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OKSaddletramp
01-26-2014, 06:50 PM
Went to a gun show in Wichita Falls this weekend, looking mostly for a Mosin Nagant and maybe some reloading stuff. Not one single MN anywhere, even the walkarounds. But I did find some parts for my AR and a lb of IMR 30301. 30301 was my dad's favorite powder; he'd just fill up a case of .30-30 to the base of the neck and plump down whatever bullet he could scrounge (FN, of course). The dealer (who had a lot of VV, Norma, and IMR powders but no Trail Boss) was asking $28 for it, but settled on $25 when it looked like I was going to walk away. Having blown almost half my cash on stuff I hadn't budgeted for (since there were no MNs, why not?), I decided to call it a day and left. Crossing the parking lot, I ran into a guy either loading or preparing to unload his pickup truck with an assortment of dies, brass, and other odds and ends and stopped to chat with him. Before I knew it, I had exchanged $15 dollars for what's in the picture below. He hinted that he would let the rest of his stash go for $150 more, but I was now done to less than a hundred, and still needed to get gas for the trip home. He had a Lyman and an RCBS luber, a Lee pan lube set, about 120-180 lbs of mixed brass, Lee, RCBS, and Hornady dies, Speer, Hornady, Sierra, and cast bullets, mostly in .38, .44, .30-06 and 270, some lead shot in different sizes, and lots of other stuff that was too covered up to distinguish. Really wish I thought I could have talked him into taking a check for the lot, but he was obviously in need of cash.

Here's the picture of my haul (the new 30301 is in the back):

Left to right, Unique. The two squares are 13 and 11 oz cans, the 13oz almost full, the 11oz has 8.5oz. The tall cardboard can is unopened and sealled.:-D
2lb can of 4831, not marked H or IMR, but that's ok, there's a lot fine red dust mixed in with it.:(
A can of Dupont and a can of IMR 4380 with less than an oz each.:???:
Two 1lb cans of IMR4895, the rear one unopened and sealed8-), the other with about 3.5oz.
A 1lb can of IMR4227 with about 3.5oz.
2 1lb cans of H3895, the front with bout 2.5 oz, the rear one is full.:-D
1 8oz can for AL5 with about 5.4oz.
I 8oz can of Red Dot with 4oz.
1 1lb can of 2400 with less than 3oz.
I will be asking specific questions over in Powders concerning these partial cans once I can get pictures of the powder.

Two old style Lee 2cav molds 358150SWC (not TL style) and 429214SWC. They're pretty dirty, but appear to be tight (for varying definitions of tight). I'll take the next couple of days and clean them up and see how they cast (if the weather cooperates).

20 rnds of Remington .303 British fired brass. Looks clean, will see how it sizes up.

OK, did I do good for $15, or did I get taken to the cleaners?

TXGunNut
01-26-2014, 07:03 PM
A few of those old cans may cover your investment with the right collector, moulds alone are worth the purchase price, IMHO. I don't have much use for partial cans of powder, especially older ones. It's a shame you didn't have a few extra 20's stashed to buy the rest of his goodies, hope you got contact info.

dbosman
01-26-2014, 07:12 PM
The factory sealed cans are useable. The two un-opened cans are well worth your money and time. The open ones should be used for fertilizer. Sell the empty cans to collectors. The molds are worth far more than you paid. The 358150SWC will work really well for light to moderately heavy loads. The 429214SWC is still cataloged at $19.99.

jonp
01-26-2014, 07:30 PM
Jumpin jesus "did I do ok"? I will give you $30 and pay shipping. You made a great deal. The old tins of powder are worth what you gave each. That's a good haul.

I would dump the open cans of powder fr someone I didn't know and sell them here, to me preferably. You really don't know what they have in them

starmac
01-26-2014, 07:33 PM
Not really a question here, where could a guy get 1 unopened can of powder these days for 15 bucks?? You wound up with another can of powder, a couple of molds and a little brass for free.

Dutchman
01-26-2014, 07:41 PM
2lb can of 4831, not marked H or IMR, but that's ok, there's a lot fine red dust mixed in with it.


Pre-Hodgdon surplus 4831. Do not use any powder with red dust mixed in. Decomposing powder. Toss it out in the yard.

Good powder will have an ether smell. Bad powder will not smell of ether. Simple test but still valid. When in any doubt with old powders simply do not use them.

http://images19.fotki.com/v276/photos/2/28344/1676633/DSCF1541bp-vi.jpg


Dutch

truckerdave397
01-26-2014, 08:23 PM
That 120 to 180 pounds of brass is worth $1.80 a pound where I work.

Mechanicalmayham
01-26-2014, 09:30 PM
I love those old square tins. They are too cool. I also just went to a show and sold an Interarms 7x57. Didn't find ant good reloading stuff. What was there was grossly overpriced and the few people I haggled with acted like I was trying to swindle them. I walked on a lot of people. As an example, one fella had some "Antique Lee Molds" in 380acp. They were alum. and loose. They had so many scratches and the guide pins were dinged up, peened over. Just ugly. He was asking $50, I didn't even look at another thing on his table. Its sickening to see the shows going this way. Happens more and more frequently.