worldchampionf1
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I'm wondering about makers & models of reloading gear in the 1920s. Anybody know what brands were around, & most popular? Or got reliable sources? Thanks.
a bit of history?
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Hunter0924
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I will venture Lyman and Pacific.
ReloaderFred
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Belding & Mull, and I believe Bair were a couple of them. I have some Belding & Mull equipment. Lyman was around, but it was known by another name. The Pacific company came later and was bought out by Hornady. Hornady also bought out Dietemeyer, both of which were from the late 1950's or early '60's.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hutch
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Herter's was big, so I'm told (I'm not QUITE that old...), but they had some oddball stuff. Made or marketed a .401 Powermag revolver, and their presses didn't use standard dies. Don't know when they went Tango Uniform
loadedround
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I remember CH , Hollywood, and Lacmiller(sp). Bair didn't appear until the mid '60's.
The Bushmaster
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Aah Walkalong...Yer jist a kid...
Cosmoline
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The handloading equipment from that vintage that I've seen is typically primitive squeeze-type loading tools or the tap-it style tools. The Lee loader is probably the last surviving example of this type, but I believe it came around a little later. Ideal is a name I've seen. Some examples are here:
http://www.neaca.com/GunCompanyCollectables.html
I don't know when the first benchtop press setup was made available for ordinary shooters. Back before then the standard was one tool for each cartridge, I suppose because very few shooters used more than one kind of cartridge as their mainstay. Die sets came later, I believe. So in the 1920's a reloading setup might be nothing more than a hand press or tap-it tool to go with a .32-20 rifle and a can o' powder.
http://www.neaca.com/GunCompanyCollectables.html
I don't know when the first benchtop press setup was made available for ordinary shooters. Back before then the standard was one tool for each cartridge, I suppose because very few shooters used more than one kind of cartridge as their mainstay. Die sets came later, I believe. So in the 1920's a reloading setup might be nothing more than a hand press or tap-it tool to go with a .32-20 rifle and a can o' powder.
Chawbaccer
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IDEAL was the company Lyman bought out. They made the 310 tong tool as well as other presses and accessories
ClarkEMyers
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For a source that's easy to find early editions of Phil Sharpe's book on reloading. For straight dope antiquereloadingtools.org . Most of the tools mentioned on this thread so far are old but not that old.
Then too define your terms - tools for a breech seating bullet blackpowder case with a bent screwdriver looking tool like a S&W revolver rebound slide tool to reach into the action and push the bullet into the throat and a Pope de and recapper aren't going to look familiar. There are many ancestors of the Lyman 310 tool some of them made by or perhaps made for the gun makers and sold in the same channel so Winchester branded tools abound. Lots of pictures under Vintage on E-Bay and other auction sites.
Then too define your terms - tools for a breech seating bullet blackpowder case with a bent screwdriver looking tool like a S&W revolver rebound slide tool to reach into the action and push the bullet into the throat and a Pope de and recapper aren't going to look familiar. There are many ancestors of the Lyman 310 tool some of them made by or perhaps made for the gun makers and sold in the same channel so Winchester branded tools abound. Lots of pictures under Vintage on E-Bay and other auction sites.
Linear Thinker
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My favorite 1920s brand is Potter, I believe they went out of business before WW2. Many years ago, I was offered a multi-station Potter, but turned it down. Been regretting that decision ever since, as I now I collect odd reloading gear.
Star was not around until 1930s, probably the 1st progressive reloader out there. I think they are still around in some guise.
This subject cries out for a definitive book, and a tenured professorship at an Ivy League school
Maybe after I retire...
LT
Star was not around until 1930s, probably the 1st progressive reloader out there. I think they are still around in some guise.
This subject cries out for a definitive book, and a tenured professorship at an Ivy League school
Maybe after I retire...
LT
Ian Sean
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Hate to go off topic, I have a friend with a Herters .401 powermag.
Really nice and well made wheelgun (german, J. P. Sauer & Sohn )...tight, and pretty accurate with his loads.Nice gun overall.....he got it for a song and it took us a while to research it and build up loads.
ranger335v
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Ditto to getting a copy of Phil Sharpe's book, the "Complete Guide to Handloading" for the best - only? - info on cartidge handloading in its infancy. Full of great reading! I got a copy off Ebay for less than $20, shipped, a few years ago but have seen it at gun shows too. Mine's not for sale!
Herter's was not around in the 20s-30s. I think they got started in the late 40s. They went belly up in the mid to late 70s due to congresses great effort at controling "crime" by passing the GCA of 1968. That act also killed off a LOT of other, smaller companies as well. But gun crime increased, as was expected by anyone with an ounce of common sense, which of course leaves out most pollyticians.
Herter's was not around in the 20s-30s. I think they got started in the late 40s. They went belly up in the mid to late 70s due to congresses great effort at controling "crime" by passing the GCA of 1968. That act also killed off a LOT of other, smaller companies as well. But gun crime increased, as was expected by anyone with an ounce of common sense, which of course leaves out most pollyticians.
CMcDermott
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Herters just sold other people stuff under the Herter name, they weren't manufacturers. Ideal was started by John Barlow in the late 1880's and was one of the first independent companies that just made equipment for reloaders. They published the first reloading manuals, made bullet molds, tong style tools etc for reloading. Prior to Ideal the reloading equipment was made by the firearm manufacturers like Winchester and Sharps to reload only their own cartridges. Ideal was bought first by Marlin in 1910, then sold to an individual in 1915, then finally bought by the "Lyman Gunsite Company" in 1922. Lyman kept the Ideal name, then marked the gear with both Ideal and Lyman as brand names, then after WWII dropped Ideal and just marked everything with the Lyman name.
A good book to look at is "Handloaders Manual" by Earl Naramore. Written in the 30's and goes through what was available then. Very different advise from what is given now as far as primers & cases; recommended that they match manufacturers as the flash holes were not yet standard sizes and the primer power was matched to the flash hole size. Also which primers were corrosive and which not. The powder availability was also much different, only two companies - Dupont and Hercules - are listed for smokeless powder, semi-smokeless (a mix of black and smokeless) powder still available from the King powder company. The Dupont IMR 3031 and 4198 powders were new for rifles, 4064 was the slowest listed, 2400 just introduced and most pistol cartridge loads for #5, #6 and #80. For Hercules, "Sharpshooter", "Lightning", HiVel #2 and #3 still available; only Unique and Bullseye would be recognized today.
A good book to look at is "Handloaders Manual" by Earl Naramore. Written in the 30's and goes through what was available then. Very different advise from what is given now as far as primers & cases; recommended that they match manufacturers as the flash holes were not yet standard sizes and the primer power was matched to the flash hole size. Also which primers were corrosive and which not. The powder availability was also much different, only two companies - Dupont and Hercules - are listed for smokeless powder, semi-smokeless (a mix of black and smokeless) powder still available from the King powder company. The Dupont IMR 3031 and 4198 powders were new for rifles, 4064 was the slowest listed, 2400 just introduced and most pistol cartridge loads for #5, #6 and #80. For Hercules, "Sharpshooter", "Lightning", HiVel #2 and #3 still available; only Unique and Bullseye would be recognized today.
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