If you were looking for evidence of just how far people can take political correctness, firearms advertising is a great place to start. You won’t see a gun ad in a magazine that doesn’t directly target firearms enthusiasts. And they’re even rarer on television.
Here are 20 old ads that show what firearms marketing looked like in the not-so-distant past. We’ve come a long way, critics might say. It is evident that we’ve lost some of our freedoms, too.
Before guns were so closely linked with death and destruction, families found them to be more appropriate gifts for holidays like Christmas. Guns are still good gifts, but you won’t see such overt associations with Christmas in marketing materials.
Santa doesn’t even make guns anymore. But the Stevens brand is still around.
There’s more to these ads than firearm marketing check out the inflation rates. This ad is from 1961.
Colt Pythons for only $125? These guns are selling for $3,000 today. Even with inflation, these would have been a good investment. And the Python happens to be a damn fine revolver, too.
How about a century ago? Back in 1902 Marlin models 1892, 1893 or 1894 sold from $10 to $13.25. And they could be shipped directly to your house.
If you really want to get under the skin of the gun-grabbers, advertise a gun and killing tigers in the same ad.
Or run an ad that seems to suggest consumption of alcohol goes hand-in-hand with handling a firearm.
You won’t see toy guns like this anymore, either. And for good reason.
196o you could buy a .55 caliber anti-tank gun. These are great for hunting.
Boy’s Life still runs the occasional ad for a Henry Rifle, or for some rimfire guns. The Boy Scouts still use guns. Safely.
While some guns are clearly taboo gifts, the old Daisy classic is still going strong.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could still buy a new Colt Woodsman?
Some of the early marketing stressed a growing sense of unease in the American population.
And that unease drew on new movements that were empowering women to defend themselves.
Manual safeties are often an option now. This wasn’t the case when this old Colt was new. Drop safeties were a novelty then.
Check out the emotional appeal of this ad. The family photo really sells the sense of home security. Yet it is the tip-up barrel and huge digital clock that date this ad.
There’s very little left of the old Iver Johnson brand. Check out the clean-cut lines on the good-guy.
This ad might explain just why there’s not much left of the old Iver Johnson brand.
With the holidays right around the corner, I’d highly suggest checking out a good gun. They’re excellent tools, great for teaching responsibility, and good-clean-fun.
