How old is your reloading equipment?

[Ross]

I prime and decap on Frankford Arsenal (1909)tools still. My first press was a Lachmiller, complete with its bench mounted primer seater. There are Belding and Mull tools, as well as Ideal, Modern-Bond and C.V. Schmitt Fielding B. Hall and others seldom if ever used anymore. My Universal serves as a powder measure stand while an RCBS A press serves yeoman duty forming and loading.
None of the above have been on the market for a few years, but are quite serviceable yet.
Cheers from Darkest California,
Ross

 

[45auto]

My Mec is 21 years old and I believe my SDB is 15 years old.

 

[qajaq59]

Old

My stuff is all about that same age, except for the Herter press which is even older. If you take decent care of it you can pass it on to your grand kids. And my scale and the rest are also still in the original boxes.

 

[2400]

I bought my Rockchucker in late 69 or early 70 and it's loaded 100's of thousands of rounds since then. My Square Deal and 1050 were among the first ones produced. They are all still going strong.

 

[Rico567]

Over the course of 40-plus years reloading, I've given away some of my oldest stuff to people starting up in this pastime of ours. I let an RCBS Jr press and a Lyman Spar-T go that way, and gave all my casting stuff away 15 years ago. I still have a rather ancient MEC 600 Jr in 20 ga. and a Lyman 45 luber-sizer that are probably as old as any pieces I've got. I've got a MEC Grabber 76 that's got to be 25 years old. My Rock Chucker was bought about 30 years ago, could never part with that one. My main production piece is about 5 years old, a Dillon XL650. Then there's the usual assortment of scales & measures, of various types and vintages....

 

[9thhour]

I use an old C&H single stage press that my father bought in the late 50's. He and I have loaded tens of thousands of rounds on it and it is still going strong.

 

[Falconeer]

My metallic press is new (Lee Classic Turret), but my shotshell is a MEC 600jr handed down from my father. That press is 30+ years old, and still going strong.

 

[armedandsafe]

My Dad's cousin owned a precision machine shop after he returned from the war. He built our first 30-06 dies as practice for an apprentice in 1948. I bought a Lyman single stage when I returned from Europe in 61. I have a newer (1963) Lyman/Ideal tong tool and an older one (vintage unknown, but found in a cabin which had been abandoned during WWI.) My Dillon 500 is about 12 years old. The Lee LoadAll in 16 GA is about 6 weeks old. I have just about finished adapting that one to load brass shells.

Pops

 

[MarinePride]

I bought an RCBS Rock Chucker and ammo crafting kit back in 1987 and I still use today. I have loaded tens of thousands of rounds with this one and only setup over the years. It has paid for itself many times over and I have no plans to upgrade to a progressive press, although it would save me a lot of time. The only problem that I ever had, and it was my fault, was the primer seating cup got smashed out when I put out A LOT of pressure on the press trying to seat a .45 ACP primer in a case that had a military crimp. RCBS replaced the part quickly for free after a phone call even though it wasn't thier fault. At some point I'd like to upgrade to a progressive, but then what would I do with my Rockchucker?

 

[Randy in Arizona]

One of my RCBS A-2 presses has the reducing bushing the other one does not. The one without (newer) was purchased new in 1970.

Otherwise I have a Hollywood Gunshop Turret tool with both diameter die holes in the turret. Vintage unknown.

 

[frosty]

Older reloading equipment

My outfit is an old Lyman Spar-t turret press. The thing was in a box with a complete reloading outfit, and I load perfect black powder ctgs on it every week. I actually think that the older stuff is of better quality

 

[mrb302]

I had a friend that was trying to get rid of his reloading equipment. It turned out to be hand-me0down from his dad.

I picked up:
Lyman Spar-T turret (Vintage 60's or 70's?)
Lyman Case Trimmer w/ guides
Forester Trimmer
3 sets of rifle dies
4 sets of pistol dies
3 loading trays
calipers
case lube pad
generic paper bullet/shell boxes (new, never used)
a butt load of 9mm brass
a half butt load of 7mm Rem Mag brass
308 brass
3000+ primers, assorted sizes
funels, tools, etc.
Dillon CV-500 case cleaner
brass tumber (media seperator) w/ bucket adapter
etc. etc. etc.

Basically stole it for $200.

With a little clean up and lube everything works like new. I've been loading with it for over a year now.

 

[StrikeEagle]

My RCBS Jr press is close to 35 years old. My Dillon 550B is 20.

This stuff is cast iron and just doesn't wear out beyond what you can fix easily with small, inexpensive parts. I would be perfectely comfortable buying used reloading gear too, pretty much.

 

[g56]

I have a Lyman Spartan press I got in the 1960's
I have a Lyman/Ohaus scale of the same vintage
I have a Redding powder measure of the same vintage
I have a RCBS Rock Chucker that was manufactured 1970 that I got in 1970
I have a Dillon RL550 that I bought in 1985

In a drawer I have some reloading tools that I inherited, they date (I believe) to the 1800's, I have no idea exactly what they are or how they are used, my Grandfather told me they are reloading tools.

RCBS Rock Chuckers have (or had) manufacturing dates stamped into the frame, see photo.

 

[claimbuster]

Pacific "C" Press

I have a Pacific "C" press that is an upstroke model. I've used it for 40 years, my grandfather used it for 20 years before that. Originally it did not come with swap out shell holders, you changed the whole upstroke rod. This tool is still used for pistol ammo. Too small and flexible to size heavy rifle.

The PW375 is 31 years old and stands in a corner. It has been retired for several years now by a PW950.

 

[Gewehr98]

I like finding older reloading tools.

One of my Dillons is a divorce-sale 450 that I sent back to have upgraded to 550 configuration.

I use a Pacific (Hornady) 007 O-frame for case forming and BP powder compression.

A few months ago, I found this sweetheart of a C&H O-frame press, with linear 4-position shellholder. 8 shellholder plates were included in the deal, and it has since become my favorite for stuff like .45-70 BP loads, among others.

 

[MCgunner]

I inherited my grandpa’s old Pacific press, still use it. The only shell holder for it is for rifles on the .30-06 head size and it's not interchangable like the new stuff. It is the upstroke type press and it's sturdy to the max. It was bought back around the mid 1950 and will be here when the rest of the world isn’t. They built stuff to LAST back then. LOL My Lyman turret press is mid 70s vintage. My Dillon Square Deal is about 10 years old.

I still use an RCBS scale that was used with that Pacific press. I have dies that were used for that press. Only die I make use of that is mid 50ish is a Pacific die set for the .257 Roberts that I also inherited that was my grandpa’s gun.

 

[highlander 5]

age of reloading tools

I started with a lee basic kit(hammer brass in die) my buddy has a rock chucker thats at least 35 yrs old
me I had Dillon that started life as a 450 buoght not long after they went factory direct paid $170 upgraded to 550 had that for approximatly 25 yrs sold that and bought a 650 maybe 3yrs ago.
Reloading equipment will last damn near forever is treated with tlc. Dillon and RCBS will replace parts that break free of charge

 

[3rdpig]

My gear is from all over the map, age wise. I've got some stuff my Dad bought before I was born (I'm 49) or when I was very young, an old single stage CH "C" press, some Lyman dies and an old Bonanza scale. Then around 20 years ago we bought some new stuff, new dies, upgraded priming for the old CH press, a new RCBS scale, a Lyman Turbo 600 tumbler, a Forster case trimmer, and a host of small stuff. Then about 3 months ago I bought a bunch of new stuff again, a Loadmaster press, new dies, a Lee Pro 20-IV pot, 3 Lee molds, an RCBS hand priming tool.

I love the Loadmaster, but that old CH press still comes in handy for a lot of things, it's probably the one piece I own that will never die. They really built the old stuff to last.

 

[Cowboybootnut]

My RCBS Rockchucker, scales, and powder dropper are about 25-30 yrs old. The only equipment I have that is younger is my Dillon tumbler, about 15 years old. Some of my dies are 30+ years old.

 

[flutedchamber]

My old favorite RCBS Jr press is 44 years old and going strong. The rock chucker is 31, the Forster co-ax is 22 and the RCBS A4 is about 32 years old, the RCBS for the 50 BMG is six years old, and my two dillon 1050's are 21 and 4 years old .

 

[Ala Dan]

Most of my current handloading set-up was purchased new in 2000. It
includes an RCBS Rockchucker press. Prior to that, and some thirty odd
year's ago I loaded on an RCBS Jr.

 

[loadedround]

I also just gave away a Bair Grizzley press to a new reloader that I had purchased new in 1965. Press was mechanically like new after loading many thousands of pistol and rifle rounds on it. One of the best presses that I have ever had. l

 

[ozgood948]

Old reloading gear

I bought a Hollywood Jr. reloading press (new, but as an obsolete product) in 1965 for 5 bucks. It's still the strongest of several presses I own. At the same time I bought a set of Lachmiller dies in .303 Brit (hey, I was 18 and it was all I could afford). I also bought, and continue to use, an RCBS powder measure.

Since then, I've acquired an RCBS Rockchucker, a MEC 650, and a Spolar Gold. They're all good, but the Spolar is awesome. A thousand rounds an hour is a piece of cake!

Take care of your reloading gear, and your great-grandchildren will bless your memory.

 

[Geeko]

I bought: RCBS Green Machine - early 80's, RCBS BigMax - early 80's, RCBS Ammomaster Progressive - early 90's, P&W800 - late 70's

All fine equipment.