Let’s talk vintage reloading presses

[shoebox1.1]

I’d like something as old as possible but still downstroke on the action.

 

[Otto]

I use this Hollywood on a regular basis.
It's 70 years old or better. I’ve owned it for 30.

 

[Bazoo]

I don't have anything vintage currently, but I used a Lyman Spartan for several years, and had an RF Wells that I used some. It didn't have interchangeable shell holders, and was made for 30-06/45acp. I like the older stuff, and trade around some when I have the inclination.

Right now I'm using an original Lee Challenger.

 

[Bazoo]

I've got a Lyman Spartan that I got free at the transfer station. Also have a set of Lyman Tru-Line .30-30 dies, but no press that fits them.

You can get an adapter to use the tru-line dies in the standard 14×7/8 thread press.

 

[LV Gun]

The only thing vintage at my bench... is me.

I can't believe you lost that CH...

I had one of those C&H presses but the one I had you pulled the handle up ,, it was the first one I had 29 years ago my father in law gave it to me I ended up giving it to a friend later on who was looking for something for just depriming with a Lee universal depriming die with having to pull up on the handle you could deprime really quickly he did give me a nice bottle of bourbon for it .

 

[tightgroup tiger]

The only vintage press I had was Dad's Lyman Jr and his loading dies for it. I got rid of it though, oldest I have now is my Lee Pro 1000 from the late 80s, early 90s, which I happen to be playing with right now.
So it is mounted on my bench, at least for now.

 

[Show Me]

I use this Hollywood on a regular basis.
It's 70 years old or better. I’ve owned it for 30.

Interesting piece of machinery!!!

 

[Bob Meyer]

I've got a Lyman Spartan that I got free at the transfer station. Also have a set of Lyman Tru-Line .30-30 dies, but no press that fits them.

 

[Bob Meyer]

I have 2 Lyman true line junior presses, one modified to use 7/8 x 14 dies, a Hollywood Senior press, a Hollywood Senior turret press, and a Herter's turret press.

 

[Blue68f100]

The only vintage press I had (RCBS Jr v1), I passed on to a friend to get him setup and running. I still have a lot of vintage tools though. I've updated press over the years to compound leverage machines.

 

[CQB45ACP]

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.

No such thing as a free trove...you're gonna at least be buying components

 

[Bobaloo22]

I bought this spartan, my first press, from a friend who’s husband bought it new in around 73. Works great I just didn’t like the angle.

 

[shoebox1.1]

I wonder why some of these old presses were not designed to have the handle stay up when out of battery? The strings and cords holding the handles up seem like they would have hurt sales.

 

[JohnMc]

No such thing as a free trove...you're gonna at least be buying components

FWIW, the trove included some components; several pounds of lead shot, some .45 LC bullets I hope to finagle into .45 ACP, two pounds of Power Pistol, a couple hundred shotgun primers. The guy advertised it as a "a couple of MEC presses and some stuff". My youngest wants to get into shotgun reloading, so I jumped on it.
I got there and it filled my little bitty econobox. It was 3 MEC presses plus a ton of stuff. I'll probably PIF some of it, it's just too much! (OK, almost too much. )

 

[Blue68f100]

I wonder why some of these old presses were not designed to have the handle stay up when out of battery? The strings and cords holding the handles up seem like they would have hurt sales.

They do if you mount them to a flat bench without any wedges to have it sit at a different angle. If you look at the photo it hows a wedge to tilt the ram so it's vertical. This press was designed as a lay back design.

 

[Bronco72]

I do not know if it qualifies as vintage but I still have my Rockchucker from 1967! Same year I got my 6" Python. Used it for many years until I got a Dillon 550 in the mid 1980's

 

[entropy]

My dad bought this Jr3 in 1976. I've been loading on it since '78.

He bought the MEC in '71, I started loading on it then. Still use both, though I do have a MEC 650 that I bought from a friend who retired from Trapshooting. He bought it new in '81.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I do not know if it qualifies as vintage but I still have my Rockchucker from 1967! Same year I got my 6" Python. Used it for many years until I got a Dillon 550 in the mid 1980's

I used to think “vintage” just meant something originating from a previous era - Bullseye is a vintage powder, even though it’s still in production, because it originated in the 19th Century. As an example. But the smartiest ex-spurts have informed me that something is only vintage if the internet says so.

 

[conan32120]

Not really a press, it's my grandfather's 12ga roll crimper. I'm near 70 and he had it long before I was conceived.

 

[HowardC]

Well, I don't know whether it qualifies as 'vintage', but here's my Herter's Super Model U3 I'm still using. It dates from 1973. I see no difference in ammo loaded on it, or one of the more recent RockChuckers I've acquired. Still has the old brown crinkle finish. I have a pretty decent collection of shell holders for it as well as a shell holder adapter. I pulled the priming arm off as I prime with the Lee hand primers now. With care, spent primers fall into the waste basket below.
-West out

 

[shoebox1.1]

That’s really cool Howard

 

[LoonWulf]

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.View attachment 1204256View attachment 1204257View attachment 1204258View attachment 1204259View attachment 1204260

My FIL still loads on an old gray pacific like those above. He probably bought it new and has never seen reason to switch lol..... Loads 20 rounds of 7 mag at a time, shoots those then loads 20 more.... Sometimes it's a week or two. Sometimes it's a few months lol


Ive had some old lee and rcbs presses, but nothing truly vintage.

 

[Litetrigger]

The Ransom Master Progressive press was introduced in 1973, a half century ago, so I suppose this one is vintage. They are the most beautifully made loading tools I ever seen, and the most effecient, trouble free progressive loading machine I've ever used. Chuck Ransom, maker of the Ransom Pistol Rest and Master Rifle Rest was a design genious whose shooting products were always the best. He developed an incurable condition that took him away at an early age. The company he founded is still in operation but this press is no longer made.

 

[Kaldor]

The Ransom Master Progressive press was introduced in 1973, a half century ago, so I suppose this one is vintage. They are the most beautifully made loading tools I ever seen, and the most effecient, trouble free progressive loading machine I've ever used. Chuck Ransom, maker of the Ransom Pistol Rest and Master Rifle Rest was a design genious whose shooting products were always the best. He developed an incurable condition that took him away at an early age, but the company he founded is still in operation.View attachment 1204543View attachment 1204544View attachment 1204545View attachment 1204546View attachment 1204547

OK that thing is fricking awesome.
Now I found another rabbit hole to go down

 

[entropy]

Here's another one; look up Spolar shogun shell reloaders. The Rolls Royce of shell loading machines.