Star Progressive Reloader Reloading Press

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My male children are grown.

I have paid Orthodonist, automobile, insurance and educational costs. Too much investment for an unseen swap.

Now, I do have my dog, truck, bride, and ten grand-kids that could be subject for barter.

salty
 
NOTHING in the following is intended to denigrate the old, much lamented Star Reloading Machines, from everything that I've either seen or heard about them, I started reloading, using an RCBS Jr. Press in 1965 has indicated that they were about the greatest thing to come along since "sliced bread". As was mentioned earlier in this discussion, the Star Lubricator Sizer is still produced.

Having said that, and also having used one since the early 1980's, the Dillon 550 is a quite good machine also. Their claim to fame, one of them anyhow, is their NO BS WARRANTY, which in my experience is exactly the case. Also, their post sale support and service is something rather special, especially these days. They really do stand behind their products, which by the bye is not to say that Star didn't.

In conclusion, given that, as I understand things, Star Machines are not currently produced, correct me if I'm in error, while the Dillon machines are, a factor that might well answer any number of questions, given that one has to work with what that they can obtain.

A passing note, should anyone be interested. Re Rifle and Handloader magazines, in-so-far as I can recall, I have a complete set of each, which according to my long suffering wife, to hear her talk about it, take up a bunch of room in our smallish townhouse. Should anyone be interested, give me a shout.
 
I and a couple of my older buddys still run Star Presses... I have a one set up in 45ACP. Plus a copy of a Star make by Phelps in 38Spl... Back when we reloaded all our qualification ammo at the range, it was all on Star Presses.

My one buddy Don has 6 of them, and buying more when he finds them.. Occasionally they can be seen on Ebay. general sale price is in the neighborhood of $400.00.

Are they good units... oh yes.... just got to remember to keep the seating die clean if you are using a heavy soft "Alox" type lube with cast bullets. But that is no different than any other loader.

Before Dillon, if you were a serious pistol shooter, it was the best you could get.... and still nothing to sneeze at..


Thanks for posting the link to the article. I knew that they offered one in .223, I had a friend that had one, but never realized that it was a totally separate machine.. I wonder what happened to it, We lost him to bone cancer at far to young an age.. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about the Stars, but the article educated me some, I have never seen one cut for Std 7/8" dies..
 
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My dad developed and sold an "indexer" for the star that rotated the shell holder by pressing on the side of the shell casing. It would eject the loaded round into a bin via a cable that connected to the handle. Right hand operated the lever, left hand put the lead bulled on top of the primed and powered case. one stroke, one round. I spent many hours feeding empty shell casings into the clear platic tubes that fed the machine. Sadly, he sold both his stars before I could get my hands on them. I guess I wasn't "worthy" of a Star. But I have his Hollywood with a ton of dies. It's the one with a shiny central cylander. weighs like 75 lbs. Haven't set it up yet. He used it for rifle rounds, all the handguns were on the star. He also got rid of his swager and lubricator/sizer.....
 
Will do, but it will take me until Christmas week to unbox it (just moved). I know I saw the manual for it recently...list price back in 19?? was like $475. A lot of cash back then.
 
That price sounds way high, unless it is their huge shotshell reloader. I have their catalogs from 1959 and 1985; do you recall the model name?
 
No, but it was the orig manual that came with it, I think. Not trying to sell it, just saying what the catalog price was. Probably late 60's. I'll know more in a week or so. Central 4 inch or so cylinder with rotating turret on top with spots for a bunch of rcbs dies.

Not a shotshell reloader, definitely rifle. He loaded 30-30, 30-06, 222, and 22-250 I think.
 
Back in 1978 I bought a CH AutoCHamp straight line progressive because I was too cheap to pay for a Star. And the CH was more then than a Dillon 550 is now, although it did come with case feeder and dies.

The CH is still sitting in the corner with Dillons and Rockchucker set up in the new shop.
I'll probably just load .38s on the 550 when I get my revolvers going again; the old CH is just too finicky to keep in adjustment. The primer feed is actually better than Dillon but the powder measure will dump on an empty station and the straight line advance is just a pain in the neck.
Maybe I can find a reloading press collector who will appreciate it.
 
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