Gunshow Miracle (Hollywood Press)

[seagiant]

Hi,
I've had about every kind of reloading press there is but never could find a Hollywood. Well today I went to the local gunshow and found one but it was sort of funny. I'm walking along the isle and spot a Lyman All American turrent press on the floor by a mans table. I ask how much for this press? He comes over and says $50. The press was hard to operate and he says it needs cleaning up but I've got another you might want! He goes behind his table and pulls out a single stage Hollywood! I said how much as my heart is ramped up and reality turns to slow motion! He says $10!!!

Well I never found my wallet quicker thats for sure! If anyone has any info on this press or opinionsI"d be happy to hear. It has no shellholders but I think someone makes a conversion unit so I can use regular shell holder. This press looks loke it was stored rather than used as it is smooth but still nice and tight with zero slop! Thanks!

[tonyb]

What a find. One day I'll find a deal too.

[Dale53]

Hollywood made single stage tools and also a turret press for rifle and pistol and a turret for shotgun reloading. They were Premier level tools. Precision made and nicely finished. Lyle Corcoran (sp?) was the head honcho. I talked to him once at the ATA Grand one year. Nice fellow and extremely knowledgeable. The company was in California. They DID use special shell holders but if you ask on here someone may be able to direct you to a source for a conversion unit.

You made a nice find.

Dale53

[Uncle R.]

Ohhhhh...
You lucky dawg!
I am soooo envious!
<
<GRIN!>

[pincherpartner]

Nice Find!

Vega Tool makes shell holders and also just the adapter so you can use regular shell holders

http://www.vegatool.com/

[seagiant]

Thanks Gentlemen,
I hope more Hollywood owners chime in. There is a place up top for another die to screw into but I don't know why??? Does anyone know where I can get a copy of an owners manual? Is there a web site for Hollywood Gun Shop now? I can't seem to find anything! Thanks again!

[Trifocals]

CH4D has a shell holder adaptor that fits the Hollywood perfectly. As a bonus, it uses conventional snap-in shell holders common to the majority of todays loading presses. I believe the threaded hole in the top of your press is a bolt hole utilized to hold a bracket for a Hollywood powder measure. This bolt hole may be incorporated into a screw in bushing of larger diameter but I am not aware of the purpose of the larger diameter of the bushing. Your press is a Hollywood Senior. Some were made to utilize a long threaded tie rod between the die platform and the base to keep the die platform from flexing when the press was used for swaging. Note that there are several holes on the press linkage to adjust for different shell lengths or to increase the power of the press for swaging operations. Excluding the massive steel center column, linkage, handle and several small parts, the balance of the press parts will be either cast iron or aluminum. This is a very fine, powerful press, unlikely to be worn out in several lifetimes of use. The only downside as in many older presses is that it has no spent primer catcher. However a little Yankee ingenuity can be employed to overcome that small deficiency. Be sure to keep your press lubricated and enjoy using it.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well I called CH Tool and got an adapter ordered for $12 shipped very reasonable and I know from their dies they do good work! I was hoping someone had a Manual they could scan maybe. I guess if you need anything for this loader you have to get it from E-bay because I hear the people that run the business now is hard to deal with! Thanks!

[scrapcan]

There was a good article in a recent Antique REloadign Tool Collectors Association newsletter on the hollywood presses. Pressman on this forum can get you the info on a reprint.

Hollywood Engineering was in business (different owners same equipment) and you might be able to get new parts. I have read alot of things about delivery times being long.

[.30/30 Guy]

Making a spent primer catcher is very easy as long as you do not want to prime when you decap the primers. Find a small soft plastic bottle about the diameter of the retaining nut for the shell holder. Cut the top of the bottle off and slip the bottle over the retaining nut. You may need to do some type of shimming to get a proper fit. This catches the primers very well. Empty the bottle every once in a while as too many primers can push the bottle off the nut. Only works with primer arm removed.

The press would have been a bargin at $150.

[seagiant]

Hi Gentlemen,
Thanks for the info! I hope Pressman shows up I'd really like to see the article on these presses and how they were setup originally. They seem to be a popular press but not alot of info or pics on them? I worked on cleaning mine last night and after all the dirt and surface rust removed it's like a new one pretty much. I notice that there was 2 types of the single stage Senior . One was robustly built and another looks a little less heavy but had a "tie rod" on the front? I do not know when the change occured or which one came first? Thanks again!

[scrapcan]

Seagiant you have a pm.

[seagiant]

Got it!

[scrapcan]

should be there now. let me know if you got it. For the rest it was a pm with some info on hollywood tools.

[scrapcan]

Did that help out as far as information goes?

[xr650]

seagiant,
You are going to enjoy that press. You got a good steal on it also.

I had to pay $25.00 for my last one. The one on the left.

[ReloaderFred]

I started reloading with that exact press in 1963, when I bought it used from one of my college professors, along with a set of Hollywood .30-06 dies, for $25.00, which was a lot of money in those days. I was making $1.35 an hour working part time in the mail room of the local newspaper, so it was about a week's pay.

My Hollywood is still going strong and is setting on one end of my loading bench, where it keeps company with 3 other presses of more modern lineage.

You're going to need both small and large primer arms for your press, if you intend to prime on it. The Hollywood is one of the best primer seating devices ever invented. If it won't seat a primer, then the case can't be primed. It gives you a great "feel" when priming, though it's slow. A primer catcher can be made from the plastic top from a spray paint can. Just drill a hole in it and use a flat head bolt to hold it in the primer arm hole. A small patch of cloth at the bottom of the cup will keep the primers from bouncing out.

For the ram, use either Rem-Oil, or Machine Gunner's Lube (www.sprinco.com). By the way, unless your press says it's a Senior in the casting, it's the standard press. All the Seniors I've seen have been so marked, and normally have the reinforcing rod at the front of the press for swaging bullets.

You got a great deal on your treasure, but I'll bet it scratched the hood of your truck.......

Hope this helps.

Fred

[curiousgeorge]

You have a great press. I lucked up on one of the 12 hole turret presses with over 20 shellholders and a Hollywood powder measures for $100.00 about 15 years ago. I think your bargain might have beat mine.

One thing to check for. I don't use the primer seater but you might want to see if yours is for the older cupped primers instead of regular flat primers.

Enjoy your new find.

skt

[seagiant]

Hello everyone,
Thanks for all the info really interesting reading all the storys of these presses. Yes if the seller had pulled out a super turrent model for $20 bucks They would probably had to call the medics! I was pretty wired up anyway when I saw it was a Hollywood! I don't have "senior" any where on the press? It seems though that everyone is calling the single stage presses that.

Manley was nice enough to give me a link to a VERY good article on these presses that is a must read for anyone interested! I usually prime with an RCBS tool or a Lee hand tool when using a single stage but might try the Hollywood priming if I can find the tools at a reasonable price. It seems that the 7/8"x14 thread hole in the top is for a button that can hold a powder measure or the extra die in a two die rifle set. I have an old 60's Brown Bear H type press and I thought it was pretty smooth but this press beats it hand down!!!

[STP22]

I`ve had the same press for about 4 years now. I ordered the RCBS shellholder adapter from my local gunshop. I took it apart for a complete cleaning and noted just how much tool work it required. No "slop" with that large ram!
Unfortunately, it doesn`t see much use since I found a Dunbar.
(2 station...just as heavy)