Adventures of a 70’s Kid in an Army And Navy Store

Metallicman ^ | 25DEC18 | Editorial staff

[wastoute]

They had rows of 55 gallon drums stuffed with Mausers for $5.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Iowa City was a cold place going to school in the late 60s.
An Army-surplus store also carried Navy goods, including a Navy pea coat I bought for $4 in ‘69.
No outside pockets. One inside pocket...

[mad_as_he$$]

Sigh. Those were the days!

[Fightin Whitey]

Long before all the synthetic hunting gear everybody wore surplus “wooly” pants with all the pockets, buttons, etc.

I bought a pair I still have in an old-time Army store in Billings, Montana for $10 in the 80s...now a facsimile pair in any sporting goods store will run you over $100.

Man, those synthetics are lightweight though....

[NJRighty]

I bought a few different things, one of which was an 'Army blanket'

My parents bought me the same blanket you describe, also in an Army Navy store. It was 1970 and I still have the blanket. I took it to sleepaway camp with me that year. (Mom sewed my name tag on it as you did with every article of clothing and such you took to summer camp. It's still there. Ha.)

[wastoute]

Dad bought me a .303 Jungle Carbine for $25, it had never been fired, I remember removing the cosmoline from the barrel. I killed a number of deer with it one at VERY long range.

[Openurmind]

I think one of the things I liked most as a kid from these stores were the very cheap cases of C rations for "camping" purposes, many still had small packs of cigarettes in them. :)

[BuffaloJack]

I remember the REAL Army-Navy stores.
In 1960 I bought a surplus Geiger counter in one. It took about a month before it stopped working, but I still have it. It needs 2 large electrolytic capacitors and 4 D-cell batteries.
The Army-Navy stores really were an adventure for young boys.

[Big Red Badger]

That small “Deployment Bag”,,,
Must Have!

I’ve got the Field Desk.
Pup tents,
Knives and
A canvas Strecher.
Got my eye on a “Deuce and a Half”
To carry it all.

I always wanted to own
A Surplus Store.

[Openurmind]

I have a Mk 4 that I bought in the same new condition wrapped in cosmoline and wax paper. It is still my favorite rifle of many and very accurate. I like firearms that can be loaded with strippers.

[atc23]

I used to live close to Andy and Bax and spent hours in there. Great place for thick wool socks, balaclavas and jackets

[subaru]

My 11 year old son went in a military surplus store for the first time a couple months ago. We were at Texas A&M for a football game, and the store was just across from campus and had tons of Corps surplus. He would have happily skipped the football game and spent 3 hours in there instead had I let him.

[dljordan]

I remember barrels of 1906 Springfields for $15 dollars each. The cartridges and bayonets were in separate barrels. ‘Bernie’s Bargains’ it was called. Some of the field jackets had holes in them.

[Openurmind]

Lol... You would have loved the auctions, like a kid in a candy store. :)

Now days those who like military surplus like us are perceived by idiots as domestic terrorists. I stress it strongly as memorabilia collecting to try and repair this ignorant misconception.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

All through high school (Wilson ‘72), my jacket of choice was a $5 surplus field jacket. Most were pretty shabby at that price, but I’d just get another when the previous one fell apart. New ones went around $30, but that was too much.

[Romans Nine]

Mickey’s Surplus in Kansas City Kansas is still in business and worth the drive if you have the opportunity.

[Bull Snipe]

The GI Joe’s I remember was located some where on N.E. Columbia Blvd. Could be wrong, that was 60 some odd years ago.

[SamAdams76]

I remember them as a kid during the 1970s. I was in Boy Scouts then and I'd go there to get canteens, jackknives and other gear for hiking/camping trips that the Scouts actually did for real back on those days.

These days, kids are more likely to think of the Old Navy clothing store (owned by The Gap) when you mention Army/Navy store.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

I think there was one out there (Jantzen Beach area?), but I lived in SW, so the Beaverton one was much closer.

[super7man]

AHH....the aroma of damp canvass!

I loved that smell. I could not wait to see what new thing I would discover:

Canteens - 25 cents
Wire recorder that worked - $2
Waterproof Flashlights - 25 cents
Practice hand grenades - 50 cents
5 lb. bucket of grease - $1 (don't ask me why)
Box of chemicals - $1 (mostly for the potassium chlorate to make explosives)
4 ft. high practice bomb - $3
Leather flight jacket (with zippered pocket on shoulder, soooo cool) - $4

Great days growing up.