The Home Guide to Cartridge Conversions

My wife forced me to go shopping with her at Goodwill today. I really hate shopping as it seems to me I do a lot of watching her shop, but I got lucky today. I decided to check the used books and found a rare treasure. It is Maj George C. Nontes "The Home Guide to Cartridge Conversions". I couldn't believe it and it only cost me a whopping $3.00. I'm stoked. Wanted this book for years. Now if I could find some Earl Naramore's "Principles and Practice of Loading Ammunition". I guess I shouldn't be so resistant to going with her.

Great find!

Absolutely great find. I probably paid 10 times that for my copy although it was in new condition. The Naramore book is very interesting too. I still go back to recent load manuals for the latest information. If you are into old reloading tools, Naramore is a good source of information.

Sometimes things just work out right and it sure did for you. Congratulations on your treasure find. james

i've been looking at goodwill for anything shooting related in the book section and have never found a thing, I was beginning to wonder if they threw them away instead of putting them out.

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Originally Posted by Cheeto303

M
Now if I could find some Earl Naramore's "Principles and Practice of Loading Ammunition". I guess I shouldn't be so resistant to going with her.

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The library at the University of Pennsylvania has a copy. You could try your local library and ask about their inter or intra library loan consortium. They may be able to get it to you to read. I found it interesting.

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Originally Posted by rancher1913

i've been looking at goodwill for anything shooting related in the book section and have never found a thing, I was beginning to wonder if they threw them away instead of putting them out.

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About 5 years ago I found Bruce Canfields "U.S. Infantry Weapons of World War II". Another good find at Goodwill.Keep your eyes peeled.

Congratulation! I got my copy as a gift.

I got my copy of Nonte's book in the early sixties from a neighbor who got it in an effort to make ammunition for an old gun he bought. Don't remember what I gave for it. I bought a signed copy of "Six Guns" by Keith in a junk store in Idaho for $5.00 about fifteen years ago. I hit the local thrift stores fairly frequently as you never know what you will find like the complete Lyman tong tool set for 30-30 that I bought for $3.00.

Wow! Good for you! I have Donnely's book on conversions and keep watching for Nonte's. No luck so far. Another I'd like to have is Dixon's book on European sporting cartridges. It seems to scarce as well.

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Originally Posted by sharps4590

Wow! Good for you! I have Donnely's book on conversions and keep watching for Nonte's. No luck so far. Another I'd like to have is Dixon's book on European sporting cartridges. It seems to scarce as well.

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If your pockets are deep enough, ABE Books has both volume 1 & 2.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sea...rtridges&isbn=

Wow....at least you found them!! I've only seen one for sale one time. Volume 2 is the only one I'd want. Pockets are deep enough...the question is, is the mind willing to spend almost 4 bills on a book....no matter how much I'd like to have it.

I own both books mentioned. Nonte's book is excellent as far as it goes, but there is another on my shelf that is more up to date.......I'll have to put the title here later as it's out of reach at the moment.

I inherited Narramore's book after the death of a dear friend and loading mentor. It's a 1950's copy and has more solid information than any reloading book I've ever seen. It's NOT an ad for any manufacturer.......instead, it concentrates on the construction and reloading of ANY cartridge. There's a complete description of the powders available at that time and, most interesting to me, a method to identify and develop loads from an UNKNOWN POWDER. I've never seen this information in any other book. Narramore outlines a specific series of evaluations that will allow the reloader to safely work with any unidentified powder, including Bullseye for cryin' out loud!

I've seen Narramore's book on Ebay for around thirty bucks. I'd recommend it highly........a heavy read, but worth it.

Please do put up the title, '06. I'd be very interested.

Sorry I took so long to reply............mama had some honey-do's.......

Book Title: The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions..........1056 pages
Author: John J. Donnelly
Publisher: Stoeger Publishing Company

It's a large, thick (almost 2") heavy book.
The only thing I find fault with are the cartridge drawings for each caliber. They're all the same whether rimmed or rimless! Each applicable dimension is labeled as "A, B, C," etc. with the actual dimensions listed alongside. Not a great inconvenience by any means, just not what I expected to see.

I expect we all understand "honey-do's"....lol!! I have Donnelly's and it's been a God send a few times. I thought you meant there was another by Narramore, no? I've not heard of that one.

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Originally Posted by 3006guns

Sorry I took so long to reply............mama had some honey-do's.......

Book Title: The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions..........1056 pages
Author: John J. Donnelly
Publisher: Stoeger Publishing Company

It's a large, thick (almost 2") heavy book.
The only thing I find fault with are the cartridge drawings for each caliber. They're all the same whether rimmed or rimless! Each applicable dimension is labeled as "A, B, C," etc. with the actual dimensions listed alongside. Not a great inconvenience by any means, just not what I expected to see.

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I also have Donnelly's book and it is very good. I just finished reading Nonte's book. It is very readable and has it's humorous moments. I miss the old writers. The new breed of writers seem very dry at best. Nonte meant it when he titled it "The Home Guide to Cartridge Conversions". His methods are quite simple and straight forward.As far as Narramore is concerned I just like the old books. I find them very interesting especially the simplicity of their methods. Earl Naramore's "Principles and Practice of Loading Ammunition" is just another rare book I'm after but can't afford a $100.00 or more for it. I know that I could probably find it at a library but I have a love of books in particular firearms related books. If I borrowed it from the library I'd then have the added problem of returning it.

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Originally Posted by Cheeto303

If I borrowed it from the library I'd then have the added problem of returning it.

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(In a husky, whispered voice)................."They'll never knowwww.............." :)

I have George Nonte's book, "Pistolsmithing" also. Some VERY interesting information in that one. Like the cartridge conversion book, many home shop adaptive methods.

Our little local library had a copy of Bill Jordan's "No Second Place Winner" about gunfighting. The inside fly leaf had a hand written inscription "To my friends at the Modoc Library, Bill Jordan". The book was sold at a book sale before I could get my hands on it. :(

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Originally Posted by 3006guns

(In a husky, whispered voice)................."They'll never knowwww.............." :)

I have George Nonte's book, "Pistolsmithing" also. Some VERY interesting information in that one. Like the cartridge conversion book, many home shop adaptive methods.

Our little local library had a copy of Bill Jordan's "No Second Place Winner" about gunfighting. The inside fly leaf had a hand written inscription "To my friends at the Modoc Library, Bill Jordan". The book was sold at a book sale before I could get my hands on it. :(

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I have a copy of Bill Jordan's "No Second Place Winner". It is a great read and the Border patrol stories at the beginning are hilarious. Like I said , the old writers could weave a story. Now a days if they wrote like this they'd be persecuted. It's to bad you didn't get that autographed copy. You have my sympathy's.

I have Donnelly's book, The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions. I also have Ken Howell's book Designing and Forming Custom Cartridges. Of the two, I prefer Howell's book.

I had forgotten the criticism of Donnelly's book about the drawings. I also can't remember much about the drawings in Howell's book but I do remember they are pictorially correct. I can't be specific about why I prefer Howell's book, I just do. Not a very satisfying reason, is it?

Great find.
Knew someone who worked at a goodwill here.
She said the manager would throw out anything to do with firearms or military history.
Manager said it was company policy.

Great book!

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Originally Posted by abunaitoo

Great find.
Knew someone who worked at a goodwill here.
She said the manager would throw out anything to do with firearms or military history.
Manager said it was company policy.

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Just one more reason to avoid Goodwill. The one nearest me was located in an empty Walmart building. It recently built a huge new building in a growing area. Couldn't have been cheap. I take all our excess stuff(none gun related) to a local charity shop run by volunteers. Going this weekend to help paint the old building.

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Originally Posted by alamogunr

I have Donnelly's book, The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions. I also have Ken Howell's book Designing and Forming Custom Cartridges. Of the two, I prefer Howell's book.

I had forgotten the criticism of Donnelly's book about the drawings. I also can't remember much about the drawings in Howell's book but I do remember they are pictorially correct. I can't be specific about why I prefer Howell's book, I just do. Not a very satisfying reason, is it?

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Sure it is. We all have preferences and likes, especially when it comes to the transfer of information. It either gets across to you, or it doesn't and that's the author's job.

After many years of reading mechanical blueprints, I EXPECT an accurate pictorial representation of the part along with dimensions. Most Lyman reloading books are a good example, having a drawing of the assembled cartridge with dimensions. Having to switch to a "list of dimensions" is time consuming and distracting. It's still a good book though, and a welcome addition to any reloader's library.

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Originally Posted by Cheeto303

My wife forced me to go shopping with her at Goodwill today. I really hate shopping as it seems to me I do a lot of watching her shop, but I got lucky today. I decided to check the used books and found a rare treasure. It is Maj George C. Nontes "The Home Guide to Cartridge Conversions". I couldn't believe it and it only cost me a whopping $3.00. I'm stoked. Wanted this book for years. Now if I could find some Earl Naramore's "Principles and Practice of Loading Ammunition". I guess I shouldn't be so resistant to going with her.

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I was happy to get a copy for $40 recently. It's not an easy find. Lucky you! :)

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Originally Posted by dbosman

The library at the University of Pennsylvania has a copy. You could try your local library and ask about their inter or intra library loan consortium. They may be able to get it to you to read. I found it interesting.

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There are PDF copies on the internet, too. Try archive.org.

Got mine from the old Outdoor Life book club! Bought many books from them