I found this reloader? Has no name??

[weedy653]

I came across this reloader, it has no name stamped in it. Anyone here ever seen one??http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/weedy653/th_4holepress.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v623/weedy653/?action=view&current=4holepress.jpg)[/IMG]

[rmcc]

Looks like a Ponsness Warren or an old Hollywood. Either way, great press IMO.

Rich

[Pressman]

A SWAG from me that it is homemede by someone who knew what he was doing. The combination of aluminum and steel parts along with a steel plate frame makes me think so.

How does it work? It looks like the ram and top plate move with the handle. Takes H type dies? Short, swing arm linkage might give enough mechanical advantage to work four cases at a time.

Need more pictures.

Ken

[Kevin Rohrer]

Pressman is the expert, but it looks to be homemade to me, also.

What is the diameter of the holes in the bottom plate? Am guessing they accommodate the old design, Hollywood-style shellholders.

[BCB]

Wow, if that thing is homemade, that person sure had talent and the proper tools to get the job done…

Might have been cheaper to have purchased a newly manufactured one—except, no self-satisfaction in that…

Do the dies screw in (I don’t see any threads) or are they some other type of die?...

I sure wish I had the ability to do work like that…

I will follow this thread to get the final outcome…

BCB

[noylj]

First thought was a Texan, but blowing up the pict, it does look shop made.

[weedy653]

Thanks for all the ideas so far. I have a few more photos and a couple measurements to share. Shell holder holes are .747 and the die threads are standard 7/8 X 14.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v623/weedy653/?action=view&current=4holepress-2.jpg

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v623/weedy653/?action=view&current=4holepress-1.jpg

[weedy653]

strange, I was able to post a photo last night and now a link??

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/weedy653/4holepress-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/weedy653/4holepress-2.jpg

[dragonrider]

I'm thinkin it uses Lyman J-type shell holders, note the set screws on the shell holder plate ?????? Anyone of us here with the machinery and skills could make that press. I like it. Appears like it might be adjustable for stroke length.

[Kevin Rohrer]

I should have asked this before. What is the thickness of the shell holder plate?

[weedy653]

Kevin, The shell holder plate is .971 and the die plate is .981

[Char-Gar]

I vote with Pressman on it being made by somebody with good skills in several areas. I think it is really neat and would love to have it. Want to move it on?

[Kevin Rohrer]

I checked my Hollywood shell holders. The shafts are .50" thick and 1" long, so they wouldn't work, unless your shell holder plate has a recessed area milled around the holes. Unless "J"-type shell holders are longer and thicker, am guessing the builder also made his own shell holders. That is HARECORE! :holysheep

[Char-Gar]

It should not be much of a trick to make a bushing that fits the press and hold either Hollywood, Herters or Lyman J shell holders.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Unfortunately, if you add in the width of the nuts that hold the shellholders in the plate, Hollywoods are about .5" too short.

[MtGun44]

Looks like high quality home-made. Looks really stout.

Bill

[Pressman]

Lyman "J" is 9/16" shank. Anyone do the math conversion for me?
Ken

[Char-Gar]

.5625 = 9/16 according to the conversion on the thimble of my Starrett micrometer. .747 is closest to 3/4" at .750. A Herters shell holder measures .745 and should work in that press like a champ. It is held in place by two opposing hex headed screws that go into a groove in the shell holder. RCBS makes Herters to standard shell holder conversion units. Should be a snap in that press.

[GabbyM]

Not sure about “home made”. When I first started out in Machine shop in the early 1970’s we still had the WWII generation as the senior workforce. You did not mess with those guys because they all stuck together. We had plenty of “Government Jobs”. If they needed help from the engineering dept. All they had to do was ask. I built parts for some really nice stuff. Don’t have any of it myself though as when those guys were gone so was any resemblance of civility in the shops.

What you may have there is a legacy of a time gone by.

[Char-Gar]

Well, whatever it is, I just made a deal to buy it. I don't want it going into the hands of the great unwashed. I will set it up and figure out how to get some shell holders going. I have no need for another press, four stage or otherwise.

I would think home made in this case would mean non-production, as there is nothing crude about this press. She be hell for stout!

I will let you know how things turn out. What do you do with four stages anyway?

[Kevin Rohrer]

What do you do with four stages anyway?

1. Decap and resize
2. Either deprime w/ a Lee, press-mounted primer or prime off the press and powder the cartridge w/ a press-mounted powder measure.
3. Seat the bullet
4. Crimp the round

[scrapcan]

It looks to me like you will need more than one shell holder. The turret does not turn due to the alignment bar in back. From the pictures it looks like there are multiple holes in shell holder plate.

[Char-Gar]

Yep..it will take 4 shell holders to do the job...everything good comes with a price.

[deltaenterprizes]

Four stages to load semiauto pistol ammo.

[Char-Gar]

Well, the Brown truck delivered Presszilla to me this afternoon and I am impressed to say the least. The workmanship on this thing is fantastic. The alignment is perfect and it operates smooth as silk. The die and shell holder plates are made from 1" steel. The column is 2" of solid steel and the alignment rod is 3/4 of steel. All other parts of the linkage is either 1" or 1/2 inch steel. It is 40 pounds of solid steel with double compound linkage. It will take work up to 4.5 inches. It accepts Herters shell holders or in my case RCBS adapters that will used standard snap in shell holders. The whole thing has been polished and rust blued.It cleaned up very well with just a few brite spots left that will require some touch up.

I am mystified by who made this and why. The design and workmanship is superlative with power and strength far beyond the needs of cartridge reloading. I am wondering if it was made with jacketed bullet swaging in mind. It has all the strength of an RCBS A2, but with four stages.

This press combines the best features of several excellent presses.

If somebody took this press into a precision machine shop and the folks there were told to make one like it, they could, but the price would be staggering.

Anyway... I am delighted with this press and will post some pics when it is mounted and up and running.

[DCM]

Please keep us posted, it looks like one heck of a bloody good press!!