Old manuals rock.

[JeffinNZ]

Team.

I borrowed the Ideal No39 manual (1953) from the club library the other day. What a gem of info that is no longer in circulation.

The best info is the "Ideal table of grooved and round bullets". It shows the original calibres, weight of powder, weight of bullets and most importantly the orginal alloy composition used.

The diagrams of the available bullets from the period is great also. We have lost so much. :-(

[Bret4207]

I thought you meant OLD! I have a reprint somewhere of the 1920 or so Ideal book. If only I could get my hands on some "Kings Semi-Smokeless" powder...

[JeffinNZ]

Revised post. Mild aged manuals rock............LOL.

Good point. The old manuals on Castpics are even better.

[John Boy]

Jeff, should you desire to add to your reference library, would suggest:
* Cartridges of the World
* Complete Guide to Reloading by Philip Sharpe, vintage 1937

[turbo1889]

Indeed !!! I have been on the look out for published heavy field loads using IMR-4227 powder in the 20ga. to use as “donor data” for working up slug and buckshot loads using that powder for years. Finally found some, in the Lyman first edition shot shell manual. Best $5 I ever spent on a used book on amazon.com

[TXGunNut]

I keep a 45th edition (1970) Lyman manual around to balance out all the newer ones. I check it every time I try to come up with a new load. Maybe I need to buy more old manuals, lots of history in those Ideal manuals.

[wiljen]

You guys need to check out www.castpics.net It has several of those old manuals.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

not too long ago I got a "Handbook of cast bullets"
by Lyman Gun Site Corp. copyright 1958...is this the first one ?
$24 from an Amazon dealer, the plastic binder was about shot,
I was able to get a new and larger binder to make it like new.
great reading plus some vintage loading data
Jon

[MT Gianni]

JonB, I think 1958 is the publish date on #1.

[TXGunNut]

Nice site, Wiljen. Awesome reference resource.

[TXGunNut]

JonB, I think 1958 is the publish date on #1. -MT Gianni

4th edition came out last year, great articles!

[adrians]

morning.
i have been gathering these "older: data books" for about 6 months now ,it;s not many but it;s a start.
the xtra benifit you get in these publications is there have lots of info on long gone designs and pull outs of older sights ect, not to mention the data itself.
as i sometimes shoot my kar88 (.318) i have info on which molds to look for , 32-40 molds are an example also i found mold #s 319247,,319295,,,320366,,
with this info in hand i snagged all 3 over time.
the second book is my fav (pub i think in 1958,).good stuff a step back in time shows perhaps what we have lost over the years.
adrian,:evil::coffee::evil:

[scrapcan]

you guys need to look at www.cornellpubs.com

She reprints a lot of older manuals and prices are pretty good. But if you want originals, well it takes a while to amass a collection.

[adrians]

yer mine are all originals ,but cornells has them all in reprint, well worth a look- see.
i like the originals cos the previous owners have added their own notes in some of them and i find that interesting ,
a window to the past.

[376Steyr]

I have my Dad's Speer #3, which includes such gems as a .44 Special load with 9.0 grs of Unique under a 250 Cast SWC. They don't make 'em like that anymore.