Star reloading machines

[Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings]

Any fans of the Star loaders here? Anyone have any experience with the rifle presses?

[Lloyd Smale]

ive ran them. there a well built machine but in my opinion arent as user freindly as a dillon or hornady and to go and buy one i think id be nervous about finding parts in the future.

[mister gizmo]

For a real treat, go to the Star Reloaders site. All the diehards are there and you can can get authoritative, accurate information, too.

www.starreloaders.com

[Nobade]

I have one for loading 45 ACP, and really like it. I don't think you could ever wear one out with reasonable care. As for parts availability, there's not much on it I couldn't make in the machine shop. Not so for more modern designs. I didn't know they made a rifle model, I've never seen one.

[Dale53]

In the past, I used a Star loader for thousands of loads. They are probably the most precision fitted reloading press out there. However, if you get a primer jam (not uncommon) it takes about twenty minutes to clear it. I finally figured out that if I used CCI "OEM" primers the problem pretty much went away. However, OEM primers are not commonly available.

My current progressive is a Dillon 550B and I can tell you without fear of contradiction, that I don't miss the STAR. The Dillon is far more user friendly, loads practically anything I have an interest in (both rifle and pistol) and parts are readily available.

Regarding making your own parts - some parts on the STAR have proprietary thread sizes that all lathes will NOT cut. Been there and done that...

Summary: extremely well made tools that have been surpassed in several areas....

Dale53

[Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings]

Thanks for the info guys. I have 3 complete Stars in Handgun calibers and a two in Rifle calibers (slightly larger machine) and numerous tool heads and shell plates.
They are for sale if anyone is interested.

[klw]

Collected Star reloading presses. Had two non-universals, a couple universals, one using 7/8x14 dies, a true rifle press, the pistol/223 press and even one of the very rare star straightline progressives. Loved them all.

Several reasons for the firms death. The original owners died (of old age). Dillon's machine were view as just as good and much less expensive, etc. But a properly care for Star made back in the 30's would still be operational today. Age and hard use just didn't bother them. Abuse would take a tole but not use.

Best progressive every made. Alas after the owners died the firms stayed open for an additional year. Those machine were true junk. And the rights to manufacture the machine were sold to an idi@#! That killed it off.

But they are great old machines.

One other comment. The Star, introduced around 1930, was in fact based on a Winchester patent from the 1890's. Progressive reloaders appeared before all but the ealiest single station presses, like the Ideal Armory Series. Progressives were introduced well before the turret or H-press.

[Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings]

KLW,
Thanks for the info.
Some of these toolheads have the 7/8 x14 thread for standard dies.
Any idea the number of rifle loaders made?

[lathesmith]

I just took a peek at that Star reloader web site. That 1979 price list near the bottom shows a $710+ starting price for one of these machines. HOLY COW! That was a lot of cash for a reloading machine in '79; a lot more than most guys who just loaded for themselves at home could afford. I knew there was a reason why I did not own much loading equipment back then. Compare that 1979 price to prices of reloading equipment from 2007. Even now, almost 30 years later, $710 will buy a lot more than just a loader. So it's not hard to see why they were not able to compete with other makers and went the way of the dinosaur. Great machines, I'm sure but...everything has limits.
Lathesmith

[felix]

For the most part, the Star loaders and lubers were meant for clubs, not individuals, and priced accordingly. Every pistol shooting club I know of had at least two of everything just in case one broke. In Hartford CT during the early 1970's school kids ran the operation for our club, including casting with multiple copies of H&G molds, depending on the volume needed by when. Club dues were expensive enough to include all of the ammo used during league shoots. My wife and I belonged to the Bears Club, and our home was the Colt factory indoor range out back. ... felix

[klw]

KLW,
Thanks for the info.
Some of these toolheads have the 7/8 x14 thread for standard dies.
Any idea the number of rifle loaders made?

There were 7/8x14 tool heads BUT they were a special order AND regular 7/8x14 dies probably will not work. It has been too long for me to remember now but something had to be machined on the die or its locking ring for this to work. Not a major alteration and if you bought that tool head directly form Star they would do the modification.

Star's, when I bought my first one were $250. That was a lot of money. Star could make about 500 machines a year and they had orders for far more. Actually a couple firms had standing yearly orders which was the backbone of Star's business. They raised the prices a couple time largely to decrease demand. To a true Star lover, however, that just didn't matter.

The true rifle machine was NOT something Star wanted to do. But the Army wanted them for the Cambodian gerilles (sp?) and forced Star to make them. Few were made and it took me decades to get mine.

In the pre-Dillon era, if you wanted a progressive you got a Star. Oh there were straightlines (Newcom, Buchanan, Police Equipment Sales Company (PESCO), and CH) in that order but these were, well, unfortunate. Even Dillon's first machine was the Super Star kit meant to convert a Star into a 223 loader.

[Texasflyboy]

In the past, I used a Star loader for thousands of loads.

Ditto.

However, if you get a primer jam (not uncommon) it takes about twenty minutes to clear it.

Ditto.

My current progressive is a Dillon 550B and I can tell you without fear of contradiction, that I don't miss the STAR.

Ditto.

Summary: extremely well made tools that have been surpassed in several areas....

Ditto.

[lawboy]

I had one set up for 45 and it was a great machine, very impressive piece of work. But primer jams were a real problem and it was slower than my Dillon 650 and only loaded one caliber essentially and the ammo was no better than the Dillon makes. Sold it, stuck with the Dillon. Glad I owned it and can say I had one and used it but I don' t miss it. Eyeing a second 650 though so I won't have to deal with primer system change overs ...

[klw]

I had one set up for 45 and it was a great machine, very impressive piece of work. But primer jams were a real problem and it was slower than my Dillon 650 and only loaded one caliber essentially and the ammo was no better than the Dillon makes. Sold it, stuck with the Dillon. Glad I owned it and can say I had one and used it but I don' t miss it. Eyeing a second 650 though so I won't have to deal with primer system change overs ...

On a factory original Star primer problems, at least within my experience, were virtually unknown. On the machines that I did see that did experience this the usual problem was that the primer tube had been replaced. Why you would do that is beyond me. As I remember it, however, a Star original primer tube was easy to spot.

If I had it to do over again I would probably have kept my Star collection. But someone offered to buy virtually all my reloading equipment and I just couldn't resist. Maybe 60 complicated reloaders (Potters, Jordans, Hollywood turrets, progressives (about three dozen), hundreds of mould blocks, 450+ book, etc. Literally a truckload. The chance to sell out everything at once for a fair price was just too tempting.

These days I just own what I can use. Have three RCBS Pro 2000's and two of the RCBS Piggyback III's. I've owned most of the Dillon's and I think that these RCBS units are better primarily because of the APS primer system.

[Buckhunter]

Swamprat, Please advise what you still have left for sale, I may be interested in more than one machine and spare parts like tool heads.
Nelson buckhamman at comcast dot net

[Kevin Rohrer]

Thanks for the info guys. I have 3 complete Stars in Handgun calibers and a two in Rifle calibers (slightly larger machine) and numerous tool heads and shell plates.
They are for sale if anyone is interested.

I'd be interested in seeing pics of them, especially the rifle presses.

[wv109323]

To each his own. I have two Stars. One for .45 ACP and one for .38 Special. The machines are limited as to the number of calibers they can reload. The machines were most popular with Bullseye shooters, clubs,and police departments. I have never had primer problems with the Stars. One of my presses was owned by the WV Penitentiary and has loaded untold numbers of .38 Special.
I much prefer to load ammo on the Stars as compared to my Dillon 550B. The Dillon gives me fits with primers, both in feeding and collecting the spent primers. Spent primers are all over the floor with my Dillon.
The price of a Star in today's money would be $2000 to 3000 easily. There was some competition in their day but Star usually had a backlog for orders. That should tell you something.

[curiousgeorge]

I have a Star with 2 tool heads. One for .45 ACP and the one that stays in the machine, .38 special wadcutter. I also have 3 Dillon 550B machines that get the most use, but when I want to load 1000 rounds of 2.7 grs Bullseye and a wadcutter in the .38 special, I pull out the Star. It came from a local police force in the early 1970's when they quit reloading their practice ammo. It has had over 500,000 rounds of .38 loaded on it that I can document not counting the .45 rounds and the .38's before the police department started keeping records.

I like them all. Nothing for sale here yet.

Steve

[starreloader]

I have 4 Star Loaders, 2 set up for 38 WC's and SWC's and 2 set up for 45 ACP 200 SWC and 230 RN... Still have extra Tool Heads, other shell plates and lots of extra parts... Have loaded many 1000's of rounds with these over the many years.. And they produce ammo as good now as when they were new.. These 4 Stars still get used but not as much as the 550 and 650 get today..
These Stars were all made in the '70's and are every bit as good now as when they were new.. Quality and craftsmanship that was unbeatable.

[rbwillnj]

I own three plus 13 extra tool heads and load everything from 25 ACP to .223 on them. Great machines, I just enjoy using them. I'm sure I have loaded 100,000 rounds on them and have never had an issue.