I bought the Stirling .22 bolt action from them. It was a reasonable cheap rifle. I also bought my pump action shotgun from them. This was in above 1972-3. Used to buy ammunition from them too.
Remember it well, bought a single shot bolt action winchester 22., from Hartleys in Flinders st. Melbourne, had to walk 2 blocks carrying it along crowded streets to get to my car, no cover on the rifle imagine doing that these days!
If I remember correctly no one seemed too concerned,
John.
My first rifle, a semi automatic .22 ( I think that it was an Aussie rifle made in Lithgow), came from a Waltons Department Store in the mid 1950s. No licences or proof of identity required in those days.
Waltons offered in house hire purchase. I wouldn't have been older than 15 at the time.
Peep sights were all the go until I could afford a rather inadequate scope with side mounts.
We used to hitch hike out to Condamine on shooting holidays with our rifles on full display .. No problems.
Many years later I loaned it to a mate & never got it back.
Edit .. changed to Made in Lithgow .. can't remember the brand ... They made lots of the ammo there too I think. We favoured hollow points. Added licence stuff too.
-- Edited by Cupie on Thursday 1st of September 2022 08:23:44 AM
Bought a 22 semi automatic and carry bag from a small sports store in Bright some 42 odd years ago. Think I just had to show my drivers and shooters licence and it was mine. Walked out the shop and down the main street with it, not a big street in those days.
The larger supermarkets (hypermarkets) in France use to sell firearms and ammunition and I never did get over going shopping and having cornflakes and shotgun shells in the same trolley :)
A good friend who is the same age as me recounts how he use to take his, uncovered, shotgun into school on Fridays on the bus because they had clay target practice on Friday afternoons. The guns were placed in the corner of the classroom during the morning.
However a gullible public now seems to see guns as evil rather than the people who do bad things with them. The same logic does not apply to knives it seems.
__________________
"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"
Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
Back in the late 70's & early 80's we used to camp in out of the way locations using a Bushwacker tent/camper trailer towed by a Subaru 4x4 wagon.
I owned a Baikal .22 rifle & a Baikal 12g shotgun.
I used to sleep with the shotgun loaded with a cracker, with the breach open, under our foam mattress at night.
I emigrated to Australia in 1970. I bought a .22 rifle my second day in the country and spent the rest of the week shooting rabbits on an uncles property, no licenses required then for .22's or shot guns. What fascinated me was when I tried to buy an air pistol they wanted a permit.
I still shoot most weeks now but mainly paper thees days.
__________________
In life it is important to know when to stop arguing with people
and simply let them be wrong.
