Bair Glacier Shotshell Press

[seagiant]

Hi,
I thought I would show a neat little press that I did a little work on and got going again. This is a Bair Glacier model in 12 ga. It is the same press as the Pacific 260 and from what I understand is Bair Machine at the time made his and Pacific's stuff.

In my 1970 Handloader's Digest this machine sales for $99.50! I think at that time that $100 was close to a weeks pay for a lot of people. One thing interesting is at the same time a person for $20 more could of bought the Pacific 266,which is still considered by some to be the BEST single stage shotshell loader made! Oh yea,the Bair Glacier/Pacific 260 was the predecessor to the Pacific 266!

[Roundnoser]

Excellent work. It looks like new.

[LUBEDUDE]

Sweet

You've got that looking better than new.

Especially the tubes.

Thanks for sharing!

[r1kk1]

My Uncle when I was a kid had a slew of presses - Bair, Pacific, P/W, Texan, etc. I had the 375c as the original was stolen off a bench in the 80s. My uncle gave me that press in 70 I believe. I bought another to replace it and it's been a great relationship. Don't get me wrong, MECs are good too but a pain to change gauges in. I wish I could remember operating the 266. Too many years.

What a beautiful press you have. You've done great work and my hat is off to you. I'm restoring a three station CH press and the process has been slow but fun.

Take care,

r1kk1

[seagiant]

Hi,
Thanks Gentlmen,I tried to do a complete over haul on this but one of the pivot arms refused to budge and I had to stop myself from grabbing a BFH. Sometimes you can do irrepairable damage to this stuff. It looks alot better anyway and I actually use this press.

My first shotshell press was a MEC 650 Jr. and it makes excellent ammo but it did not do it for me! What is "it" I don't know when I use one of my old Pacifics I just feel good using an old 50's loader,seems to have soul, I guess. It's sort of like Marylin Monroe,there were prettier women in Hollywood,but she had "it" and others didn't???

[LUBEDUDE]

I feel ya.

[LUBEDUDE]

Ya know, for me the same thought rings true for guns. I guess it's "ya don't know what you have till it's gone".
But for me, some great guns that aren't made anymore, I just can't get enough of - or at least wish I could afford at least one - such as:

Merwin Hulberts

Bren Tens

Auto Mags

High Standards (originals)

Wildeys

Various HK's

Springfields

Just to name a few off the top of my head.

[seagiant]

Hi LD,
I have owned and have wanted to own a lot of what you mention there but most of the list would come under specialty arms or things and companys no longer in existance. The problem with that for me is that parts wear out and then it is hard to keep them running or expensive!

For that reason one of my favorite pistols to work on and shoot is the old 1911 in various chamberings. At least you can get parts at a reasonable price made by a number of companys! The good news for me working on older "obsolete" reloaders is that I can usually make what I need as they are all pretty simple designs made mostly by post WWII machinists!

[LUBEDUDE]

Seagiant - very good points indeed!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Greg: It's all about "tactile gratification."

I agree on the 266 being the best single stage press ever made. The work just flows thru the machine nicely. I even use the 266 to deprime and size hulls, before they go into the washing machine for cleaning. This was mainly for the 366 as it eliminates the sizing stqation whihc is akward to use. However I see doing the same thing for the Spolar as I like clean hulls to start with. They really need to be deprimed before they are washed so water doesn't collect in the primer.

It's interesting that you posted a pic of Marilyn today. I watched "My week with Marilyn" last night and I thought there was something different about the way the girl in the movie looked? I mentioned to my wife that she had blue eyes and the real Marilyn had brown eyes, your pic comfirmed it.

As far as your assertion the Marilyn had "it" She indeed did. I have been with more than one woman who "had it" and believe me it really is noticable when you are around it and especially when up close and personal.

An older friend once told me along time ago that "some got it, but most don't, and never will." I know for a fact he was right.

Same holds true for machinery. There are just some machines that deliver tactile gratification in quantities above the average. I am especially fond of Hardinge Lathes and Bridgeport Mills. They just have a better feel to them,,, kind of like Marilyn!

Randy

[seagiant]

Hi Randy,
Well....I'm all for gratification! If you want to have more fun resizing depriming, I can't help but suggest you get one of the Lachmiller resize tools off of E-bay! They usually go for about $35. I never thought much about resize/deprime as a seperate operation but since I tried it with the Lachmiller, I'll never go back to doing it on the reloader!