How many of you have some old reloading manuals?

[poboy6]

I have The Complete Handloader, by John Wooter (1988) and Hatcher's Notebook, 2nd Ed (1957). Everything else is reasonably current.

I'm curious. Do some of you old timers have some old manuals or have you gotten rid of them? I like history in general, and since I enjoy reloading I like reading some of the stuff from the past. I would find it fascinating to think "this is how things were done back when my grandfather was watching the Japs surrender at Pearl Harbor. "

How far back does your collection go?

And if you have a few manuals you wouldn't mind parting with, maybe we can make a trade.

 

[steveno]

Lyman Cast bullet manual copyright 1958
Lyman # 42 copyright 1960
Phil Sharpe manual copyright 1937
Belding & Mull copyright 1949

 

[ReloaderFred]

I have all my manuals dating back to when I started in 1963.

And the Japanese surrendered in Tokyo Bay, on board the USS Missouri, December 2nd, 1945. They attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, while my Dad was stationed at Ewa Marine Air Station. All his squadron's planes were destroyed in the attack.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[col.lemat]

Ideal hand book 40th edition copyright 1955 and what I think is a Lyman 45th edition missing the cover so I am not sure. It does have information for 223 Remington so I assuming late 1960's. I like the old manuals because they have information for the older bullets that are uncommon now days. Would really like to get pre WW2 and right after the war. Anyone have an idea when the first manuals were published?

 

[rcmodel]

Many Hornady, Speer, and Lyman manuals dating back to 1964 when I begin reloading.

As well as all the Hercules, Alliant, Alcan, Winchester, and Hodgdon power manuals they handed out.

Also early 'Cartridges of the World' volumns, and George Nontes 'Modern Handloading' (1972).

rc

 

[jmorris]

My newest book style manual was printed in 1991, oldest in 1964. I do have newer "hand out" style data sheets though.

 

[Lafitte]

My manuals don't go back very far but my memory goes back far enouth to know that the Japanese at Pearl Harbor were not in the surrender mode!

Lafitte

 

[poboy6]

I have all my manuals dating back to when I started in 1963.

And the Japanese surrendered in Tokyo Bay, on board the USS Missouri, December 2nd, 1945.

Yeah, my granddad was at Tokyo Bay when that happened (on a Destroyer Escort nearby). Sorry for the error (it was late).

 

[klausman]

If you are interested in history, check out some of the book sellers online such as ABE or even ebay for a copy of Phil Sharpe's books. The world was different then, and worth looking at.

 

[PapaG]

Manuals going back to the late '50s plus Hatcher, Sharpe, Keith (I know, not loading manuals but a lot of reloading in them), Shooting Times mags back to '62, Bullet's Flight, all the Cast Bullet handbooks including RCBS, Piles (or files) of data sheets from powder mfgs, and my own notes. Somewhere in the closet is a copy or two of Cotterman's old mimeo'd ARA newsletter (American Reloading Assn) with notes on the "original" 45 magnum which became the 454. (It detailed Casull's "triplex" load for the 45 using Bullseye, 2400 and Unique stacked...I will not relate the amounts....)
Love to get that old stuff out to review.
All that said, I pretty much rely on the latest manuals except for when reloading something that is no longer listed.

 

[Rule3]

Only Nuclear Speer #8

 

[Muddydogs]

Picked up all my old manuals at the used book store, never been in a used book store that didn't have at least one old loading manual.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I have back to 1951 Ideal's and also have Phillip B Sharpe's Complete Guide to Handloading from 1937. Its the 1937 edition but it references things to 1948.

My Lyman's 45 edition is the oldest one I still use. I think it's 1972. It was my fathers.

 

[Robert101]

My Speer and Sierra manuals go back to about 1978 but nothing in the 60's.

 

[joem1945]

Oldest one i have is 1980.

 

[dragon813gt]

I have all my grandfather's manuals. I don't know how old some of them are but he was reloading since the fifties, I think. I went and bought all the Hornady manuals because I use their bullets. I have a lot PDFs of old books and manuals. I actively seek them out because you can never have enough information.

 

[Shootshellz]

I have the Speer #6 on up along with older Hornady manuals and lots of old data given out by the powder companies. Never throw out older loading data. You may come into possession of some older powder no longer made that is still useable. You may have to dig into your older manuals/handouts to find said powder. Winchester in particular is fond of introducing a powder and dropping it a few years later.

 

[Stumper]

Yes. Speer 8, 10, 11. Lyman 45, 47 ,49 and Pistol and Revolver Handbook(1978) Hodgdon 22,26 , Nosler 3, Sierra 2 , P.O. Ackley's Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders, Reloaders Guide 3rd ed., Ken Waters Pet Loads. Hatcher's NoteBook. NRA Reloading 1981,Hornady 9, Hodgdon 2015, Lee Modern Reloading 2nd ed. Plus various old powder makers brochures and many books with some loading data.
New manuals are important but old ones are valuable-seeing that some charge weights for old standard powders were the same from 1935 until the arrival of piezo electric transducer testing is informative-A load may not be within current specs but it worked for decades! Having old manuals is helpful if I ever stumble on a keg of obsolete powder(If hasn't deteriorated I have data and will shoot it up!!!!) Also having many data sources allows one to compare and be leery of one source that is way out of sync with all the others on a specific load.

 

[Cheesemaker]

My original manual cover page early-mid 80s....edit: Manual Number 10 according to the cover....

 

[49willys]

my oldest is speer #6,1964 unless the lyman 45th is older(mine has no cover and the first few pages are missing)

 

[Laphroaig]

I inherited a bunch of vintage loading equipment from a great uncle. Included were a couple of his old manuals, the oldest being a 1931 Ideal Manual. There were also a couple of Belding and Mull, one from 1939 and another 1941.

Here is a page from the Ideal explaining brass cleaning circa 1931. We've certainly come a long way since then!



Laphroaig

 

[Steve C]

I've kept every manual that I got from the time I started reloading in the mid 70's including the free ones from the powder companies.

The old manuals come in handy when you get a hold of old powder in a yard or estate sale.

 

[gamestalker]

My books don't go back very far really. I think my oldest book is maybe the Speer #10 1978 edition. I don't know, I have a few.

GS

 

[ArchAngelCD]

My Speer manuals span #4 to #14 with only #13 missing. I have Lyman manuals back to when they were Ideal. The Lyman run #43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 49. I might have older ones too that I bought. I think the Ideal manual is from 1939. It is fun to look at but practically useless since the only powder in it still available is Unique.

 

[entropy]

Speer from 1964 and about '72, The first Nosler manual, and a Barnes, don't know what edition.