Old Reloading Manuals Information Wanted

Ariser

Ariser

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Vancouver B.C.
I have a few old reloading manuals that I was thinking of putting on the equipment exchange. I am wondering roughly what I should be asking for them. I was thinking $25 each plus shipping.

I have the following: Nosler Reloading Manual Number 2 from 1981, Sierra Bullets Reloading Manual 1979, Speer Reloading Manual number 10 from 1979, Hogdon Power Data Manual Twenty-fifth edition, Hornaday Handbook of Cartridge Reloading Third edition.

Does $25 sound right, or should I ask for more or less?

Thank you
 
It all depends on their condition. Many of the powders and bullets in those old manuals no longer exist or they are being sold under a different name. It happens a lot but can be very confusing and takes a lot of research to verify. I like the old manuals I have because I have a lot of the older powders still on hand that aren't very popular anymore for a variety of reasons, mostly the newer powders are very good and people have switched over to them. I still have powders like HiVel #1 to #5 and it is still very good powder for what I use it for. When I traveled through the US back in the day I would drop into every local gun shop I could find, until I got married the first time. My second wife is far more understanding. Often these shops would have boxes of discontinued powder they would sell very cheaply.

It is even very difficult to find loading specs for those rare old powders on the internet. My old volumes some of which are very small compared to the wondrous tomes we have today.

Some people just like to have them on hand. It's amazing how things have changed and loads that were considered perfectly safe in the fifties and sixties are now considered to be dangerous. Back then you were expected to know the limitations of your rifle's action. Today the manufacturers are terrified of potential liability litigation if they make the erroneous assumption that people actually know what they are doing.

I sold a bunch of manuals last fall that I found at a garage sale and used book store. I put $25 on them and got $20 for them. Finding the reloading manuals at the local used book store was a big surprise as the owner of that store has a few repeat customers that will grab up all of the old manuals and fly tying recipe books that come into the store. There were 15 old reloading manuals dating from a first edition Hornady to a mid eighties Lyman. All were seconds to what I have on hand and of course I kept the books in the best condition.
 
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