Similar Question About the Lyman All-American and C-H '111'/Magnum H Presses

[Kevin Rohrer]

1. Lyman A-A Press: Are there any build quality differences between the early press w/ the wooden handle and the later one w/ the red rubber handle?

2. C-H '111'/Magnum H Single-stage Presses: Are these the same thing?

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Answer to question #1 is no difference in quality. Lyman just found a way to speed up production by not making a wooden handle; just sliped a rubber handle on.
Answer to qustion #2 is they are one in the same. The magnum was the one station press that got renamed the 111. The 3 station press was called the 333.
The Lyman AA was a popular press in its time and is still sought after. They pop up on E-Bay regularly and get bid up high. C&H "H" presses whether one or 3 station are also still favorites. A four station was later made; it still is in current production but by a different company. LLS

[Bret4207]

I got an All American for real cheap a few years back. I love it!

[Kevin Rohrer]

Thanx for the replies. I actually won both an AA and a Magnum H last night on Ebay, the latter for a much lower price that others I bid on.

Le Loup: C-H still makes the 4-station press. Here is one I got from them a few months ago. It is made like a Swiss watch and operates like two pieces of glass rubbing against each other.

[Pressman]

Kevin, do you really like that thing?? I have the 333 pistol setup for 38 special. I tried using it but found it cumbersom at best. Moving three cases at once was confusing, moving one case through three stations was confusing and I was always running into the rams and getting oily fingers. I put the thing on the shelf where it looks nice, and went back to a single stage press.

Ken

[scrapcan]

I have the C-H magnum press and like it alot. I have had a 3 hole and a 4 hole and, like Ken, coul dnot get used to the way one had to operate it. Now if I could come across a progressive pistol presses for a good price I might like to try that one.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Kevin, do you really like that thing?? I have the 333 pistol setup for 38 special. I tried using it but found it cumbersom at best. Moving three cases at once was confusing, moving one case through three stations was confusing and I was always running into the rams and getting oily fingers. I put the thing on the shelf where it looks nice, and went back to a single stage press.

Ken

I have only owned it a couple months, and so far, have only done some FL resizing of .308 and 22/250 brass. I just installed the auto primer and Lyman, and am trying to use the auto primer. It is stiff and somewhat cumbersome, but appears to be slowly breaking itself in.

I have a Dillon 550B for pistol and plan on setting up the 444 for one rifle caliber and leaving it there until I have loaded as much as I want and need to move to another caliber. Within the next week I plan on seeing how long it takes me to completely load 50-rounds of .308 using the press alone. I will use the one-case-at-a-time method and probably post a review of the press here.

On another site (The Firing Line?) I saw a picture from a now deceased member of his 444 with a hand-operated Dillon powder measure mounted on it. He had an aluminum knob (looks like the one mounted on my auto primer) mounted on the end of the powder bar so when it came time to charge a case, he just pushed on the knob and moved the bar. I have an extra Dillon measure I would like to use for the same purpose.

As to whether I really like the 444, the answer is, Yes. I like it for it versatileness, because it has four stations for individual use, or three stations for semi-progressive use and a fourth for other use. It is also extremely well made and of better quality than any other press I can think of (how many other presses are made entirely of steel and have a shellholder plate that rides on bronze bushings?). I hate 'kneeknocker' presses for their size and ram location, which means I like the 444's compactness and how it stays on top of the bench where it belongs, instead of hanging down below it.

Until such time as the AA and '111' arrive, it is a tossup as to whether I goto the Hollywood or the 444 for reloading. Both operate as smooth as glass and both are strong, rigid, and sturdy. I am pretty sure the AA will get setup with bullet seating dies and used for that function alone, while the 111 will see a lot of FL sizing. The Hollywood will see lots of neck resizing and bullet seating.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

That is a really nice setup with the 444, but I can understand the frustration that occurs with the sequencing in moving the cases. I initially experienced that with my two 333's. The problem originates with the sizing & decapping in the rear. I eliminated that by doing that on another press- on one of my C&H one stations. That eliminates the mumbo-jumbo and also allows the natural placement of the taper crimping die in the sequence. The Lyman PM seems to fit right in; I myself use an RCBS and adapted it to work on Lee Dies...their powder thru the expander setup, by pulling the plastic droptube and substituting a 9/16 X 18 bolt that I drilled thru and then rounded the bolt head to fit in the Lee hold down nut that normally accepts their powder funnel. On the C&H one stations(111 or Magnum) there was originally no provision for catching spent primers. I made a primer catcher out of one of those little complimentary shampoo bottles that you usually see in motels. It requires cutting the head and neck off and punching a couple of holes that can accept some light guage wire that is then looped up and around the shell holder ram. It fits over the ram nut and holds a couple of hundred spent primers. It is easily emptied. I have 2 333's and 2 111's and they are as clean and tight as when I got them; I keep them oiled and greased in the linkages, guide rods and any other moving parts underneath. The original priming rod(system) for the 111 was a primitive disaster and I don't use that at all. Not worth the headache. Its much more convenient to have these presses working at benchtop level and be able to see what is going on. I just may get a 444 in the near future. LLS