Recommended old firearm and reloading books?

[DonMountain]

Recently, after seeing many references to some of the old writers in the Reloading/Firearm industries, I purchased some old books written by Philip B. Sharpe. His "The Rifle In America" first published in 1938, and his "Complete Guide To Handloading" first published in 1937. Both of them with some updates. Both of these vintage manuals have been interesting to read and some of the old rifles shown in pictures are the very earliest of the cartridges arms that we now try to "collect" and shoot. What other books might be of this caliber for us "collectors" to find for our libraries? Recommendations?

[Kevin Rohrer]

I have most of them and the only other ones worth collecting is Ken Waters's Pet Loads, and those by P.O. Ackley.

[dragon813gt]

A lot of information in the older books is really out of date. Which is to be expected. But when time has proven the info wrong it makes the books worthless. I have a bunch but can't recommend any of them. Now old reloading manuals w/ load data, buy them all. Yes, load data has changed w/ time. But if you shoot obsolete cartridges or powder that's fallen out of favor it's the only way to get load data. I buy any and all manuals w/ load data in them.

[KenT7021]

Be very careful if you decide to use the load data in the Ackley handbooks.Some of the loads are rather hot to put it mildly.

[Bent Ramrod]

I have most of the books on the subject, and all are interesting in one way or another. Frequently, a reloading or casting "kink" will show up that nobody has ever tried or discussed anywhere else, even on the Internet.

Obsolete reloading tools turn up all the time, and if one is interested in trying them out, the instructions (aside from the original ephemera and the ARTCA Journal) are most likely found in the old handloading books. I often find obsolete powders at gun shows and like to try them in the old cartridges. The old books have the recommendations. Data for powders that have survived on the market for 100 years or more are included in the loading data in the old books, and, using the principles of cautious working-up to the recommendations while looking for signs of excessive pressure (and, as always, cross-checking with other manuals), I, personally, have found nothing particularly dangerous about such data. I don't use anybody's maximum loads, from any source or era.

I am, of course, biased toward the old guns and calibers, and find ever less of interest as the various handbooks get more up-to-date. If all you want is loading data on the latest powders or loading for whatever they've managed to graft onto the AR frame this week, the old stuff probably won't be of much use to you.

Two of the old books that I would particularly recommend are Handloading Ammunition by J. R. Mattern, and Principles and Practice of Loading Ammunition by Earl Naramore. Why Not Load Your Own? by Townsend Whelen and Sixgun Cartridges and Loads by Elmer Keith are interesting reading as well.

[Gewehr-Guy]

Another good reference is Propellant Profiles published by Wolfe publishing, I have the 1991 edition and it includes several obsolete powders that you still encounter often, with some load data.