Cartridges Of The World

Bazoo

Bazoo

Active Member
Ever since I started reloading I've been enamored with Frank C. Barnes' Cartridges of the World. I've read most of the cartridges in the American, British, Rimfire, and Obsolete sections. I've read all the articles in the back. I had a well worn 4th edition, then replaced that with what is now a well worn 5th edition. I also have a newer 14th edition, but it doesn't have the same vibe as the older ones. I'd really like to collect a copy of all of them, as the articles changed between the 4th and 5th, so I assume they change with each new addition. Very useful resource for anyone that is interested in guns or reloading. I always found Frank's comments to be useful and insightful as well.

Here is my well worn and duct taped 5th Edition.
 
Michael

Michael

Active Member. Uh/What
I agree on the vibe with the older issues, the new ones, kinda like a 6.5CM. No matter what printing one has, they are very expensive. Read about a particular cartridge, find it interesting, think someday. Then after walking into a LGS all fat, dumb, and happy, end up leaving with a rifle chambered for that nifty round you seen in COW 30 years earlier.
 
JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
I have only one issue, the 7th Ed.
I will be honest, I bought back when I was into foreign Mil Surp guns, and as I was scrounging vintage ammo (sometimes unlabeled), I used this for cartridge measurements...before the interWeb days, LOL.
I never read the articles, maybe I should?
 
Snakeoil

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
When you shoot at a club like Wilton, having a copy is a must. You see some strange old calibers on the firing line.
 
Bazoo

Bazoo

Active Member
Man, I love looking through all those old British cartridges. I especially love looking through all the old Winchester calibers. 33 winchester, 44-40, 348 Winchester.
 
CZ93X62

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
A 3rd Edition was one of my first gun books, back in the late 1960s. It wore out, I got a 9th Edition (I think). That one wore out. Then about 4 years ago I got a 15th Edition. 'Different vibe' for sure, info is still decent.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
This is why I have an nearly complete collection of "Gun Digests" dating from 1946 or 49, whenever #1 came out. Old reference material is invaluable! I have one or two issue of COW and should get more. Ebay and the online used book sellers are probably going to be the lowest cost option.
 
Glaciers

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Just thinking maybe I should get a newer addition just to be somewhat current. So whet looking for my 4th addition to look something up and just down the shelf is a newish 11th edition. That’s going to be plenty new enough for me. Problem solved.
 
Bazoo

Bazoo

Active Member
The new ones are okay for the newer cartridges but I have always had a love for the older stuff. I do like to see the reloading data for some of those hard to find data for cartridges too, though I don't have anything obscure to load for.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I know some consider keeping the old books, magazines and articles to be a form of nostalgia or even hoarding, but there is a world of good information in the stuff going back into the teens (nineteens!!!!) or even earlier. I regularly refer to books written in the 20's and 30's, to say nothing of the 40's and 50's. And a lot of that stuff won't turn up in an online search easily. You can find all sorts of stuff on whatevers been produced in the last 20 years, but trying to info on cast in a 6mm Rem or loading for an oddball surplus European 32. Sometimes it's just not out there on line, but it may be in a book or magazine from 1954 or 64.

Just sayin'...
 
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