Help with an old Bonanza press?

[NY Yankee]

I was given an old press today, I think a Bonanza 68. I started stripping it down for a good clean and lube (had some rust on it). I dont find a primer system on this press. Did I lose it somehow or does this press not have one? What is the best way to prime cases in that event? I'm not familiar with this press, just newer ones like RCBS and Redding.

 

[tominboise]

I don't know if it came with a priming system or not, but I use and recommend the Lee ram prime system, which would work on your press. They work very well in my experience.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I don't know if it came with a priming system or not, but I use and recommend the Lee ram prime system, which would work on your press. They work very well in my experience.

Beat me to it. Seconded and ditto. Get the Lee kit. It works on any press and you can feel when a primer seats correctly.

 

[Highland Lofts]

A picture of the press would be nice. Bananza was bought out by Hornaday. I bought the Hornaday single-stage Lock n Load kit. Afterwards I bought two Bananza presses that were taped for the dies. I buy the six pack Lock n Load bushings that come with the adapter to convert the RCBS RockChucker presses to accommodate the Hornaday Lock n Load bushings so I had a friend that has a machine shop bore the die threads out and tap the press to accommodate the lock n load bushings. Then he had to rework the adapters lower to match the new Hornaday press.
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Any way the old Pacific presses i have has the same priming system as the new Hornaday Lock n Load press.
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Here are a couple of pictures of the new Hornaday press and an old Pacific press.
I don't know what I did with the rest of the priming stuff but the old Pacific press has a piece of it, the new Hornaday press just has the hole for the priming system.
Old Pacific press with priming piece


New Hornaday Lock n Load press with priming hole.

Old Pacific press with the Lock n load bushing adapter





New press with bushing.




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I have four of the older Lee hand priming tools to prime with.
One set up for small pistol.
One set up for large pistol.

One set up for small rifle.
One set up for large rifle.

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I then have two Lee bench prime tools.

One set up for small primers with two primer holder in small pistol and small rifle.

Another set up for large primers also with two primer holder for large pistol and large rifle.

I do not prime on the press, haven't in years.

 

[Howa 9700]

I was of the opinion Bonanza stuff is now Forster......but not familiar with the press mentioned.

When I was looking for priming options, somebody mentioned the K&M tool, which is what I'm using. Claim to fame was it had a good feel for seating primers, and it does have that.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1017595926/

 

[Highland Lofts]

The Bananza presses I have and my Hornaday Lock n Load press are almost identical except the Bananza presses were threaded for dies until I had the retrofitted with the adapters.

 

[Thomas Mayberry]

I have a Bonanza 68 press that I've been using for the past 40 years (still in good condition). It doesn't have a priming system. I've always use the Lee autoprime for priming my cases.

 

[rsnell]

My Bonanza co-ax press does have a priming system. It is the same as the current one on the Foster co-ax sold today.

 

[The Glockodile]

I was of the opinion Bonanza stuff is now Forster......

You mean it's not?

Always thought it was.

 

[Reinz]

I have a Bonanza 68 that I can’t get to right now. It is an O press. While I’ve never seen a primer system for one there is always a possibility since there is that hole in the frame right above the letter B.

But I seriously doubt that there was one because almost every vintage single stage press right up to current RCBS just copied and standardized the Pacific system.

Having said that, you can see that the 68 does not have slot in the frame to incorporate manual toggle system used by most.

Bonanza 68 not mine



Another reason I doubt that they made a primer seater is because they made a pretty slick Universal bench primer seater. No shell holders needed!

I have one of these as well that is buried somewhere in the abyss.

Thus is not mine
VVVV

 

[kmw1954]

I have a Bonanza 68 that I can’t get to right now. It is an O press. While I’ve never seen a primer system for one there is always a possibility since there is that hole in the frame right above the letter B.

View attachment 1052047

I bought on brand new back around 1980 and it was my first press. I thought it worked well.

There is a primer system for it that consists of 3 parts; a steel pin that does go into the hole and than an anvil and spring that drops down below the shell holder which also consisted of a large and small primer cup. Lastly there was a little red plastic tray that sat behind the ram to catch the ejected primers.

If I could find another on the cheap I would buy it in a heartbeat.

And BTW Those presses were manufactured by Bonanza before they were bought up by Forster.

 

[Highland Lofts]

My two Bananza press are almost exact duplicates of my Hornaday single-stage Lock n Load presses.

 

[Shooterbob]

Both red presses highland lofts shows say hornady on them I do not see bonanza on either press unless I’m missing it

 

[Highland Lofts]

My mistake my other two presses are PACIFIC PRESSES,
NOT BANANZA.
Sorry for my mistake on this.

 

[Howa 9700]

No worries. Bonanza or Pacific were both pretty good. I don't have a press from either but I have dies from both.

 

[Reinz]

I bought on brand new back around 1980 and it was my first press. I thought it worked well.

There is a primer system for it that consists of 3 parts; a steel pin that does go into the hole and than an anvil and spring that drops down below the shell holder which also consisted of a large and small primer cup. Lastly there was a little red plastic tray that sat behind the ram to catch the ejected primers.

If I could find another on the cheap I would buy it in a heartbeat.

And BTW Those presses were manufactured by Bonanza before they were bought up by Forster.

Thanks so much for clarifying the primer seater. That makes sense why that hole is there.

And yes, Bonanza was it’s own entity before Forester. The 68 stands for 1968. All through the 60’s-80’s Reloading companies were buying each other out. To those that haven’t reloaded for decades it would blow your mind if you knew just how many reloading tool companies have come and gone.

Don’t pass up Vintage tools, there is a lot of good stuff out there. I’d step over a pile of Lee equipment to get some vintage steel! No bashing, just fact.

 

[Reinz]

My mistake my other two presses are PACIFIC PRESSES,
NOT BANANZA.
Sorry for my mistake on this.
View attachment 1052084

Hornady bought out Pacific.

 

[Pivot Dr]

Hornady bought out Pacific.

Don’t forget Bair.

 

[Reinz]

Don’t forget Bair.

‘Yeah there was a bunch of stuff going with Deitmeyer as well; selling off to Pacific? Then he got involved with Bair and got them into selling their own reloading equipment using Deitmeyer’s designs, even though Deitmeyer sold his company to Pacific, worked for them and got fired. And Bair was the foundry that was making presses for Pacific and Deitmeyer tools before they branched off on their own.

Sorry I’m not organizing my thoughts well, I’m straining to remember and could have some facts mixed up.

Bottom line is, there are a lot of vintage presses that are the same models with 3 different names - Pacific, Deitmeyer, and Bair; some of which I have. And Hornady was smart enough to get all of the different rights so guys like Deitmeyer could not start more spin offs using the same designs.

 

[Mike L.]

I still use my Bonanza 'O' type press. It came with the priming system as described by kmw1954 above. I didn't get the spent primer tray, I just use an old Snapple bottle cap stuck down with plastic tack putty. The priming system works ok, but requires you to handle each primer, and it's slow. I am still trying to wear out my old model AutoPrime, which is hella quicker.

 

[jmorris]

They don’t show it very well but as KMW1954 said the priming system dropped in under the shell holder and was held in via that hole in front.



IIRC the shell holders have a larger ID than standard, so if by the grace of God, you find the parts, get all the shell holders you can that work with them.

FWIW the Bonanza “co-ax” is a different press than the 68. They prime up above with a shell holder.



The Forster co-ax doesn’t require one own a shell holder though, they have adjustable fingers to hold on to any size rim.



If you don’t have a shell holder for a case the Forster can be the difference between being able to reload or not, for the others, add me to the list of people that would prime by hand, using a faster method that didn’t require placing individual primers by hand.

 

[kmw1954]

The priming system works ok, but requires you to handle each primer, and it's slow. I am still trying to wear out my old model AutoPrime, which is hella quicker.

As long ago as that was I have to concur. It was slow, but it did work very well.

 

[Pivot Dr]

‘Yeah there was a bunch of stuff going with Deitmeyer as well; selling off to Pacific? Then he got involved with Bair and got them into selling their own reloading equipment using Deitmeyer’s designs, even though Deitmeyer sold his company to Pacific, worked for them and got fired. And Bair was the foundry that was making presses for Pacific and Deitmeyer tools before they branched off on their own.

Sorry I’m not organizing my thoughts well, I’m straining to remember and could have some facts mixed up.

Bottom line is, there are a lot of vintage presses that are the same models with 3 different names - Pacific, Deitmeyer, and Bair; some of which I have. And Hornady was smart enough to get all of the different rights so guys like Deitmeyer could not start more spin offs using the same designs.

Reinz,
I think you got it pretty close with all your names and timelines. It’s been something over 50 years back that Hornady bought out Pacific. My eldest son was born in ‘70 and that’s when the guy I was working for at the time went to the auction in Grand Island when Hornady decided to get out of the retail gun, etc. business that came along with the purchase of Pacific. (Or maybe it was the other way around?) One of the old timers I bought guns, and components from as well as on the same Trap team as my dad, was a very good friend of Joyce Hornady. We usually got our scuttle butt second hand straight from the horse’s mouth. I have an old blue Pacific Super-C on my bench, been there on a full time basis since,1965. Once I started case forming and wildcatting I bought a Lyman Orange Crusher, it looked to be a bit heavier and a larger opening than the then Hornady 007 “O” press. That later morphed into the Lock-and-load series of presses. I’ve got both models of Bonanza presses, the ‘68 and Co-Ax that I sometimes use. Just as a point of interest, I have 2 Bair 405s, a Pacific 266 and 366, a Hornady 366 Auto, and an APEX. Shotgun shell loaders. That doesn’t count a couple three other MEC and Lee presses I use often.
Yes, it was a bit complicated.

 

[Highland Lofts]

Pivot
Remember no pictures it didn't happen.
I had my two old Pacific presses bored out and tappedto except the lock n load adapters in the six pack bushings.

 

[Mike L.]

This old Bonanza is going strong. I use it regularly. I have a Square Deal B w/ setups for 9mm and 45 ACP, but with the current component situation, I haven't bothered to set it up since I moved 2 yrs ago.