I've been blessed to come into the shooting sports long past the end of the infamous 1994 Crime Bill .As such all my S&W handguns have their high capacity magazines and I've never had to own or carry 10 rounders.I'm reaching out to the older & wiser S&W owners who did shoot during the "dark years" to ask what life was like back then.What was it like going to the range ,going to a competition,or shopping for a gun during the Assault Weapon Ban days?

Considering the caliber of people running for office in November,id be lying if I said I don't intend to use this thread as a guide for what may await us in the future.

I look forward to viewing the responses.

Nothing different than today. Rumors, horror stories, panic buying.....The sky did not fall but prices on lot of items that are no longer easy to obtain went through the roof. No different than the machine gun manufacturing ban back in 1986...I could go on and on...

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The American dream is alive

Given the relentless efforts of the anti-gun segment of society, I'm hesitant to predict what might or might not happen. During the ban you could always find "hi cap" magazines; albeit at a much higher price than before the ban. My suggestion is to get what you think you need now while they are reasonably priced, and then buy a few more with extra mag springs.

I guess that is when "mag fever" took over, I never felt that I needed more than three mags-per-gun before that. All the sudden 6-7 seem to be the minimum and prices went from $25-35 to $75-150, just nuts! I can remember being at the nationals one year and a vender saying he had access to 100K Para-Ord mag tubes, selling them right and left for $100, $75 if you bought 5 or more. Caused USPSA to start Limited 10 division for all the poor souls just getting into the game. Life went on regardless.

I am somewhat cautiously optimistic when it comes to the future of the 2nd Amendment. Not complacent, but cautiously optimistic. While the liberal politicians still seem to be as anti-gun as ever, the American population seems to be more and more pro-gun. A variety of state's have seen the light and are now honoring citizens rights for ownership and carry and the US Supreme court has been reasonably pro-2nd Amendment as well. Less gun restrictions have opened the door to more gun owners and more people who carry concealed (and open), that means more pro-gun supporters and voters. Now it's really on all of us to continue to fight for our rights and shepard in more people to do the same. If we would all use the money we were going to spend on that 5th or 6th full capacity magazine to support the NRA we would all be better off.

Not a S&W story, but an AWB story nonetheless...

I bought my first pistol on my 21st birthday, 1992, Glock 19. I remember the dealer telling me to buy that gun (or any gun for that matter) right then, because I wouldn't be able to get 15rd standard capacity magazines in the near future. I bought a 17 round mag also just to have a 3rd mag.

I was young and wasn't in touch with the political climate and didn't think much of it. I just know I wanted a Glock 19.

Once the AWB took full effect, I was STUNNED to see Glock 15rd mags going for $90 a pop!!!!! I was SO HAPPY that I was grandfathered in! There was no way I was going to buy standard capacity mags for that price, nor afford them anyway! I'm sure it was like that across all pistol manufacturers, S&W, SiG, Ruger, etc.

Through the AWB, I stuck with that Glock 19 (still have it) throughout and only picked up 10rd mags on the cheap for range duty. Only new gun I bought during that era that was effected was a new SiG P229 in .40S&W with 10rd mags.

Few things I REALLY MISS during that era...

1.) Target used to sell ammo.
2.) Sports Authority used to sell guns (handguns and long guns) and ammo.
3.) Ammo was CHEAP @ Target and WalMart...WWB 9mm value pack = $10...WWB .45ACP value pack = $20. I'm not kidding. I bought a 500rd case of .40S&W Speer Gold Dots from ammoman.com for $85, free shipping!

They were the best of times. They were the worst of times.

When the AWB expired and not renewed, factory Glock "For Law Enforcement Use Only" stamped mags could be bought all day long on the message boards for $15-$20!!! I gave away a few to my friends since then, but still have 2 15rd mags because the stamp is proof and evidence of the end of an era!

Also, IIRC, S&W changed ownership at some point during that era and got in bed with the Clinton Admin. That burned a lot of us up! Can't remember the details. I'm sure many here can recount the details.

Over the past couple of years I've spent more money on mags and ammunition than I have on handguns. I haven't got to the mag spring part of your sage advice yet, but I will.

Last week at Kittery Trading Post (Maine) I picked up five used magazines. One appears to be an early 59xx series, since it fits my 5906, but has a very plain floor plate, three 3913/14 8 round, and one 3904/06 8 round. I still have to clean and test them, but at $20.00 for the 39xx mags and $15.00 for the 59xx mag, I think I did OK.

When I first heard of the possibilty of an "AW"B, I purchased four or six more mags for the only large-cap pistol I owned. I think that I already had quite a few large-cap mags for the two long arms that I owned that could use them. I may have purchased ten more for one when they became available. I was really more concerned about bringing my ammo supply up to legal limits (MA has some fairly generous limits before a permit from the fire department is required).

If I were buying new autolading pistols (or rifles) regularly, I might have a problem, since MA HAS an "AW"B, but that is not the case. I pretty much have what I need or want, and hanker after only the occasional pistol of my youth, or a particularly user-friendly carry pistol. Those are rarely large-cap pistols.