Updates and a question

[OeldeWolf]

I have been pretty quiet for a while. Frankly, life was keeping me from doing much worth talking about. But visiting the forum regularly, reading about people and things, has helped keep me on a more even keel than otherwise.

I am officially fully disabled now, and on medicare. A longtime girl friend left. But the doctors have finally found another key aspect of my problems, and put me on a cpap. It has been a vast improvement. And best of all, I have found a fiancé who is a wonderful help and friend, not a burden. I have made great strides in getting my house turned from a storage area, into a home, once again. I have had to sell off 9 rifles, with 2 pistols and another rifle sitting at the lgs for sale, and another 3 rifles will be sold to a member of my church later this month. I still have leftover medical debts to pay off, and I am currently in ME helping my lady move to CA and myself. But I am able to start doing some firearms things, and just received all the parts to assemble a PID for my casting pot. It will take time and hard work, but with my lady and I working together, it now looks possible to deal with all these things life has seen fit to send my way. I would say that Rl'riia, my lady, has probably been the greatest improvement in my life.

Now, the question. Here in ME, I found a pawnshop with a Bair shotgun press in 12ga. No bottles, and Saturday or Monday, I will revisit the shop and inspect it more closely. Is $75 a decent price on this old press? Ril'riia is strongly suggesting I get it, just because it is a neat old press that she thinks I would enjoy having.

[Johnch]

Here in Ohio ....in the Toledo Area
MEC 600 Jr presses can be found in the $50 to $75 range that look new

I have a number of them
I like Mec presses because they are still made and parts are easy to get when needed

But old presses have a "Charm" to them

Just make sure all the parts are there
Also make 100% sure powder bushings and shot bars are avaible
As sometimes a simple powder bushing for a old press can be imposible to find and have to be made

John

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I don't know anything about Bair shotgun presses, But I do know about pawn shops. Most of the time they price things at a crazy high prices. If an item isn't easier sold/shipped via fleabay, they will rarely get that high price in a pawn shop...and they like to sell stuff. Now if the other prices in his shop don't seem too crazy high, which is possible, then disregard my advice and go with your gut...But, if I had a feeling that his prices are high, I'd offer $25 for the press and see what they say, and go from there. My guess is that the pawn shop has about $10 in it.
Good Luck

[Porterhouse]

Don't buy it! What are you thinking? Getting another junk you may or may not use in the situation of starting new life? It may seems good deal but I know you don't need that press nor you want it. Save that $75 to pay your medical bill or buy some seeds to plant for your lady or something.
Also, any chance you move to ME, instead? Or at least keep her residency in ME?
No matter what you do, I really wish you a good luck!

[Geezer in NH]

My advise is stay in ME

[Ken in Iowa]

Congratulations on the new lady and the sleep disorder diagnosis! My CPAP has probably saved my life. My faith, wife and family makes it worth living.

No advice on the press. We buy all of our shot shells.

Live where you are happy.

[OeldeWolf]

Thank you all for the advice and information. I own a house in CA, so that is where we are going. There are no community colleges, and in fact, the only nationally accredited college here is Bates, for the idle rich. As her intents are a career in Constitutional Law, a viable college system is a necessity. The college she was Said it was accredited, but it is only accredited by a local accreditation group, and neither its credits nor its degrees are transferable to any nationally accredited college. Despite all the claims they made to her.

I am passing on the Bair, I have 3 more rifles spoken for, and if I really want a Bair, I will save for one that is complete, preferably with accessories. I definitely have enough projects on my plate already! Instead of replacing all the firearms I have sold, I will be focusing on equipment and work on what I have already.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

regarding the Bair, that's probably a wise choice. It's one thing to clean up a press that's comes complete with all accessories...and it's a whole other thing to try and search for missing bits and pieces for a antique that's a bit on the rare side.

[OeldeWolf]

That was basically what I was thinking, Jon B. I already have lots of seeds for flowers and greens for the lady, and the bills paid up except for the moving expenses, so why mess that up with yet another project that will likely need parts which are deucedly hard to find? In a year my lady and I should have things paid off again, and we can both start working forward from there, then.

Richard and Ril'riia

[dverna]

The press is a poor buy. You are better off with a MEC if money is tight. Ask around at trap and skeet clubs.

When end I was poor, I loaded what I needed on a MEC 600. Slow but it made decent loads. That was decades ago. Now, I would look for a good Sizemaster. Good luck!

[jrayborn]

You are moving the wrong direction... :)

[OeldeWolf]

jrayborn: In terms of firearms laws you are right. But in terms of her getting an education that will serve her, it is the correct direction. I am seriously hoping that the courts shoot down most of moonbeam brown's recent laws. We may move away from the People's Republik of Kalifornistan in a few years, at least I hope we will be able to do so.