Let’s talk vintage reloading presses

shoebox1.1

shoebox1.1

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mckinney tx
So I have a new Lyman ideal C press that cost about 140.00. I’m very happy with it. At the moment I’m only reloading 38 special, I am going to reload 44 special as well and I’m kind of thinking about a seperate press just for 44. I don’t need to do this I just want to :). I was strolling eBay and found a restored CH super C press that was 54.00 and I thought this would look really cool on the table. Some bas#%*+ outbid me and got it for 68.00. Anyone here still have a vintage press in use and if so let’s see pics. I’m going to keep an eye out for something cheap to restore. I think that would be really fun to do IMG_3653.png IMG_3678.jpeg
 
I started reloading in 1964 with equipment from R.F. Wells in Howard Lake, Minnesota. The single stage press looked similar to a Herters press. Added a Lyman All American turret press in the 1970s which I bought at the Lyman factory in Connecticut. Lost both in a house fire in 1995, but I still have the Wells dies, primer pocket swage die and press mounted bullet puller. After the fire, I now have a RCBS RV IV single stage press, beam scale and case trimmer. I visited the Herters store in Waseca a couple of times. Anyone remember their "wasp waist" bullets? I ordered stuff from Gander Mountain. Visited their store and wharehouse in Wiscinson once.

NRA Benefactor
 
Hugger-4641 said:
I'm not really sure what's considered "vintage" when it comes to presses. But my bench possibly has three. I know the JR3 on the right is 1960's vintage, it was my grandad's. The other JR-3 is unknown as is the Lee C frame.

View attachment 1204255
Click to expand...
What is that ... like 8000 spent primers in that bucket? :)
 
Pacific 007 and Pacific DL-155 (12 and 20).
Loaded a lot of shells as a teenager with the blue Pacifics.
The 007 is fairly new to me. Great first centerfire press to learn on. It's been replaced with a MEC Marksman, a substantial improvement.
 
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 only by handle upstroke.. Which changed in the 1960's with improved design and optional up or downstroke 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. Pacific-2.jpg IMG_6847.jpg RCBS1.JPG RCBS4.JPG RCBS Swage4.JPG
 
Last edited:
shoebox1.1 said:
So I have a new Lyman ideal C press that cost about 140.00. I’m very happy with it. At the moment I’m only reloading 38 special, I am going to reload 44 special as well and I’m kind of thinking about a seperate press just for 44. I don’t need to do this I just want to :). I was strolling eBay and found a restored CH super C press that was 54.00 and I thought this would look really cool on the table. Some bas#%*+ outbid me and got it for 68.00. Anyone here still have a vintage press in use and if so let’s see pics. I’m going to keep an eye out for something cheap to restore. I think that would be really fun to do View attachment 1204244View attachment 1204245
Click to expand...
Like this one 17127938215648233705668998912331.jpg
 
I recently got a free trove of old reloading stuff. Included in the mix is an old RCBS that has -RS- on the side. It looks like it'll have a ton of leverage.
I figured out what model it is a week ago but forgot, so I'll have to surf the web again. It'll be used only for rifle cases when I get it all set up. I saw the little priming thing in one of the boxes. I'm still cleaning up the die sets to decide what I want to keep; the press will come later.
There were also two of the pre-Breech lock Lee C-type Reloader presses in the mix. I don't know how old those are, but probably not all that old.
 
kmw1954 said:
View attachment 1204273
View attachment 1204276

My 2 oldest presses. Lee 3 hole turret including auto advance, RCBS JR3
Click to expand...
My first press was a rusted , corroded three hole that was down in the gravel in a garage. Then turned it into a 4 hole auto index. A few months ago I was looking over the old original instructions and saw there was an auto index for the three hole. Would be my choice if using pre prossesed brass. Really like your three hole !!!
 
Litetrigger said:
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.View attachment 1204256View attachment 1204257View attachment 1204258View attachment 1204259View attachment 1204260
Click to expand...
This is the kinda post I was hoping for! Man that medium blue pacific.. that’s what I’m talkin about. I want something like that on my bench
 
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