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Thread: Why would the Star reloader be so desirable?

  1. #21
    Boolit Bub Rolling Stone's Avatar
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    It's pretty easy to understand.

    When I was growing up, we were a lower middle class family. My Dad had his own business and we never went hungry. I didn't know any better. Now I'm grown (67 years) and I realize what I might have missed. NOTHING. But people are always telling me what I didn't have that I would have liked and enjoyed. Ignorance is bliss. I didn't know and it doesn't matter.
    Same-O, Same-O with using a Star. I had Lymans, RCBS and a Hornady LNL-EZ and still have most of them. Comparing them to a Star is like comparing old VW's to old Pierce-Arrows. Or apples to oranges. I reload calibers on the Hornady that I can't afford to buy the parts to load on the Star. There is a learning curve everytime I start to load 44 mag and 45LC on it. Who or why did someone decide it was smart to seat the primer on the up stroke? That is the biggest hurdle.
    I have the best easiest to operate 45acp loader in the world. Its a Star. If you are going to load 45s, not be changing tooling every 100 rounds, and just do what the machine was designed for, I will load more perfect ammo than any machine made that costs within $500 of what it cost new. It is my favorite. If you have never been around one, or used one, you won't appreciate what it is and what it will do.
    Just walk around in a daze and let us use ours and smile with satisfaction. Enough said.
    Rolling Stone

  2. #22
    Black Powder 100%


    cajun shooter's Avatar
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    Star

    MPMARTY, You have a huge problem that could be corrected with the right person to help you. The original OP was talking about the the Star reloading machine not the sizing and lubing machines. My first progressive to load on was a Star that was set up for 45 ACP for shooting Bullseye matches. It and all it's gear belonged to my boss who owned the gun store that I was employed at in the late 60's and early70's. It was in Baton Rouge, La. and was called Granberry's. That Star loader was the smoothest machine that I ever used. Look at the powder measure and figure where the Dillon came from.
    Tackstrip, I think you made the same reference about the Star Sizer and lubber when the post was about the loader. The Original Star and the Magma are identical in every way except that when Magma secured the original patent they cut two o-rings above and below the sizing die. This was from complaints from customers saying the machine oozed lube from these area's.This was caused by two things that had nothing to do with design.
    #1 was that the persons making the sizing dies were making the OD too small so that they would be easy to change out. That is fine except that you are going to have lube ooze from any extra room.
    #2 A lot of users did not adjust the machine correctly and used way too much pressure which caused the lube to come out around the die.
    #3 I find that if you use dies made by Lathesmith you will lube hundreds of bullets with out any problems at all.
    Shooter of the "HOLY BLACK" SASS 81802 AKA FAIRSHAKE; NRA ; BOLD; WARTHOG;Deadwood Marshal;Bayou Bounty Hunter; So That his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat; 44 WCF filled to the top, 210 gr. bullet

  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have the best easiest to operate 45acp loader in the world
    I've got it's little brother , 9mm set up with a Hulme case feeder , feed by a Chevron collator, Moon indexer and case kicker, another set up in .45 and another in 38 sp, waiting on dies to set the final 1 in 38 super.

  4. #24
    Boolit Bub Rolling Stone's Avatar
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    I timed my self today

    For the first time I decided to see just how long it would take to do some 45ACP's. I had the primer magazine filled with 100 Wolf primers. I waxed the bowl on my "Freeloader" put a box of 50 CCI cases in the bowl and was ready to go. 5 minutes later I dumped another 50 cases and continued to load. At the end of ten minutes total I had emptied the machine. I'm not saying I could continue this for an hour, and I didn't refill the primer magazine. But I did the 100 cases in 10 minutes and I'm a very satisfied old man. I haven't owned anything else that would run like this without a hiccup.
    Rolling Stone

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    You have got my curiosity going I have 2 Star Lubersizers if the Star Reloading Press works as well I may have to add one to my collection.

    Can one of post a picture so I can see what it looks like?
    NRA Life Member

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy
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  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy Ugluk's Avatar
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    I've used a Star for quite a few rounds of 38S. This particular machine also came with a toolhead and shellplate for 32s&wL, but I didn't use that.
    I built a casefeeder and collator for it and an adjustable brass charge bar that made it a lot easier to use.

    It's a really nice and robust machine that oozes pure quality, but time has left it behind.
    Primers left over are really hard to remove (tweezers), and small debris from the primers will clog the primer slide and make the seater stick in the engaged position.
    No case activation on the powder measure meant that I would spill a charge on a regular basis and the powder would jam the spring loaded indexing balls under the shellplate.
    The thread for the dies are non-standard.

    A neat press and a beutiful piece of machinery that I wouldn't mind owning but would pay very little for. Less than I would for a LeePro1000 in fact.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master



    Kevin Rohrer's Avatar
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    I am thinking of dumping my 550 (handle's too long as is it's travel arc for pistol rounds, requiring the "Dillon Dip") in favor of a Star in 45ACP.

    My biggest question is: it looks like there is quite a closet industry supporting the press; are all Star parts being reproduced by someone so I don't get stuck w/ an orphan should a part fail?

    And I see someone commenting on how finicky Stars are w/ primers. What problems have others had w/ certain makes of primers?
    Member: Orange Gunsite Family, NRA-Life, ARTCA, American Legion, & the South Cuyahoga Gun Club.

    Caveat Emptor: Do not trust Cavery Grips/American Gripz/Prestige Grips/Stealth Grips from Clayton, NC. He will rip you off.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Rohrer View Post
    I am thinking of dumping my 550 (handle's too long as is it's travel arc for pistol rounds, requiring the "Dillon Dip") in favor of a Star in 45ACP.

    And I see someone commenting on how finicky Stars are w/ primers. What problems have others had w/ certain makes of primers?
    Kevin,

    I built a loading bench based on how high it needed to be to avoid the Dillon Dip. I'm not near the bench at the moment but seems like it is 42" high.

    Jimmy Mitchell, a Texas gunsmith, turned me on to using CCI primers in Dillon presses. I had used mostly Federals for years and had my share of crushed prners and jams. As he had told me I found that the CCIs fed much more smoothly than other brands. I also found that the old CCIs in the white or green and white boxes don't feed as smoothly as the new ones in the dark blue or black boxes. Since I run a full power mainspring in all of my 1911/2011 guns the CCIs have no problems igniting. Maybe the CCIs would help you in the Star as well.

    David
    Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy
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    Greetings,

    Go to http://www.starreloaders.com/ and you will find a host of users that support each other. Personally, I machine replica die sets in the various pistol calibers. Another forum member makes shell plates. Also, primer tubes, powder measures, and other goodies are fabricated by other members.

    Generally, not much breaks on a Star. I have owned one for 35 years with little to no issues.

    Cheers,

    Dave

  11. #31
    Boolit Buddy
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    are all Star parts being reproduced by someone so I don't get stuck w/ an orphan should a part fail?
    And I see someone commenting on how finicky Stars are w/ primers.
    Kevin, from what I'm seeing parts are not a worry , I too was a bit concerned over primers as I'm a cheap sob and buy wolf and have a decade worth of stash , so far I'm not seeing a problem with them. The only progressives press that I've used before was the SDB's and at this point I'm not missing them a bit.
    The only thing I'm finding that I don't care for is they dump a load of powder with each pull of the handle and I'm used to the case activated system on the LCT & SDB. I added a auto indexer and once that's fine tuned and a tweek to the case feeder I'm thinking it'll be 3 times faster then the SDB's were.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master

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    fc60 pointed you to a great place for star parts and upgrades. There is member there that makes a powder dump that would be very nice to have.

    The only trouble I have had with my star universal is with the primer slide. I took it out and cleaned everything and used dry graphite to lube it slightly and have not had an issue since. Very nice presses.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master

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    fc60 do you go by the same username on starreloaders?

    What do you charge for a die set? Would like to have one for 32 S&W L, but I don't know DB Cooper or where the stash of cash is.

  14. #34
    Boolit Master
    seagiant's Avatar
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    Hi,
    I have a friend that owns a gun shop and I went in one day to kill some time and say hello. When I was ready to go and walking out,I happened to look down and was shocked at seeing two STAR Universals one in 45 ACP and the other in 38 Spl. I asked about them and he told me $200 which one did I want and I said both! That was my start with the STAR loader and ended up getting one more also along the way.

    There was a gentleman by the name of Bill Cunningham in Cali that I believe bought the rights to the STAR loader. I talked to him on several occasions and bought some parts from him for a few years and then he just dissappeared? This was in the 90's I went through the whole mess with the case feeders, the auto advance, the powder housings that would take a bar that would hold different powder bushings I had a lot of fun with them at the time. I think a person has to remember that this loader was designed and built by a real old world Machinist! These loaders are probably the best reloader ever made but you still have to have the mechanical ability to tweek them to get the best service from them. I never had a problem with the primer system,way better than the one on a Dillon 550B I might add! The only thing I found irksome was no powder cut-off,but when you got it set up and running it was a joy to use and no other loader came close!

  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by manleyjt View Post
    fc60 do you go by the same username on starreloaders?

    What do you charge for a die set? Would like to have one for 32 S&W L, but I don't know DB Cooper or where the stash of cash is.
    manleyjt I've got a New Star 32 S&W L shell plate, powder measure spout, sizer, expander plug & nut , seat die and separate crimp die. That I'd be interested in letting go

    Bill Cunningham is still dealing with Star parts

    I've got the powder dump from maurilew that you mentioned and also several powder measures with built in shut offs but they still dump 2½ loads before they are empty., would really like to figure out a case activated powder measure
    Last edited by angus6; 08-03-2011 at 03:25 PM.

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy Ugluk's Avatar
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    If one could get the toolhead bored out to take standard dies I'd want one with an auto indexer and case feeder.
    I didn't find the one I used to be at all sensitive to primers, merely difficult to get really clean. I only used small primers, but mostly federals.
    Small nail-clipping-like halfmoons would clog it after a few thousand rounds.

    A star with standard die capability and a case activated Lee powder measure would be the bees knees, as it would also free up a station. That would make it a 5 station press if I figure right and it had a finished round kicker fitted. Perhaps I should start looking for one anyway..

  17. #37
    Boolit Master

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    angus6,

    I responded to your pm..

    The having to run a couple of extra cases is why I have not bought the powder cut off. I am still pondering the powder dump as I think it is just good practice to dump the powder measure when it sets for any length of time.

  18. #38
    Boolit Master
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    I agree with those that like their star presses. I am lucky enough to have one with 3 heads and a case feeder. The nicest feature is the carbide dies. I have a dillon for rifle and its great but for pistol I will stick with the star, I got it and an assortment of spare parts in 1975 and have used it ever since. It is like a fine classic car that can be appreciated as a finely made sculptur except these load lots of ammo quickly.
    jim

  19. #39
    Boolit Buddy
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    Ugluk 7/8" heads pop up fairly offen , one just sold on e-bay and getting one rethreaded isn't a big deal either, there is a guy on the Star forum using the Lee powder measure
    Last edited by angus6; 08-03-2011 at 11:57 PM.

  20. #40
    Boolit Buddy
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    380 cases missed in sorting SUCK

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check