Well, mine was pretty clean when I first built it... And then I started actually *using* it and it all went downhill from there... :(
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I win
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4400/...b3ce55262a.jpg
That may have been the day I mounted a press for the first time. This one is more accurate.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4427/...82aeec9a_b.jpg
There's plenty of Chinese goods to be found in the pic so don't call me out [emoji23]
Well it looks to me to have the open design of a C press with strength more typically found in an O press. If primers drop through ram that is a feature I really like. Not in the market for a $219 press but if I was this one would be getting a second and probably a third look. I still have my heart set on a Lee Classic Cast O press at 1/2 the price of this one even if this one is a nice looking press and if someone gave me one I wouldn't see the need to buy the Lee Classic cast that's for sure.
I don't believe the evaluation of a tool makes one a hater. While the old Hollywood's are cool they do not have the mechanical leverage of modern presses.
It ain't so much about swaging...it's appreciation for 'American Steel' and fine craftsmanship. If they were concerned about swaging I'm sure they could afford a press just for that.
Regular rifle/pistol loading is a breeze.
The Hollywood Seniors have two positions in the links, one for reloading and one for bullet swaging. My tall Hollywood Senior has the same mechanical advantage in the swaging position as my Corbin CSP-1 does. They both swage bullets with the same amount of effort, with the same results.
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/...aging003-1.jpg
Hope this helps.
Fred
The Hollywood pictured will full length size .50 BMG cases fired in machine guns. I have no need for a press that will do more than that, so I'm not sure what you're saying. Sure, it's an old design, but it works as well as any of my newer presses. My smaller Hollywood Senior isn't big enough to size .50 BMG, or has an opening big enough to comfortably load my .45-120 Sharps ammunition, but this one does, and does it with ease.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Its a nice looking press but I'm a big fan of the "O" frame design. The pictures of those old Hollywood presses is really cool!
I have a large lot of SL54 30-06 GI brass that was fired in machine guns. This brass takes at least twice the resizing effort the first time it is resized than it takes after being fired in my rifle.
I set up a high quality Brown & Sharp Best Test .0005 dial test indicator to measure frame deflection. The mag base was mounted to the press base where it is clamped to the table. The indicator contact was placed in contact with the top of the bushing adjacent to the die. The press frame stretched .002 the first time a case was cycled. If I backed off the handle a little and then repeated the sizing stroke there was almost no frame stretch. The press tested is a 1971 RCBS Rock Chucker.
I once tested a heavy duty Bair C press the same way with the same brass and the same sizing FL die. That press has the large cobra type reinforcing webs on the sides of the C frame. That press yawed open .007. Succeeding sizing strokes produced less springing of the frame but there was always some.
You may be able to resize some giant case by leaning on the simple linkage of a lot of old time open frame presses but your brass may not be sized as well as you think. Those open frame presses stretch under heavy loads.