Who's got the oldest manual???

[Keyfer 55]

Mine is a Speer !!! 1964 edition!!

 

[Blue68f100]

I have a 1971 version of the Sierra Book. If I recall this was the first year of the release.

 

[Catpop]

I got a 1971 Lyman spiral bound when I cut my teeth reloading 35 Remington for my Marlin 336 T.

 

[frankmako]

I got the 71 lyman and a speer that I got in 73.

 

[Rule3]

But I have the Speer Nuclear Launch Codes #8!
Not the oldest but most feared!

 

[Texas10mm]

I've got the Ken Water's Pet Loads. Those go pretty far back.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

Ideal Number 35 is from 1948:
Ideal Number 36 is from April/June 1949
Ideal Number 39 is from May 1953

 

[Keyfer 55]

That's cool !! I've got an old set of Ideal 310 hand loader in 3006 and 357 mag.

 

[milemaker13]

Ive got some old gunsmith books from the 30s and 40s... do those count? No loading info in them.. so... I guess not

 

[Keyfer 55]

Ive got some old gunsmith books from the 30s and 40s... do those count? No loading info in them.. so... I guess not

Post a Pic!!

 

[davesmyrnaga]

View attachment 815271 I got a 1971 Lyman spiral bound when I cut my teeth reloading 35 Remington for my Marlin 336 T.

Hey I got that one too!

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

1966

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

1951

 

[Jim Watson]

Phil Sharpe, 1937 with updates.

 

[Ironicaintit]

But I have the Speer Nuclear Launch Codes #8!
Not the oldest but most feared!

I have that one, too. It definitely has some potent pills in it. I attached a "forward" to the cover, that in no circumstance were the loads in the book to be used as the sole reference.

my oldest though, is the "Complete guide to handloading" by Philip Sharpe, from 1953

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have a few old manuls:
Ideal #38 - 1951
Ideal #39 - 1953
Speer Manual #1 - 1954
Lyman Cast Bullet Manual #1 - 1958
Hodgdon Reloading Manual #19 - 1964 (not as old as the others)

 

[Slamfire]

my oldest though, is the "Complete guide to handloading" by Philip Sharpe, from 1953

Me too. Though I still have my Lyman 41st edition, almost all of my older manuals were dumped at some time. At some point the Nobel powders, the Vulcan powder data, is just useless and the things take up space.

 

[Laphroaig]

Here's an Ideal #30, 1931

 

[Laphroaig]

Some old Belding and Mulls too.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Here's an Ideal #30, 1931

View attachment 815352

Very cool book. The problem with such an old manual is the powders are usually no longer available. It's still cool to read about the loads from back then.

 

[cfullgraf]

I don't even come close to having the oldest reloading manual. I have the Speer, Lyman and Lyman Cast manuals that were current around 1980.

Also, I've kept the pamphlets from the powder companies that they produced around the same time frame, 1980 plus.

It has been handy to have the old information available. As I have updated to newer manuals, I have kept the old ones and it is nice to be able to go back and look at the old data.

 

[Maynard Shooter]

I picked up some Reloader 11 at an auction in a sealed original container. I'm glad I have my Lyman #45 manual so I can use it to reload my 30-30.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I have a reprint of the old Laflin and Rand history which has their original loadings from around 1908 for the powders that turned into the Hercules Powder Co.
I have a scan of the Ideal 1938 which is on the internet for download, and the oldest book I have is Lyman's 45 edition my father used when he taught me to reload.

 

[Rule3]

A link to some online versions. Not the oldest but 1950 and 1960

http://www.castpics.net/LoadData/OM/default.html

 

[old heeler]

Speer Wildcat manual #4 1959