[redloki]

Yesterday, the Mrs. and I were out looking for some property to buy and we stopped at one of those roadside flea markets/ junkshops. While I never buy anything from these places they are fun to go to because you never know what you might find. This was one of those days. I spied this old progressive shotgun press sitting on the floor. For the price they were asking for it, $195.95, I decided that they could keep it but I brought a few photos home with me to share here on THR just for grins since I remembered to take my digi with me. While I am familiar with most of the older brands of presses this is a new one on me. Anyone ever see this press or brand before? If it had of been $19.95 I might have brought it home and tried to clean it up to use it but not for that price and not knowing if I could get replacment parts for it. What do you think?

EDIT: After making this post I decided to see if I could find anything on the net about this press. It seems that the company is still in business and I could probally get parts for it. On top of that from the price listed it also seems that $195.00 is a good buy for the new asking price as seen here (http://www.jimsearneye.com/ponsnesswarren.html).

[Jim Watson]

It is a Ponsness-Warren, a very high grade shotshell reloader.
Looks a bit neglected, I don't know what PW would do about an overhaul.
http://www.reloaders.com/index.html

[redloki]

I find it amazing that someone would spend that kind of money on a press and then let it become a bucket of rust.

[Car Knocker]

Perhaps the original owner died and no one in the family reloaded.

[Ross]

That price is quite fair. There was no debilitating rust on the tool that I could see: it would become a nice brown patina with only a little wipe down.
It is sad when tools get weathered to death, but a little TLC can often rejuvenate a worthy relic. A Ponsness/Warren is a worthy tool.
Cheers from Darkest California,
Ross

[bfoster]

redloki,

If you're interested I suspect you can still obtain parts.

I have an even older, though similar 800B. I obtained a pair of new gears/bushing holders for my machine from P/W a couple years back, and at a reasonable price.

(The rack next to the "drain" label visible in your picture of the back of the machine operates a pair of gears which are also the holders for the bushings which dispense the shot and powder. My gears had become worn due to loading many thousand boxes of shotshells. The gears were still functional, though getting loose; they were replaced because I believe that it is prudent to see to the upkeep of reloading equipment- regular maintenance is a simple way to insure safe loading, particularly in progressive machinery.)

Bob

[redloki]

While I reload for my rifles and pistols. It has been almost 2 years since I put any rounds through my O/U. I really do not shoot enought shotgun to justify the cost of spending that much on a progressive press. Then haveing to spend the money replacing missing or broken parts to get it running. Sure, I thought about it for a few seconds and it is a neat old press but I just can't see it happening. At the time I just thought it would make a good post. If anyone else wants it and will foot the entire bill I will be more than happy to pick it up and ship it.

[Sheldon]

You see them a lot on Ebay. I got a nice used 600B P/W press. I haven't used it yet and may end up Ebaying it off. The P/W presses like the one pictured hold the shell in a sizer die during the entire reloading process which should prevent you from getting a bulged oversize shell in the end. At least that's what their ads say....you're re-manufacturing, not reloading. Some parts are still available, but some are no longer produced. Obviously the ones no longer produced are expensive.....off Ebay and such.