Old Bair and C&H "H" Style 3 and 4 station press discussion

[Just Duke]

I used to have the Bair 3 station press but ended up sellnig it off years ago and still regretting it. Anyone here had one?
Or a C&H 4 station? http://www.ch4d.com/catalog/?p=61
Playing with the idea of getting a couple.

[HeavyMetal]

Good luck with this duke!

I have seen a few on evil bay the last one going for 190 bucks or so. I think thats a little steep when for another 50 or 60 I can get a sq deal.

Plus for way less I can get a Lee turret!

Having said all that If I could get a decent price on one ( 4 station) I'd buy it in a hot minute just to have it.

However patienece is a virtue and one will come along if you look hard enough.

[Just Duke]

Good luck with this duke!

I have seen a few on evil bay the last one going for 190 bucks or so. I think thats a little steep when for another 50 or 60 I can get a sq deal.

Plus for way less I can get a Lee turret!

Having said all that If I could get a decent price on one ( 4 station) I'd buy it in a hot minute just to have it.

However patienece is a virtue and one will come along if you look hard enough.

Yea I know what you mean. For $250.00 I can get the C&H brand new per the link.
I'm looking at having 2 dedicated to 45-70 and 500 S&W. The cartridge conversion for one of my 650's runs $200.00 plus so.....


http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd255/EBRSOPMODS/LEVER%20ACTION%20SHOOTERS%20SOCIETY/444.gif

[deltaenterprizes]

You might want to look at a Ponsness Warren Metalic II

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Hi, I have 2 threes and a four station for many years now. They are smooth running, solid machines that only need to be kept oiled and lubed. They will load either rifle or pistol cartridges. It does not pay to get into nonsensical bidding wars on E-Bay and wind up with a used machine. As already pointed out a new one is a good investment over a used and possibly abused one, for a few dollars more. The three station models are not in current production. The one diasadvantage (if it is one) with these C&H's is that you need multiple (4) rams & shellholders. The ones made by Lee are relatively inexpensive compared to some of the other brands and work fine for me....so that's not a big deal. The loading sequence is the thing that takes some getting used to. Sizing-Decapping is usually done on the middle rear station-It has a plastic cup beneath it that catches the spent primers...holds well over a hundred. I bult my own primer catcher out of one of those little complimentary shampoo bottles that you find in hotel/motel rooms and rigged it to attach with some ordinary electrical wire. Holds around 300. The priming, as you can see, is done on the front left station. What you do next depends on what you want to do in one and/or two of the remaining stations. Usually the front middle is for expanding/ powder charging, But the point is you have to keep shuffling the cases from one shellholder/station to the next which is no problem...it becomes second nature after a while. Once you get into the sequence/rythm...every pull of the handle gets you a loaded round. And it works slick, at least for me. You pull--then take out the loaded round...then move all the cases in the order that you want, prime, add powder (a powder measure dropping thru the expander plug helps), move the cases again, add a bullet to be seated, then pull. If you are taper crimping that station is the last and becomes part of the total sequence. Some people have more finger dexterity than others and/or are more in a rush so they shoot for higher loading rates. How fast you want to go depends on your wants/needs. I prefer to just "amble along" (and not make mistakes) and am happy with 100-125 rounds per hour without "pushing". Its a great machine for me and does a good job. Its compact & doesn't take much bench room. If you get one,good luck with it. LLS

[DLCTEX]

Personally, I think the Lee Classic Turret is a better machine at a much smaller price. The Safety Prime is great, I now do all my priming with it The standard shell holders work, and if you don't want to use it in auto index the rod can be removed in seconds. Spent primers go into a container, thousands if need be, or can be caught in the hose and dumped later. Plenty of length and power. Can you tell I really like mine? DALE

[Pressman]

Looks like the crowd is trying to talk you out of what you want. The Bair on eBay may go fairly cheap, but repalcing the broken primer arm is impossible. There was a rare Texan 3 station on their last week that sold very reasonably. C-H 3 and 4 station presses do turn up more often. The Bair also is not common. Bair got that press from Micro-Precision when they bought them out. The press is actually made by Schissel. The main disavantage to me is the C-H is aluminum while the Bair is cast iron. In my book that is better. I'llhave a picture of the primer arm on the antique reloading board latter today.
Ken

[Just Duke]

Looks like the crowd is trying to talk you out of what you want. The Bair on eBay may go fairly cheap, but repalcing the broken primer arm is impossible. There was a rare Texan 3 station on their last week that sold very reasonably. C-H 3 and 4 station presses do turn up more often. The Bair also is not common. Bair got that press from Micro-Precision when they bought them out. The press is actually made by Schissel. The main disavantage to me is the C-H is aluminum while the Bair is cast iron. In my book that is better. I'llhave a picture of the primer arm on the antique reloading board latter today.
Ken

Yea you can see that the Bair had been dropped by the bent decapping pin rod. Also lots of rust on the main steel guide bars.
Huh! I had know idea the C&H was aluminum. That's disappointing. :( Sounds like they can get tweeked real easy.

[Pressman]

Rust is an easy clean up. The primer post is intact on the ebay press, just the plastic auto feed holder is gone. This press takes an odd type of auto primer feed tube that you may never find either. I would say that with the post there and functioning the Bair is a good buy.
Ken

[Just Duke]

Here is a pic a fella on another forum posted.


http://www.antiquereloadingtools.org/discus/messages/3/2325.jpg


http://www.antiquereloadingtools.org/discus/messages/3/2326.jpg

[mikenbarb]

Duke, I have researched these a bit and have heard that with larger tasks the die plate flexes and their not good for large case sizing or stuff like that. Thats only heresay so please dont quote me on that.
PS- I have a couple NOS spring type primer posts if you ever need them or just buy my other Herters Super 234 turret and your set for life with a monster size press thats HEAVY duty. Bullshop got my other one from me. Or heres another great option, Its a Herters Super 81, 2 ram press and its real heavy duty with a 2 ram system that works great. I use this one for swaging and old book shotshell loading. Yep, Thats a 12 gauge hull in it and the rams are solid not hollow! Gotta love that old stuff.

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo185/mikenbarbj/006.jpg

[TAWILDCATT]

[smilie=1:how can that press flex???the arms on the ends and the two shafts.
My club has two I got in the 70s and there are 50 members that load on them But they Load 38 and 45.they still work and the primers are still working.I dont remember the size of tubes but I believe they are the same as pacific.I made an alum piece for the tube to set in.

[bobk]

DUKE,
I wouldn't worry too much about the aluminum C-H. I have a single stage I've been loading on for 50 years. It will probably be functional when I'm not.
Bob K

[e15cap]

Huh, Just bought a Bair in nice shape at the Del Mar gunshow for $35. Guess I did all right.
Best Roger

[TNsailorman]

I have been using a 3 station C-H H style press since about 1964 and its still going strong. I have reformed brass from one caliber to another and I even put so much pressure on one case that I split a sizing die without hurting the press. I just recently sold one of my two H style presses that I re-furbished myself to new condition(needed paint). As for the Lee's, they only recently started making a cast iron press. The only thing that really matters is---does it do the job---and the name Lee, C-H, Lyman, RCBS, etc. does not matter much beyond that.

[seagiant]

Hi Duke,
I have the 3 station "Brown" Bair H Press,that looks like the one in your pics,except mine has no primer arms on it and no holes in the base like it ever did. I bought this press used from my local gunshop that will sell used reloading gear if someone brings it in. I think I paid $30 for it and the people at the Gunshop thought it was a piece of old junk!!!
I did not tell them any different because they might get another one in and I will take that one home too! This press is presently used to load my 10MM rounds and I use it more like a single stage that holds most of the dies already. I only use it to load pistol rounds as I have an old Bonanza Co-AX,my first press, to load my rifle ammo. Admittedly the 4 station CH press would be better for pistol but I've been enjoying the Bair and will never sell it!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=10411&stc=1&d=1231122063

[TAWILDCATT]

the club bair broke the primer arm and I made a new one from alum.I just found parts for the club bair and I had the primer arm.sent it last month back to the club.
sorry.:coffeecom [smilie=1: