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This gave me a laugh this morning.... Dad's old manual.

doubled

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 2, 2011
513
2
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North Texas
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What's funny? I have that same manual and at least one older. Young whipper snapper!
 
Ha ha ha ha ha ha....I get it! ha ha ha ha It shows a woman.. ha ha ..hunting.. ha ha.. in 1991! ha ha ha ha ha!!! (JK)
 
My first Speer manual is the #8. These old manuals come in handy. I was given some H-4831 from the 1970's. There was reliable reloading data in the Speer #8 for it. I also saw a thread where a guy was asking for some loading data on some old Winchester 630P pistol powder to use in his .38 Special. There was data in there for him to use. I have an old can of Alcan #5, the powder is in great condition. I've used the Powder for target loads in my .41 Magnum using this old manual.

Old manuals can still be very useful. Hang onto it.
 
Ha ha ha ha ha ha....I get it! ha ha ha ha It shows a woman.. ha ha ..hunting.. ha ha.. in 1991! ha ha ha ha ha!!! (JK)

That ain't from 1991. My first manual was one after that one (Speer #10), and I got it in 1979.
 
I think it goes back a bit further...mid '70s if I recall.

Well, then that makes it even funnier! Ha ha ha ha ha!!!

I know you're right. I remember seeing that cover in my brother's reloading stuff in the '70s. Plus the graphics give it away. My Speer manuals are numbers 7 and 8 (love the cover on that one, but it's starting to peel badly). I was trying to tie the picture of the cover with the picture of the label that has "19 91" printed on it, even though it may not actually be a date on that label.

I think the op finds the price laughable. I do not. I just find today's prices cryable!
 
"I think the op finds the price laughable. I do not. I just find today's prices cryable! "

You should leap for joy at today's prices. Given the number of hours work to obtain that "cheep" book, it would cost about $45 today.

I have to shake my head at people who look at old prices and think it sure was great in the low price old days. Nonsense, everything about shooting/reloading is more affordable than they were in the 50's, 60s'. Generally with signficantly higher quality today too.
 
Well,

I still have mine. First reloading manual I purchased, it was a good start. I sold the .303 Enfield and the Lee scoop it and whack it hand loader for which I bought the manual while I was in college, but the manual provided a good start and was more than a lot of folks had to use when reloading.

DocB
 
Your right Flight 762. That's when I started my reloading at the age of 14 years young and that was my first book.I'm glad I'm young enough to still remember when I got it."""LOL"""
 
I had that one too, from the late 1970s when I started reloading. Along the way I gave it to a friend who was getting into reloading.
 
My oldest manual. Given to me by one of my mentors when I first became interested in handloading (sometime around '73).


 
Ha! The new ones are selling on Ebay these past few weeks for ~$80 BEFORE shipping.

For some reason, everybody wants the Speer manual.

I've got #12 and #13 by the way.

Chris
 
Ha! The new ones are selling on Ebay these past few weeks for ~$80 BEFORE shipping.

Geez. I should clean out my attic.

I'm a firm believer in owning different manuals, but if limited to one it wouldn't be Speer...for $80 it's not in the running under any scenario.
 
Still using mine also :)
I also have a Speer #3 in good shape from 1959.


Speer manuals.jpgSpeer 3.JPG

hofhine1,
What data are you interested in?
I can send you a few photos of those pages
 
$4.77 is not the same amount of buying power today.

Primers were less than $10 per thousand (less than 1 cent each). IIRC, powder was $8 a pound or less.

.22 was around 2 cents per round ($1 a box of 50).

With casting my own bullets, I figured I was shooting .45 for around 1.5 cents per round.

And gas was around 75 cents per gallon.

And a decent job (not great) paid $12,000 per year.
 
want to see something funny, look at the .357 125gr blue dot load in the 10th edition. . . . the start load is over max load in todays books!
i loosened a gas ring in a model 27, had to put a new cylinder in it.that was long ago before i learned to start on the looow side:).
 
want to see something funny, look at the .357 125gr blue dot load in the 10th edition. . . . the start load is over max load in todays books!

Some of the reduction in listed loads is due to lawyer tampering, sure, but there are also some valid reasons for it as well. Methods in measuring pressures have improved since then, and some powders use slightly different "recipes" than in the days of yore that can account for some minor differences. At least that's what I've heard.
 
Some of the reduction in listed loads is due to lawyer tampering, sure, but there are also some valid reasons for it as well. Methods in measuring pressures have improved since then, and some powders use slightly different "recipes" than in the days of yore that can account for some minor differences. At least that's what I've heard.


Yeah, their now moving towards piezo-electric transducers vs. the older copper crusher (CUP) method and I think that the P.E. devices are yielding more accurate pressure measurements.

The lawyers no doubt have a roll, but I think the method has gotten better.

Chris
 
Geez. I remember pumpimg gas as a kid...$0.18 for regular.

WOW, you are REALLY OLD. :)

The lowest normal price (not gas war) price I remember was 29.9 for premium. Regular was around 25.9.
 
Gas wars.....Mmmmmmmmm......
 
Still using mine also :)
I also have a Speer #3 in good shape from 1959.




hofhine1,
What data are you interested in?
I can send you a few photos of those pages


The under 150 grain 308 recipes, I think there were only a few powder's back then, but that's perfect.

And the 223 data for 55 grains, I had a copy from an old school (i think) sierra book, but lost it.

Thanks

sean