Show your old favorite single stage press!

[seagiant]

Hi,
In an earlier thread DUKE NUKEM was asking about Bair and CH "H" type presses and I thought I would show some pics of mine and then thought there are a lot of old presses out there still being used and loved by many of us.
This old Bair "Brown" model is one of my favorites and took a bit of TLC to bring back on line. I stated earlier that I saw no holes for the primer arm originally on it. I was wrong as they were found on the backside under my little cup on the base to catch the primers. I bought this press used at my local Gunshop,whose sales clerks thought of it as junk! Admitedly it looks better now but I didn't argue with them and told them to let me know if they got another!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/atta...30840147840147

[badgeredd]

Nice old press, and I like the Bridgeport too.

I have a not so old but not new at all RCBS Big Max that I'll keep til I go to the range above. It is strong and user friendly. I've loaded thousands of cartridges with it and even if it is slow (even if I am half fast), I still like it.

I do want to get a Lee Classic Turret to speed up pistol ammo but I haven't been able to justify (in my mind) a true progressive, yet.

Edd

[seagiant]

Hi Badger,
Got any pics? I've always wanted a Big Max press,but have never run into one yet. Might have to try E-Bay but they seem to be high dollar on there!

Thats my 1964 J-head Bridgeport,Took me YEARS to run into that one!

[Pressman]

Ihave yet to own my favorite, the Herter's Model 3 Improved. Not the big cast iron C press but one that looks like a Rockchucker. Which leads into the star of my collection, the Rockchucker prototype. Shown here with a Rochchucker with a1972 production date.
Ken

[seagiant]

Hi Pressman,
That looks like a stout handle on the proto type! I have a RCBS Jr.2 and an old Co-Ax Bonanza,my first press,I'll try to get some more pics up later! I've always enjoyed products from RCBS!

[Pressman]

The prototype uses the same handle as the A models, steel tubing over a 4 inch long stud.
Ken

[seagiant]

Hi,
Here is a Bonanza Co-Ax press that I load all of my rifle ammo on. It also was my first press,that I had to put on layaway to afford at the time. Also is an orphaned RCBS Jr.2 that I found without the handle. When I called the nice lady at RCBS she informed me that they had changed the threading on the newer handles and if I took off the link block and sent it in they would fit it with a new handle,which I did,all free of course! The original handle was a straight bicycle type I believe.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/atta...11123102071111

[Pressman]

JR2 handles had a 1/2" threaded shank that could/would break. RCBS changed it to 9/16" and that ended the breakage problem. That became the JR3.
Ken

[Pressman]

Forgot to add that yours is an early example, notice the stepped front strap. Not commonly seen today, though yours is light green. Does it have a date stamp on the top?
The front strap changed sometime around 1966-67 along with the paint color.
Ken

[Shooter6br]

Have old Herters from my Dad 1962 or so up in the attic

[seagiant]

Hi Pressman,
Wow! Does that mean this press is from the mid-60's??? I checked the top where the die screws in and there is no date? Only says RCBS Oroville,Calif. on the sides, nothing I could see as a date. I guess with the updated handle I've really got a Jr.3? Thanks for the info!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/atta...1&d=1231039023

[STP22]

seagiant,

You`ll need to remove the die bushing from the top of the press to see the date code.

Scott

[Pressman]

With out a date I would date yours as a 64-65. Near as I can tell 1966 was the first year for the date stamp. Yours is light green and that color came along about that time.
Early ones were a dark green and the very early ones (1959) a green/white speckled color.
Likely you have a 9/16" handle. RCBS would have had to change out the pivot block to fit the new handle.

Scott; The JR's are threaded 7/8-14 directly, they do not have a bushing like the Rockchucker.
Ken

[Bret4207]

Mines a Co-Ax as shown above. Got it off Ebay a few years back. Dang thing works like s bank vault it's so smooth. My first "press" was a ho-made arbor press I used with Lee smack-em's and regular 7/8-13 dies. I'd drive the case in and drive 'em out ala Lee. That lasted about 3 days. Shortly after that I found a RCBS RS and never looked back.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Pressmans right no bushing and no date. Sort of neat that the press is that old. Of course it was without a handle when I fiound it but in very good shape other than that!

Brett,
I bought my Bonanza brand new on layaway when I was a kid and even then it seemed like the cats meow of reloaders.After 30 yrs and thousands of rounds of loading everything on it thats still my opinion! It is now used just for reloading 7.62 Nato/.308 for my different battle rifles with a nice set of Redding dies!

[STP22]

Yep, I jumped the gun...

No JR press here. Sould have dug out a period Handloader or AR mag and checked first.

Scott

[Catshooter]

I just checked my Rockchucker and it is a 1976. I love that old green-blue crinkle paint.


Cat

[ktw]

You guys can laugh if you want to, but my vote for the best value for the dollar in a single stage press goes to one of these.



I bought it, years ago, along with the Lee reloading manual, when a buddy of mine started coming over to learn the handloading game and all I had in the way of a press was a single Rockchucker. Later, when he got his own equipment he left this one mounted on my bench.

I have found it incredibly useful for all of the odd jobs; everything from running a universal decapper, to using Lee size dies, to carbide sizing handgun brass as a batch process rather than while loading. It does a better job of handling spent primers than the RC and offers all kinds of room around the ram for quickly switching brass in the shellholder.

Later, when upgrading to a Lee Classic Cast Turret, the new turret replaced the Rockchucker on the bench rather than the more useful little Lee Reloader. Best 5 bucks I ever spent on a loading tool.

-ktw

[seagiant]

Hi KTW,
Thanks for the pic! ...Actually these presses are a favorite of varmit hunters that want to reload in the field and are supposedly very accurate ammo making machines!

[mikenbarb]

This is a Herters Super 81 single stage 2 ram press. Its one of the strongest presses I have seen made. Theres 2 12 gauge hulls in shell holders for size comparison and a 30-06 case next to the ram on the right..