Funny about this thread coming on now. About three weeks ago while clearing some junk out of a corner of the basement I found a box of stuff from when my wife and I moved our family into this house in 1976. In that box was a brick of Federal Monark standard velocity .22LR's I bought at the Seattle Police Athletic Association Range pro shop while I was in High School.
I graduated in 1962, so that ammo is now at least 47 years old. Two weeks ago I took the brick to the gravel pit I like to shoot at and shot half of it up. It wouldn't operate my 10-22, but every round fired. In my Rom. M69 and my old Hawes Western Sherriff .22 SA it was great. Other than a softer report than the hi-speed stuff available now it was fine. The part of the basement where that box was hidden is always cool and dry.
The price pencilled on the brick was $1.99. I bought my ammo there because my Uncle Buddy was a Seattle Policeman and got a pretty good discount on the stuff sold in the pro shop at the range. .38 special wadcutter practice loads were two bits for a tray of 50. Uncle Buddy wrangled me a Colt DA service revolver the dept. had mustered out. The range armorer checked it out and reblued it for me. I used to carry that thing in my lunch box on the bus from N. Seattle to the Duwamish Wye every Saturday during the Summer to shoot. I paid for my range fees and ammo by sweeping up, go-fer-ing, and tending the loading machines. He got me a new .22 Ruger Auto pistol there for my 17th birthday. I had it until my daughter was born in '74 and I had to sell it for some quick money for something useless, rent or food probably. I don't remember what happened to that old Colt DA.
Gerry N.
