Post by Big Joe on Jul 28, 2016 10:52:01 GMT -5
Well I posted or tried to post a thread yesterday about our trip the estate sale.
This is probably my third one, I don’t do estate sales or yard sales unless its known there will be firearm stuff for sale.
We got there at the perfect time I guess. The kids found a large box of old Tonka stuff, not the big outdoor stuff but the smaller things. The girl found some older Barbie things. Joyce went wild on the canning stuff, basically bought it all.
I was not sure about all I got until we it home and went through it. But at the sale it started out with brass, 2 -5 gallon buckets of what looked to be loose adds and ends just dumped in them. Then a 2 gallon pail of dies, none in boxes just dumped in the pail. A box of assorted powder cans, some with and some without powder in them. And a tool box filled with bullets. At least they were in boxes and cans. Mostly cast with some jacketed in there too. While I was looking it over another guy walked and looked and goes damn what a mess and walked on. Then there was a seal (taped) up box that just said gun stuff to sell. I ask the kid standing there what the price on all of it would be, he said make an offer and I will go ask. I did and ended up with it all. Then I ask about if any firearms were up too. He told me there was a few but most of them got claimed by others, all he ask for was the fishing stuff. So I ended up with 3 - 22LR bolt guns (again the other guy remarking, why buy something that wore out). Ok they are well used but also well taken care of. 1 old single shot H&R and a pair of Marlin 25s. Then spotted some handguns, again well used but mechanically in great shape. So a single action FIE colt look a like and a little Rossi Saturday night special came home. Will Dura coat them and they are for the kids. The little Rossi in 22Short will get a longer barrel the 2in that’s on there is history, I have an 6in pistol barrel left form a past venture. I figure a 5in thinned down barrel is about right and with the small grip even the little ones should be able to shoot it without a lot of worry.
That was what I tried to post yesterday, now we have sorted most of it out and sometimes you have to love non hunting kids of wise older dads. They just piled baggies of brass in the buckets then dumped the loose stuff on top. So the sorting was real fast mostly 32 mag and 38 special in the handgun stuff with a fair amount or 45acp and a small bag of 45c the rifle went mostly 30-30 and 30-06 with a couple bags of 270 in there then small bags of others (I’m saying range pick ups)
The die pail was a true treasure, had the kids sort them by what they do. They know a sizing die so all went in one cigar box while seating dies in another then the hey what kind is this went in the third box. I just finished my sorting and grouping, and I hit the silver mine...... not so much gold but now I need to shop for a few new toys in the calibers I have dies for LOL. Breaks down like this. 2 complete sets of Champion 38sp dies, 1 complete set of RCBS 32 mag dies, a Pacific set of 45acp and a Hollywood sizing doe for 45acp, Herters 30-30 and 30-06 dies with a 30-06 Lee FCD on the side, Set of RCBS 270 dies with Lee FCD and an incomplete set of 45-70 dies - missing a few parts. Those are mostly normal dies to me. Then I got these to add to my collection of needed things. Damn kids could have wanted to sell these rifles if he still had them. Set of Pacific dies in 38-56 win, a set of Wells dies in 38-40 win a set of RCBS dies in 40-60 marlin. And 6 unknown non marked dies, will cast them to find out what they could be. After finding these I did go and check the brass myself and found some, not many of each of the old ones. Just from looking in the box of bullets most look to be 38 cast and some are old enough they need to be soaked in kero then left out to dry and re-lubed. Some of the 32 cast doesn’t look to have ever been lubed.
I opened the sealed box just a bit ago and got my biggest jump start yet.,
I set of Lyman molds for each of the ole rifle cartridges plus the 38 and an RCBS for the 32, a set of Lyman handles and a set of RCBS handles, a small cast melting pot and what looks like an old Lyman pouring ladle but it if its newer its well used, the wood on the handle is dark from heat. So who knows really. An old Milk of Magnesia bottle with what looks like #8 shot in it, guess for the antimony? A wood putty can of brown wax looking and smelling stuff, assuming flux ? And all kinds of other goodies. A fancy metal bowl I assume is for water quenching. It would go along with everything else in the box.
As for the caning stuff she filled the truck bed about 1/4 full with all she got. She and her little escort have been washing and bleaching the jars all day. She has cleaned everything but the old pressure canner. She doesn’t want to use it at all. The big water canner was full of all sorts of canning tools. She got a drying mat made of wood too. I make them but they are a pain in the rear to do and I have been dragging my feet to make a new one so now I may be off the hook.
Edited to add, for others benefit she was right, if you are not patient enough to let it load it isn't loading -- Well Duh!!