knew it!! Best beer commercials ever! Great video!
my first gun was a 5 dollar JC Penny 16 gauge bolt action... killed some pheasants but was a POS for sure.. it burnt up with my second gun: an italian 20 gauge SXS that kicked like a mule...
"Never attribute to malice, that which can be adequately explained by ignorance or misunderstanding."
I can remember our Kmart selling guns and had pistols in a display case, I was pretty young, maybe 4th grade or so. Sometime between then and when I was high school they stopped selling guns. I don't think anyone in my family ever thought to buy a gun or ammo from there, it just wasn't on our radar. We had a couple of good gun stores open up by then that offered a wider selection. The mall opened up around that time and killed off all the gun sales downtown.
I was more concerned about Traxx sneakers and the Icee machine. I think Kmart had the only one in town.
Last edited by KFWA; 04/04/23.
have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues, can you bend them guitar strings
montgomery wards sears jc penny western auto kmart roses 2 IGA stores near me sold guns most hardware stores here did unkle had a gas station with a ffl
guys used to stop at the store near me and trade a cheap gun for gas,or tires ive seen over 100 trade-in guns in that store at one time
Bought a Stevens 311 12 ga from Monkey Wards in early '76 - IIRC ~ $110, with the tax. Late '60's - early '70's, I bought a lot of shotgun shells from them - they had my preferred #5 shot available. Most other ammo, primarily 22LR and 308, I bought from Gibson's Discount. Prices were similar, but Gibson's was closer. My dove loads were purchased there, also, as the Federals shot VERY well for me - and were cheaper.
I've always been a curmudgeon - now I'm an old curmudgeon. ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
I remember as a 10 year old drooling over the guns at Sears in Newark NJ. Area around that store was burned out during the Newark Riots. I used to love reading the gun section in the Spiegel catalog.
I have a Remington 1100 my Dad gave me for Christmas when I was 14. He bought it at JC Penny. I also remember drooling over the guns at Sears in the shopping center near our neighborhood back in the "70s. The "good Ole days".
.280 AI Fan
"I don't make jokes, I just watch the government and report the facts" Will Rogers
I remember the time when JC Penney shut everything down so they could cater to the yuppie trade. My wifed called one morning as I was sleeping after working a graveyard shift and said the store was selling all their guns at cost. Told me if they had anything I might want it would be at cost plus a 10% discount. O came home with two Remington 700 30-06s, an ADL and a BDL, a Winchester M94 and Marlin 36 30-30s a couple of 4X Weaver scopes. I forget what the total was on those guns but it was slightly under $350. Still have the BDL and M94. I gave the ADL to my stepson and the Marlin to a friend who just had to have it. IIRV he paid me $200 for it, NIB unfired.
One day I was at Sears and while my wife was shopping I hit the sporting goods to see what might be available. Sear was getting out of the gun business and there was I think a Ted Williams M53, a Winchester m70 push feed in some kind of God awful hardwood stock, funky looking 3 position safety but a solid rifle hiding in that ugly stock. $259.95. I gave it a once over and removed the bolt and looked down the barrel. Clerk is protesting that I didn't need to do that as it's a new gun. I had to ask him why all the unburned powder in the barrel and the smears of copper that I could see at the muzzle. Clerk says it was from they tested the rifle at the factory. They probably forgot to clean it. it got to be a but of a shouting match as I outright called the dude a liar Floor manager comes up with a "What's the problem?" so I tell him what the problem is. He checks out what I said about the unburned powder and copper streaks, tells the clerk to collect his paycheck and offers me the rifle for half price with apologies. Never could get that gun to shoot worth a damn so I traded it to a guy as payment for painting my house.
My stepdaughter worked at "Monkey Wards" so I got my S&W 629 .44 Magnum with her discount.
It was a sad day when all those places quit selling guns. PJ
Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them. MOLON LABE
