The subject of vintage reloading tools gives me some pause because some of the tools I bought when they first introduced and I still use are now considered vintage or even antiques. But over the years I've collected some even older tools because of their unique design or historical importance. Here are four Pacific presses that span three generations of reloading. The black one the left, dating to 1920's, is the most historically important because it was the first tool to incorporate Pacific's newly patented 7/8"14 case sizing and bullet seating dies. Before then, reloading tools were a mixmash of complicated and expensive contraptions. Its destictive "C" profile in short time revolutionized the reloading hobby, with Pacific's dies becoming the industry standard. Call it the GodFather of reloading presses. Next was Pacific's clever tube feeding primer seating , which again, is a widely copied concept in today's tools. Next, the blue press was Pacific's postwar model, incorporating an integral fixture for tube feed primer seating attachment. Note that first three presses operated by upstroke only. Which changed in the 1960's with improved design and optional up or downstrok opreation. The blue Pacific mounded on wall of my reloading room is my first ever press, bought when I was 14, so I have it mounted like a trophy in memory of years gone by.
Also are pics of the very first RCBS, which preceeded their "A" series by several years was made for swaging bullets, which was RCBS founder Fred Huntington's first interest. Note it operates only on upstroke. Also pictured is a set of Huntington's swagng dies for converting fired .22RF cases to jacketed bullets.
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