Old Lyman Presses

[SlimTim]

Lyman J shell holders - do some folk refer to them as 310 shell holders, or is that a different animal? Is there such a thing as a 310 shell holder, or is that an incorrect term used by Tru-Line Junior owners?

Further, as the Lyman Comet and All-American use J-type shell holders and the Tru-Line Junior does as well, can the same shell holders be used on all 3 presses? I gather they can.

If I understand correctly, while the Comet and All-American use the J type shell holders, they use standard dies; the Tru-Line Junior uses the 310 dies.

I've exercised my google-fu and also reviewed several (probably not enough, however) old threads here, and arrived at the above. I'd greatly appreciate correction or confirmation, whichever the case may be.

I've never seen referenced a Tru-Line Senior. Why the Junior designation? Simply because it was smaller?

Finally, is there a reference web site that has information on presses from the mid-20th century? I've seen the antique reloading hand tool sight referenced, but I'm not interested in the hand tools. I'm interested in finding more information on old Pacific presses as well.

Many thanks!
SlimTim

[Ziptar]

The J Shell Holders can be used in all three presses and are sometimes referred to as 310 shell holders as they can be used with the 310 dies on a Tru-Line Junior.

The Tru-Line Jr. uses the same 5/8"-30 dies that are used by the Lyman 310 Hand Tools. The Comet and All American use standard 7/8"-14 Dies.

There was a Tru-Line Senior Press, it is more of an H style press and different then Junior in more then just size. You don't see many around.

The Lyman J shell holder numbers follow the Standard Lyman numbers so a J1 Shell holder works for the same calibers as a standard Lyman #1 shell holder or X11 Shell holder. The X shell holder are designed to be used with Lyman's J Shell Holder Adapter and T Shellholder Adapter Priming Punch

If you are going to be priming on the press. If you are not priming on the press then the J Shellholder adapter will work with any standard shell holders.

You might be able to find information in the reference section of http://www.castpics.net, maybe in the PDF copies of the Lyman Ideal Handbooks.

[shotman]

ALL J type are not the same as the X type, most are but some are not
If you get the Lyman conversion primer seater you need to use the LYMAN X shell holder
as the lip inside will not seat a primer all the way with a different type shell holder

[Green Frog]

I would hesitate to refer to "310 shellholders" and J-type shellholders in the same vein. The 310 has an adapter ring which is matched to the base diameter of the shell in question, and a "priming chamber" which holds the shell to prime it. Referring to the J-type shell holders with the 310 tools is just because the only currently produced dies that fit the TL Jr are those dies... but they are otherwise two totally different entities.

Depending on what you want to do with your TL Jr, it would be my choice to search out the necessary J-types for the calibers you want to load... that's indeed what I have done in my own loading. Contrary to shotman's experience, I have found Lyman's J- and X-type shellholders to be pretty predictably similar, with only a few notable anomolies such as the .25-20 SS and a couple of other obscure calibers. YMMV

Froggie

PS Drop me a PM if you want some help tracking down some of the Js.

[Pressman]

The Lyman "J" shellholder traces it ancestory all the way back to the Ideal Armory press. Today's J will work in the press under some conditions.
The Armory was followed by the Tru Line press in 1936. It stayed in the line up untill 1953 when it was replaced with the Ezy Loader press. BUT, in 1947 Lyman introduced a little turret press that would use their new 310 dies. They also combined the #3 and #10 tong tools into the 310 tool.
It should be noted that the Tru Line press uses a unique set of dies only slightly modified from those used in the Armory press's. It was a complicated system, but it worked. The new Ezy loader would take 7/8-14 dies though it needs a special sizing die.

Lyman just streamlined the design of their "J" shell holder for use in all these presses. "J" comes from the item designation found on LYman instruction sheets.

So why did Lyman use their shellholder and not the snap in's we use today. Simple, the snap in had not been invented yet. It would not come along until 1955 when Fred Huntington thought it up.

Back to the original question. The Tru Line Jr is just that, a name given to the press. The Tru Line press now became the Tru Line Senior.

Pictured, side by side is a pre war and post war Tru Line press.

Ken

[SlimTim]

Thanks for all the skinny! I ask mostly out of curiosity, although I have an All American press I bought to try my hand at restoration. I hope at some point to buy a Tru-Line Junior and a Comet press, presently I don't have room for them. The All American press I purchased came with a universal shell holder adapter. I likely will pursue finding J type shell holders if I should end up using it much.

I checked out the info at castpics but didn't find much on these Lyman presses other than 310 info, which seemed in abundance there. I did view a bit of the older editions of Handloader's Digest, that was neat, but not much more than marketing info on the presses. You'd think Lyman would have some historical info on their website, but I guess that wouldn't be beneficial to their bottom line.

I recently bought a Hollywood Senior press, and have a Herters 88 on the way. It'd be really neat if there was a website that had good info on all these old presses.

Thanks again!
SlimTim

[Green Frog]

Try here;

http://www.antiquereloadingtools.com/forum/

If they don't know it on this site, it aint known!

Froggie

[Ziptar]

While there isn't allot of specific details about them, there are quite a few pictures of older presses in Townsend Whelen's book "Why Not Reload Your Own?", eBook version on castpics, http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/Cla...WhyNotLoad.pdf

[rbuck351]

I still use an All American for loading for rifles and use the adapter for the slip in shell holders. Mine works fine for priming on the press. The only thing I don't like about the press is the primer feed set up so I quit using it.

[SlimTim]

I joined the antique reloading tool website, and unfortunately for me, it seems the content there is geared exclusively towards collectors of the old hand tools used to reload.

SlimTim

[Pressman]

Slim Tim that seems to be but it ain't all that way. There are some hardcore tong tool guys hanging out there. BUT, they know a lot about everything else too. Just post a question and see what happens.
Ken

[floodgate]

SlimTim:

Feel free to ask questions about any reloading tools you are interested on the ARTCA website; we'll be happy to respond. Our previous website had a LOT of info on tools of all makes, but that hasn't as-yet been moved over to the present one. And don't take the "Antique" (50+ yrs. old) in our title too seriously; most of our active posters are interested in any and all tools, whatever their age.

Dog Elliott / in "floodgate"

[SlimTim]

Thanks. I perhaps made the incorrect assessment of that forum based on the individual forum names. I did see a topic on presses--Pacific if I recall correctly-- in the area for general conversation.

I don't have any questions in mind at present, just wanting to find out all I can without wearing out my welcome by asking stupid and/or oft-asked questions. I can really rattle questions off once I get going.

SlimTim

[Pressman]

Slim Tim, if you can really rattle off questions then the ARTCA site is the place for you. There are enough people there with a wider range of knowledge than I can even wrap my mind around.

Fire away.

Ken