Anyone have any Info on this old press?

[Teddo]

I inherited many boxes of reloading and related gun stuff from a old friend a while back and I'm just getting into separating,sorting and inventorying. Among the boxes I found a press that I have never seen before.The name cast into the base is Schissel Cherokee Iowa. Anyone have any history on this press?... Here are a few pictures of the press and a Hollywood Senior that was with it ... Teddo

[omgb]

The design seems to be like that of the old CH or Pacific presses

[LUBEDUDE]

To my limited knowledge Schissel is the brand of the press. There are a few still floating around.

As far as any connection with CH, I don't know for sure while it does appear so.

Pressman would probably know more about it.

[Pressman]

The Schissel brothers made a series of C and H presses in the early 1960's. Eventually forming the Micro-Precision reloading tool company. Which they then sold to Dietmier/Bair. That is where the Bair H presses came from as everything else they sold was Pacific designs.

The original Schissel dies as very good. Later they came up with a universal die body and interchangeable innards that was supposed to save money. Just buy one body and switch the innards for a different caliber.

Cherokee is about 100 miles west of me and I never found, or made the time to drive over and interview the brothers while they were still with us.

Ken

[seagiant]

Hi,
I have the CH brand and it is good, the only thing is it's aluminum which I don't really care for?

If that one is iron it would be an upgrade!

[Teddo]

Thanks gents, that is a lot more than I knew yesterday and it helps fill in some of the questions I have. These presses and quite few more came out of Jim Bells estate( Lachmiller Engineering and shop manager of RCBS) . He was a shooting partner and good friend for many years and I was asked by his family to help sell off his firearms and reloading equipment. Most everything sold cheap or not at all as the family didn't live close (New York) and they had little time or interest to settle his estate. What didn't sell they gave to me. Some years later I'm still going through boxes of stuff and it's amazing what a person collects over a life time of being in the reloading business. I'm still finding a jewel or two among all the parts and incomplete prototypes that were boxed up and I still get remorseful as I handle things I know he worked over designing and improving.

There will be more questions as I dig and re dig through stuff and I do appreciate your help.... Tedd

PS. that Schissel press is heavy as hell and made of cast steel.