Sixgun Cartridges & Loads by Elmer Keith 1936

This little book had always eluded me until it was reprinted in 2016 by Silver Rock Publishing . Cost is under $20.00 , my copy came from Amazon but Barnes and Noble carries them also .
If you like reading Elmer Keith , this one is devoted strictly to reloading , mostly revolvers but there are some semi-auto loads also .
He discusses 33 cartridges from the 22 LR to the .50 Remington Navy Pistol and all things in between .
I especially liked the chapter on which lead/tin mixes to use with auto pistol , light target , medium and heavy magnum loads . With wheel weights getting harder to find knowing which lead / tin blends work is useful . I have lots of scrap lead , 50-50 bar solder and printers type .
It's a nice read , has lots of old photo's , lots of reloading information and worth the price even if the load data is out of date , the majority of the book is still relevant , interesting and fun to read .
Gary

Reading Keith’s stuff never gets old. He was a natural-born storyteller, and an instinctive experimental designer.

A lot of the material in Sixgun Cartridges and Loads was incorporated into his later book Sixguns.

His other little Samworth book, Big Game Rifles, is interesting also. I don’t know if it’s been reprinted or not.

I've got a copy of Sixgun Cartridges and Loads also. Found it several years ago on a used book site. It isn't a first edition or reprint but is by Samworth.

The only indication of age is a Copyright December 1936 and a list of Samworth books in back with a date of December 1945. It has a library type plastic cover over the original dust cover. All in all in very good condition except for the pages that are very heavy stock and stiff from age. I also have the original invoice that says I paid $65 for the book.

Sorry to run on so, but typed all this to remind myself not to let it get thrown into a trash bin when the heirs are cleaning out my stuff.

I got my copy on ebay several years ago and it showed up in fine shape, even the dust cover. Imagine my surprise and glee when I opened it up to find it signed by Frank de Haas, with a date in the month I was born. Several blank pages were covered in old game stamps, too. What fun!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alamogunr

I've got a copy of Sixgun Cartridges and Loads also. Found it several years ago on a used book site. It isn't a first edition or reprint but is by Samworth.

The only indication of age is a Copyright December 1936 and a list of Samworth books in back with a date of December 1945. It has a library type plastic cover over the original dust cover. All in all in very good condition except for the pages that are very heavy stock and stiff from age. I also have the original invoice that says I paid $65 for the book.

Sorry to run on so, but typed all this to remind myself not to let it get thrown into a trash bin when the heirs are cleaning out my stuff.

---

I don't even want to think about the "Heirs" and my gun books . I've always been a reader and book person so have amassed a nice library... I need to make some sort of provisions for their proper dispensation . I don't guess St. Peter will let me bring them with me !
Gary

My copy is very special to me. An older man in the community corresponded with Keith on a regular basis and became good friends. Elmer sent him a hardback copy signed and dedicated to him. Also did the same thing with his book Safari.

Uh, l'm almost ashamed to admit this now, but I have a copy of Keith's book....complete with dust jacket.......that I paid ten cents for at a gun show a LONG time ago. I've read it cover to cover several times, enjoying his first hand accounts of shooting large game. Usually these situations had him in dire straits at the time and he used the stories to emphasize the differences between handgun load power.

In fact, one of my early handloads came from his book.........a .38 special loaded with fffg black powder, as he recommended for beginners. It shot alright, but the fouling and cleanup taught me a hard lesson.....

I have a signed first edition!