FYI,

Herters was bought by Overtons, the largest water sports related catalog. About a year ago, Overtons sold Herters and Dunns to Cabelas.

--QD

Back in the early '50s,when I upgraded from the Ideal Tong Tool,I bought the Herter's model 3A Bench Tool. I still use it for my rifle reloading.
I also still use my Herter's 45/70 dies,and my 45ACP dies are still available for occasional use.
It's true that some of their stuff was really cheap,but just as much was inexpensive good stuff.
George Herter still lives! he changed his name to Richard Lee.
Frank

GCA '68 did indeed do Herter's in. In the early days of GCA '68 it was not just firearms that had to be bought through local (in-state) dealers. Up until 1983, that also included bullets and primers.

In fact, if you wanted to buy pistol fodder, either ammo or components, up until 1983 you had to have your purchases logged in a bound sales book at the gun stores, show I.D., and then sign the log!!

Initially, BATF applied that even to .22 LR, which was one of the reasons a lot of country grocery stores and gas stations quit selling .22 ammo. When the law was loosened a bit because of the outcry, some country stores never went back to selling gun stuff.

Herter's tried to adapt, by trying to set up participating dealers in every state, but it never worked out. A lot of us in rural states, as Oregon then was, simply couldn't take the time or money to drive 400 miles across the state to Portland, to the Herter's store. We had loved it not only for it's products and prices, but for the fact that it WAS mail order until GCA '68.

Matter of fact, I'm still using a set of Herter's .30-06 dies that I bought new through the mail for less than $2 in about 1960. They also sold "universal" neck-sizing and bullet-seating dies which would work on any cartridge case of a given neck diameter. I still have two of those, also...one in 6.5 m/m and one in .30 caliber.

Herter's bullets, BTW, were excellent except for that "wasp-waist" atrocity. They were manufactured by High Precision, of Orange City, Iowa. They provided some bullets I wish some of the modern remaining manufacturers would make...like 130 gr. .257" diameter rifle bullets. My first .25-06, which I built in 1959 while that was still a wildcat, just loved that bullet.

Herter's made such a fuss against GCA '68 and the Endangered Species Act, they got "special attention" from the feds. So the next thing we all knew, Herter's had been busted for violating the endangered species act and for smuggling.

At the time they were the top fly-tying materials outlet in the country, and as any fly-tier knows, there's a lot of fur, hair, feathers, and such for flies, that comes (or at least used to) from things such as leopards, hawks, etc. etc. etc.

After being convicted, the fines, and gov't attention finally put the finish to poor old Herter's.

Incidentally, they were also one of the best places in the country to get a rifle stocked. Not only did they have really, really good wood, they knew how to fit it. One of Townsend Whelan's favorite stocks was made for him by Herter's, and he pronounced it top notch. As "Townie" was a close companion of such folk as Abercrombie & Fitch, Griffen & Howe, et. al., and was considered the outstanding "rifle writer" of the day, he could have anybody's stock he wanted, gratis, for the asking. His recommendation was money in the bank...the best advertising to be had. And, he recommended Herter's stocks.

Best wishes,

AC

[ 04-26-2003, 11:15: Message edited by: Alberta Canuck ]

Fuzz, I remember that store in Lacy I think. Bought a stock for a old M 722 that I had and a friend bought one for 7 mag. M 700. Loved their catologs. Still use a model 3 press from them and several sets of dies. If wasn't for Herters I probally could not have got into reloading back in the 60's