What Dustin said. People forget there was a Great Depression, and when unemployment was near 50%, that nice, fat, bunny or brace of squirrels might have been more important then timed screws.
I've seen charts that say the depression lasted 2 1/2 years, but, people who were there tell me it impacted them until the war. Almost a decade, and that is a long time to end up poor. My Dad was a teenager during the war, and had lots of good jobs, but, people forget when all the troops came home it was like the depression was back all over again. My Dad joined the marines in 1947-he needed a job.
Nobody in Frogtown, where my Dad was raised, shopped at Griffen and Howe, or, Abercrombie and Fitch.
That era was not conducive to good gun maintenance. Po' folk got po' ways.
Best,
Ted
