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S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 1 2 5 I n the 1930s America's economy plunged during the Great Depression, but Mossberg's long-standing emphasis on producing budget-priced firearms stood them in good stead. The company's success during these difficult times, however, was not based on the simple expedient of paring down its product line or eliminating higher-cost features. Instead, they bet their future on offering more for less. Introduced in 1933, Mossberg's Model 30 (single shot) and Model 40 (repeater) bolt-action rimfire rifless featured excellent Lyman ramp front sights and rear peep sights. Unfortunately, these precision sights, at a contracted price of $8.20, increased the price of the Model 30 from $5.25 to $13.45. At that time the average American worker made about $26 a week. Instead of simply dropping the Lyman sight option, the company decided to design and manufacture their own ramp and peep sights, which brought the total price of the Model 30 to $6. In the years ahead, such a strategy enabled the company to offer desirable accessories and features as standard equipment while still keeping prices surprisingly low. Mossberg's motto of "More Gun for the Money" was not coined until 1950, but it had long been deeply ingrained in the company's culture. Oscar Mossberg died on December 27, 1937. Starting with little more than the American dream, he and his sons built a company that relied largely on his own engineering skills and thrived by providing customers with high-quality products that represented exceptional value. He was proud of his success, yet prouder still that his company's affordable .22 rifles had enabled many thousands of youngsters to get started in shooting and hunting. I n 1938 war clouds gathered again over Europe, and Iver Mossberg became the company's president. In keeping with the popular military look of the day, Mossberg introduced in 1939 a new series of rimfire rifles with full-length, Mannlicher–style stocks. The Model M rifles were among the firm's most successful introductions to date. As the U.S. moved closer to war, Iver realized that the company had an ideal military training rifle already on hand, and in 1941 Mossberg won and soon began fulfilling wartime contracts with only slightly revised Model M rifles (Model 42M) and continued to supply these trainers in large quantities throughout the war. After a short illness, Iver Mossberg died on February 18, 1945 at the age of 50. His brother, Harold, the last of the original three founders, took over the helm of the company that same year. As the war ended, Mossberg returned to producing the civilian versions of their 42M military trainers on the same production line that had been running at full capacity through the war. This head start allowed the firm to develop a variety of new models, including improved versions of their popular bolt-action shotguns, a revamped line of .22 target rifles, and a series of .22 semi-automatic rifles. Harold Mossberg died on October 8, 1964, and in 1967, 35-year-old Alan Mossberg, Iver's son, became the company's president, marking the third generation to head the firm. Like his father and grandfather, Alan had a hands-on knowledge of the business, having first started work at the factory as a machine operator while still a teenager. By the mid-1960s Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining had become established in US manufacturing, and Alan realized that it would reshape the future of firearm production. He didn't want to retool the entire factory to accommodate the new technology, so he decided to phase out all of Mossberg's rifle and bolt-action shotgun models and apply CNC machining exclusively to its best-seller: continued on page 165 Early in its history, Mossberg manufactured the Fur Getter for Taylor Fur Company. The hook held meat, and any varmint that tugged at it likely triggered a deadly surprise.