Cartridge Collecting

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markm_04

New member
I am just beginning to get into collecting firearm cartridges and was curious if anyone here collects cartridges? This is something I have been interested in for quite some time, but have just recently started a small collection. I am mainly interested in American cartridges and odd balls of course but I am sure that field will continue to expand along with my knowledge of cartridges.

Does anyone have any suggestions on reference books for cartridge collecting or tips/advice on where to look for cartridges? Those of you that do collect cartridges, how when and what did you start with?

I am always trying to expand my knowledge and welcome the opportunity to discuss the hobby of cartridge collecting with anyone.
 
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Smoke & Recoil

New member
And when you pick up Cartridges Of The World, don't get hung up in the
unknown cartridge measurement section when you have shells with out
head stamps. Their are soooooo many cartridges near identical but very
differing in measurements.
 
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kilimanjaro

New member
I collect full vintage boxes, so no thousands for me, but I've seen some pretty big collections of single rounds. If you get into it, storage will be an issue in short order. Best cabinet I've seen is an antique armoir with flat drawers like a dehydrator installed. Room for thousands. Could do the same with an obsolete entertainment center. Saw one setup where bakery trays were used as the shelves, padded cloth covered the tray bottoms, looked alright.
 
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Gunfixr

New member
Another vote for cartridges of the world.
I used to dabble in it, in my late teens and early 20s.
Haven't done anything with it in over 25 yrs.
Mostly single rounds, some boxes of rounds.
It's all just sitting in a box around here somewhere, as I just really don't know what exactly to do with it.
 
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jonnyc

New member
COTW is really a basic book, with limited info and more than a few generalities and errors. While it is a good start, you will want to move past it.
Visit the website of the IAA:
http://cartridgecollectors.org/
Lots of info there for new and established collectors, a helpful forum, book lists, etc. Take a look at the "Events" link. The biggest cartridge collector show in the world is held every year in St. Louis, the week before Easter.
Maybe we'll see you there.
 
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sgms

New member
Been collecting cartridges close to 60 years now. You may want to see if there are any cartridge collecting groups in your area as well as look online for information. You may also want to go to www.iaaforum.org. It is the forum for cartridge collectors .org Many long time collectors there and lots of good information.
 
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markm_04

New member
Thanks for the replies so far. I will be ordering the "Cartridges of the World" book this evening. Looking forward to the information it contains.

Kilimanjaro: I like the idea of the armoir for storage/display purposes. I will have to look into that. I have seen a lot of displays where the cartridges are glued or somehow fastened to the board somehow. I really don't want to do that so I can still move organize or examine the cartridges at will.

I plan on collecting mainly singles or doubles of most items as I am not interested in full boxes at this time. I have read through a lot of the information on the IAA website but have not joined in any discussions on their forum.

How did you guys get started in collecting and what did you start with?
 
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sgms

New member
I started with the help of my grandfather a long time collector of ammunition and was buying old paper cartridges and patent ignitions at OGCA club shows that had a number of cartridge collectors that set up tables at the show/meetings. After a couple of I years joined a cartridge collectors club. For storage I use an old blueprint cabinet with 1 inch boards with rounded groves in them wide enough to hold the cartridges. The drawers are about 3-31/2 inches deep so cartridges up to 20m/m can be stored. It might also be a good idea to try to find what you want to primarily collect, general is great fun but can soon become overwhelming.
Forgot to add if you can find these books they are fairly good, 1st. a 3 book set by Fred A. Datig cartridges for Collectors, 2nd. The American Cartridge on rimfires by Chas. R. Suydam, they are older book so are not up to date on modern cartridges but good for the older stuff. I don't have a clue how findable they may be but might be worth googling cartridge collecting books.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
My collection is simple, as I never got much into collecting them for collection's sake.

Since I was often being asked about different rounds, I decided to put together a small collection of the common calibers that I could show people, to see things like the difference between a .30-30 and a .300 Winchester mag, etc. Along the way, I wound up with a few rare or oddball rounds too.

Like a .300 Rook.

a friend gave me an old cartridge board, something that at one time would have been fabulous. Spaces for dozens of cartridges, that at one time had been held on with both glue and string, with the names printed underneath. All old black powder rounds, and other obsolete stuff
(.25-36 Marlin is one I remember having to look up)
No cartridges on the board, just the names and holes and some glue spots.

While we were considering trying to get restore it, a plumbing accident ruined it totally. After that, my main interest turned to "collecting" ammo for guns I had. And some info about ammo in general. My first copy of Cartridges of the world was its 4th edition. What are they up to now? 11? I don't know. :D

Some collect cartridges the way some collect stamps. I tend to collect cartridges the way my mother collected S&H Green Stamps. (google that, kids! :D)

Its a fun hobby, enjoy!
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
Back when I was in college the old timey hardware store in town was going out of business and selling pretty much everything. Had been there since before the Confederate Army attacked Carlisle as part of the Gettysburg campaign.

They had a Winchester or Remington cartridge board that I desperately tried to buy. Years earlier someone had pulled some of cartridges off and polished them, seriously damaging the board's value.

I think I offered them $1,000 (1985 or 1986). They wouldn't sell. The one brother already had a place for it cleared out in his den.

Today a pristine example from the transitional black powder to smokeless period (Winchester discontinued the large cartridge boards around 1900 and replaced them with smaller, portable sample packs for their traveling sales teams) can bring upwards $30,000.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
The board that we had, and sadly lost was not one put out by any of the makers, it was obviously the handwork of a skilled dedicated enthusiast. It was huge, 2.5x4ft, maybe a bit bigger (my memory keeps saying it was 3x5' but I don't think it was really that big), I don't recall anymore, in a large picture frame.

it was the size of the thing that led it to being stored where it got water damage when pipes broke. Didn't seem to be more than a sad accident then, but today, I can see a huge opportunity lost. Well, things like that are why collectibles are so expensive. Because so few survive intact.

and for all those who remember Green Stamps from personal experience (without Google or Wiki), welcome back to the real world. ;)

If only the part of my brain that still thinks I'm 25 would get in step with the rest of me, I think I'd hurt less...:rolleyes:
 
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kilimanjaro

New member
Markm, good luck with your new collection.

Some details on the armoir storage: it was a nice antique, so the the work was done without damage. A two-by frame was laid in to support the tray rack, and veneered plywood set vertically, three of them. Drawer runners cleated to the uprights and drawers ran in and out on those. Drawers were made of light pine with a hardboard bottom. I liked it a lot, looked like a very nice antique in the room.

The setup made from the entertainment center was about the same, but the new runners were fastened directly to the wood, since the cabinet cost very little and he didn't care about value. The trays were the costly part, all bought from a restaurant supply place.

I've seen several blueprint cabinets used by others. They work fine, but are not home furniture so were banished from the living areas of the house, except for one Oak cabinet that had been refinished.

Everyone started out with a wall or shelf display, then outgrew them quickly.
 
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Gunfixr

New member
At the third full time job I had, they gave out green stamps every pay day. There was a green stamp store not far from home.
At the shop, we have the 12th edition of cot, and it's copyright is 2009. My personal one is the 5th edition, the pages are yellowed.
Someone gave about half of what I have, loose rounds. I wasn't even old enough to drive a car. I slowly added more, and acquired some full boxes, but wasn't trying to. Never really could get serious with it, and had stopped entirely by my early 20s.
It's all just in a box, like I mentioned before. I don't know of any local collectors.
 
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RickB

New member
I made a "bullet board" out of an old cork bulletin board, maybe twenty years ago.
My dad started it, by giving me a round for each of the guns he owned, and I kept it up, sometimes saving a single round of different bullet types that I handloaded.
There must be 20-30 .45 ACP rounds on the board, from WWI-vintage G.I. hardball, three different generations of Hydra-shok JHPs, to cast-bullet rounds that I loaded.
I don't really pursue rounds to put on the board, but collect stuff here and there from friends, and from picking-up live rounds at the range.
The only cartridge that I ever really pursued for my collection was the M1917 round for the Pedersen Device attachment for the M1903 Mk. I rifle. I have a Mk. I, have accumulated some of the accessories, so wanted at least one live round.
 
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pesta2

New member
Been collecting for around 15 years now I think, maybe more.

I was in the IAA for a while but got out. If you ever have a questions the Member should be happy to help . My collection is in 4 large totes at the present time. I know some guy in the IAA that shown me photos of the building he built to house this collection.

I use to have some photos on here of some of my collection. I think they’re gone now. I can’t even find some of them on my computer:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259974

Word of advice, do no store the cartridge any anything wood (maybe and older wood contained) new wood contained produce something that affects the finish. When I first started collecting I had mine I a wood tool box at and caused them to get a red tarnish. I had to clean them with bonze wool and Renaissance Wax, they eventually got back their natural patina.

I was at the Greensburg PA guns show one time and a dealer had a box of paper shot shells, $0.10 each. Looking back I wish I gave him $20 and took the whole box. I bought maybe 20 rounds out it if for my collection.
 
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