Does anyone here collect cartridges?

Much cheaper than my collecting. I see odd calibers or oddly setup guns and can't resist. I got it honest though, my dad got a marlin model 62 box fed lever action in .256winmag when he was 15 and shot groundhogs nearly to extinction with it in this and surrounding counties. It has taken deer, coyote, opossum, raccoon, fox, and a few other critters (stinking stray tomcats and mean mutts). I see odd and bring it home, sometimes to stsy, sometimes temporarily. I think my 15" barrelled single action 357 revolver is a keeper as is my 7-30 waters and 9" single six.

Jim, you and I started at about the same time. While I am no longer an active collector, when I was, I focused primarily on the era of transition to cartridges. Specifically those having unusual case designs. If I happen to see something at a gun show that is unusual, under valued, and not something I previous bought, I often submit to the temptation to buy it.

I don't pursue cartridges, but I do glom onto whatever I run across and "collect" them that way. Blows my mind how many types and calibers there's been over the years.

I do, in a sense. Its fun to find a round, even just the brass, at the range that I havent seen before. But its a lot more fun for me, to collect guns that shoot the different rounds, so that I can really experience them, each having its own personality. Sure, I have 4 .22s, but most of my other guns are all different calibers.

I used to, but it seemed every time I found a cartridge I didn't have, (a gun for) I ended up buying a firearm to fit it, needless to say I have way too many guns; well not really, a man can never have too many guns.

I collect old anything gun related , mostly handload stuff , old powder cans , scales , tools , and books, but I do have quit a few cartridges for guns I have never owned and probably never will, I do hit the collectors tables at the shows as I am always looking for 32rem cartridges so I can keep my old Remington Mod141 running , last month I found a full box of Winchester Non-Mercuric Staynless primed 32rem in a near perfect 1930's box and found that they have convex primers, and they are crimped in , so I guess these will go in the Collect pile and not the shoot pile

Did you say 25/25 Stevens? I have a bag of brass a guy gave me. He thought it was 25/20, but no.....I had never even heard of it. Apparently kinda rare.

I guess I do.
I have nothing at all organized.
Just some I have picked up over the years.

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rc

I'll wander by the vintage ammo displays at gun shows to buy whatever rounds I recognize or find interesting, especially if everything else at the show is overpriced. At least I walk away with "something".

RC made a good point (kind-of) this thread needs pictures , and 165gr 32rem.

I have accumulated some over the years. Boxes not individual cartridges. Mostly .22's. Some shotgun and centerfire. I pick up things that I find priced right from time to time.

I never wanted to be "that guy".

But, I guess I backed into it.

I like odd-balls like:

GI buck shot
FA42 .45 for the Liberator
Weird service 9mm
Things like that

I get the oddest stuff from my Wife's estate sales but only hang onto military or visually pleasing and obscure commercial rounds.

To set out to "collect" would drive me nuts. Like baseball cards or stamps would.

Todd.

I've been a (wife would insert 'insanely' here) serious cartridge collector since the early 1980s. It started when I was living overseas and started finding things I couldn't identify. Came back here for a visit at some point and discovered that it was a disease with a support group, The International Ammunition Association (IAA). Definitely much cheaper than guns, but it does have its moments. I recently plunked down almost $1300 on a deal.
I actively collect most metric-military ammo under 12.7mm, but really specialize on 7.62x25 Tokarev/Mauser cartridges.

I don't collect. But I am intensely interested. I love seeing collections and learning.

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=events

Larry, It looks like you have enough for another board or 2 lol.

OilyPablo said:

I don't collect. But I am intensely interested. I love seeing collections and learning.

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=events

Click to expand...

great links , thanks , I'm still wondering what some of my old stuff is worth , I paid $50. for the old Winchester 32rem , I think I did good at that price , always looking for new links to do some research , one thing I have learned is some old boxes go for more than the cartridges do ,

I am actually just getting into cartridge collecting and learning a lot ( I don't think that will ever change). Right now I am primarily interested in American cartridges and the odd balls. I am sure my interest will continue to expand outside of American cartridges.

Does anyone have any suggestions on places to look for/buy cartridges or any good books on cartridge collecting? I am not necessarily looking for a price guide but more of a reference on the history of cartridges and a "list" of cartridges that have been manufactured.

Like I said, I have just started this endeavor/hobby. My grandfather was always a collector of just about anything (fishing lures, barbed wire, traps, glass insulators, etc.) and I have inherited his large antique fishing lure collection which I have been able to add a few specimens too. Cartridge collecting was something he never got too involved with so this is something new to me.

If anyone has any advice or tips, I welcome the opportunity to talk and learn as much as I can.

Yes, sort of.

When I started collecting old .32 automatics, the thought occurred that some 'old' .32 ACP or 7.65mm ammo boxes would go well with the wall display.

Just looking for such has rewarded me with two or three old boxes - including a Western box proudly proclaiming 'Lubaloy', a Remington-UMC box (no green or blue), and an Eley top open box with a few each of both Eley and Kynoch 7.65mm rounds.

And, as I never throw anything away, I have 'odd' rounds from here and there. If an ex-wife didn't trash them, I have four or five 'caseless' Daisy rounds from the 1960s or so. And such bits and pieces of more or less modern but 'odd' ammo.

+1

Gotta have it for cartridge reference.
It's not perfect, but it's close.

http://www.brownells.com/books-vide...d-13th-edition-sku100011192-55134-111971.aspx

rc

I collected non seriously for awhile including the somewhat short time I was an FFL . My brother got into it more serious so I gave him all what I had at the time. It included pin fires in various calibers, Rimfires again in various calibers, a few of the odd or hard to find cartridges like the .32 Xtra long rimfire.
A 50-95 that was recovered from the wall of a cabin in Wyoming when my friend was a kid. The cabin had been burned down by indians he claimed. (seems a little late for that) He found them between the walls under a window cell. 5 rounds in all, he gave me one. No corrosion so sort of a nice item.
I also had a few boxes and partial boxes of ammo I let him have - these were early 2 part boxes, and some early Savage ammo with the animals on the box.

I had one that I thought unusual. It was a 2 part box of .22 rimfire in near perfect condition. It was all white with the exception of three large red letters which were NRA ? Never figured out wether that was for the National Rifle Association, or possibly the National Recovery Act ?

At any rate, any time I run across something out of the ordinary that I can buy reasonable I send it off to my brother who's collection has grown over the years enough to be interesting.
I'm not that versed on cartridge collecting and have no idea of values.