Something Old

[LAH]

Tell me about it...........Creeker

[omgb]

They've got one of these on the "Estate" table at The Gun Shop in Lancaster CA. I think it's a generic Herters/Pacific/CH/whatever type C press from the late 50s early 60s.

[R.M.]

I have a Bair that looks identical to that one other than the color.

R.M.

[madcaster]

Hey Man,I really9?) don't know!
But I'm really sure you can return it to the seller with no problems...LOL!
Jeff.

[STP]

Definitely a cousin to the C&H and the Pacific....a real "knee knocker" when not in use. Just what color is that?

[monadnock#5]

That's a kissin' cousin to the Lyman Spartan press that came in the reloading kit that got me started back in the 80's.

Ken

[Bent Ramrod]

The Micro-Precision Magnum Press made its one and only appearance in the 3rd Handloader's Digest in 1966. It cost $16.95, for the press only. Shellholder adaptors and adapter rams were extra. They didn't offer dies.

R. M., I would think, has solved the mystery. The rapid disappearance of MIcro-Precision and the sudden appearance in the 4th Edition of the Bair line (with a similar offering), plus the fact that both outfits were in Nebraska (M-P in Omaha, Bair in Lincoln) argues that the casting patterns and other assets might have passed from the one to the other in some sort of reorganization.

[MGySgt]

I gave one just like it to my son not too long ago - Works great - He ain't getting my Lyman Spartan or RC IV or Dillion 550B.

Mine/his now - takes standard shell holders and dies. It is one massive C press!

Drew

[nvbirdman]

Just think, if that was RCBS it would have a full guarantee.

[madcaster]

It DOES,Creeker got it from me!

[LAH]

The more I look the press over the more I like it. Don't really see nothing to go wrong. What few linkage parts the press has could be made with little effort. I may change the color or............ maybe not. Thanks madcaster..............Creeker

[Lloyd Smale]

I had an old c&h that looked identical except for the colar. I used it for many years set up for lee sizers.

[dubber123]

Creeker, go ahead and paint it. After a bazillion rounds or two, I stripped my old gray Lyman Spartan and repainted it the orange Lyman used. It looked like a new press! Looked right purty bolted to the bench too.

[Char-Gar]

how do you strip the paint off an old press and what kind of paint do you use to repaint?

[omgb]

Lacking a sandblaster, I'd strip the paint using a commercial stripper from Home Depot. Then I'd hit it with a wire brush chucked in a hand drill to really clean it up. Rustoleum is one choice but if I were doing it, I'd go with epoxy paint. It's a lot more durable, dries faster and has a nice hard shiny finish to it. I'm partial to bright red but I'd consider orange or, gulp, green.

[corvette8n]

Sell it on ebay for big bucks, "rare antique one of a kind limited edition"

[dubber123]

Charger, I bead blasted my old press, and repainted it using HEMI orange engine paint. (reloaded ALOT faster with the new HEMI paint).

[Mk42gunner]

I've got an old Pacific press like that. Standard shellholders fit in it, but they are retained by a tiny set screw.

I like using the c frame type press to seat bullets because there is plenty of room for my fingers.

Did I mention the miniscule set screw??


Robert

[Bent Ramrod]

If I recall, it was RCBS that invented the snap-in mechanism to keep the shell holder in the ram. But that set screw was a real innovation, too, in its day. I have a first model Pacific "C" Press, Patent 1,933,940, which was the prototype for all of those that came after. On that, in order to change to a different shell holder, you have to pop the link pins out and replace the whole ram with another one with a different holder machined into the top. Having all those extra rams rolling around clanking together under the reloading bench doesn't exactly make for a compact, easily-managed setup.

Every single one of the features we mostly take for granted as we pull those levers and drop those finished cartridges in the box were the result of a lot of skull sweat on the part of some pretty astute shooting people.

[LAH]

[QUOTE=

I like using the c frame type press to seat bullets because there is plenty of room for my fingers.

Robert[/QUOTE]

Exactly Robert. This is my complaint with the O press in general. They are great when you need strength but the front facing part of the O is in the way. To each his own but I could never figure loading straight walled cases, especially handgun cases on an O press. If I was to use a single stage for such it would be a C press.

[floodgate]

LAH:

I went to the ARTCA expert on mid-20th Century loading tools, Ken Neeld, and he sent me an e-mail with the following informationto pass on:

"Micro Precision had Earl Schissel over in Cherokee Iowa make their presses. I don’t know about the powder measure and dies. I have only seen one powder measure and it had a “different” style to it. They offered two models of presses, the C press shown and a three-station H press. I have not done enough research on them to place a time for their beginning but they ended around 1970 or so. The actual date is in the Gun Digest. Bair bought them out, dropped the C press as they had plenty of their own but kept the H press, which became the Honey Bair I believe. MP dies are different. They used a master die and inserts for different calibers."

floodgate

[LAH]

Thanks Floodgate. I'll keep this with the press.........Creeker