HELP!-Pacific 360/Bair 600 Owners!!!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I bought a Bair 600 shotshell reloader and it is missing the primer actuating rod that pushes down on the bottom priming bar and seats the primer. I have contacted Hornady with no luck! I would like some pics and hopefully someone could measure it for me as I want to make one if possible to get my loader up to speed. Thanks!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Greg: ask over at Trapshooters.com I bet someone will be able to help there.

I think "Grntitan" AKA Matt, has one of those machines. He restores machines too.

Randy

[seagiant]

Thanks Randy,
I tried at Shotgun World nothing there! I could reinvent the wheel but would rather try to make it like original. Thanks again!

[seagiant]

Hi
Still hoping someone has this press and can give some info thanks!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Greg: I saw the post over at TS.com. If Matt (grntitan) can't help, you may need to invent something.

Here's something about tool making.

If you know where it goes, and what it has got to do, then all you have to do is connect the two ends.

Most of what I do on the Jeep is freehand now, as I have gotten past the point of relationships on it. I still make drawings of individual parts but I can't put them into the complete drawing now as they are too abstract.

So I have to make them functional.

Have you tried Wikipedia. For some reason that outfit has a archive that defies description. and may just have a parts breakdown for the machine.

Randy

[seagiant]

Hi Randy,
Yea,I might have to reinvent the wheel on this because I'm not getting any help on it any where. It's sort of a shame because if I had the part in my hand for 5 minutes I could make one just like it! I thought of buying another press and then eventually selling one after getting the info I needed but I haven't seen another one in awhile. Guess I'm off to the drawing board!!! Thanks!

[7of7]

seagiant, I have a 360, do they have the same setup for seating the primers?
If you can, would you post some pics at a different angle so you can see the lower part of the machine where this needs to go?

[seagiant]

Hi 7,
Yes they are the same if you look at the back of your loader you will have a rod with a spring. This is actually a rod in a metal sleeve with a spring around it about 10" long. This pushes on a arm under the loader under the shell holder and pushes the primer in the hull in the shellholder. I'll get a pic of the back of the loader but this part should be quite obvious! On your machine, not mine because its not there! Thanks!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Ok here is a pic of the back of the loader. Look where the hole is at the two corners top and bottom.Where the holes are is where the assembly goes and has a spring around it, this assembly is vertical! As you pull the operating handle down the sprng pressure pushes the rod down pushing down the primer arm under the shell plate and seating the primer in the hull at the front of the machine! Thanks!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I really want to think everyone for the help on this. I was surprised by the lack of information! As the actual primer seater is spring loaded to begin with and the actuator rod only bears down on this,I just went with an adjustable rod which allows me to time the seating of the primer with the top full stroke of the press. I use the top position (handle all the way down) to time all my presses as I believe that is the way they are all designed.

In the original design the actuator rod was using a rod and sleeve,spring loaded to press down on the primer arm that sits under the shell holder base. This of course gave a very cushioned and smooth seating effect as it was designed to. I'm going another route just using a straight rod but so far it seems to work well. I did not permanently change anything in the hopes of eventually either getting the specs for the part or some original parts all together! Here are some pics! Thanks again!

[W.R.Buchanan]

greg: I think the only thing the spring loaded rod does is make the adjustment of the push rod less critical.

On the 366 I have the primer insert rod is a solid one piece rod that you adjust up and down to set primer depth.

There is a newer design that is a spring loaded unit.

The big difference is that my hard up rod has to be readjusted for different styles of hulls. The same setting won't work for Old vs new style AA hulls. Reason being the base wad in the old hulls is higher than the new ones so if you try to seat a primer in a new hull it doesn't get pushed all the way in.

The new rod with the spring just gets set in the middle of the travel and it seats primers in just about any hull with the same adjustment.

I think you've got this beat. Now use some cold blue on it and be done with it.

Randy

[W.R.Buchanan]

Does that press have some kind of provision for placing the primers ? Or do you have to do that manually?

Randy

[seagiant]

Hi Randy,
Thanks for the input,I've got it working and I'm happy about that. It does have a primer feed and thats the next hurdle. The part that holds the primer tube was made of plastic and was busted when I got the press. The fly in the ointment is the tube has to be held at an angle. Luckily The busted peice was still there so I can get the angle from that. What is funny to me is I now have 4 Pacific/Bair shotshell reloaders with a 5th (Pacific 366) on the way and everyone of the primer feeds use a different set up! Mr. Deitemeyer must of been a busy man! I'm now looking at building an oven so I can do my own Powder Coating. This would also be used on firearms for my Gunkote applications also! Yea one thing leads to another!

Here is a pic of the 600,not mine but one that was for sale for $250! You can see the angled primer feed. When you raise the platen it hits the bottom of the feed pushing on a spring loaded cam and it releases a primer into a hole in the shellplate like the 366 and is then carried to the primer seating station when you advance the shell plate.