Any Hollywood Types out there???

[ChrisK]

OK, I picked up these presses with a bunch of stuff and need help ID'ing them.


A. No markings, but I assume it's a Hollywood
B. Hollywood Senior?
C. Similar to B, but no Die Hole on Top
D. Is this the Turret Press

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d197/sliminizer/imgp0948.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d197/sliminizer/imgp0949.jpg

[floodgate]

ChrisK:

PM coming with e-addy of a friend who can help ID these.

floodgate

[alamogunr]

HOLY SMOKES!! Based on recent sales on sleezebay, you are looking at close to a thousand bucks there if they are Hollywood. I've never seen one like "B". What is the function of the die hole on top of the post?

[floodgate]

alamogunr:

I THINK the rear die socket is just for die storage, but I'm NOT the expert on Hollywoods. (BUT, just ask me anything about Lyman presses from the 1930s through the '70's, and I'll inundate you with info you don't really want.)

OK, that's it for tonight....

floodgate

[Bent Ramrod]

ChrisK,

"A" is the Hollywood Senior Turret Tool; went for $87.50 back in 1962 when a set of RCBS loading dies was $13.50. "B" and "C" are (I think) maybe two slightly different versions of the standard Hollywood Senior tool that went for $67.50 back then. By the time these came out, your "D," the Hollywood Universal Turret Tool, was (If I recall; can't find the reference) several years out of production. It was made back in the 1930's for the reloader who had to have everything. You will notice the turret priming setup on the lower ram is indexable depending on whether you want to seat large or small, rounded or flat primers. The rounded ones are long obsolete, of course. You should have a couple of loading die looking things with long copper or brass tubes with springs in them; these were the auto-primer magazines that fed the large and small priming setups. Also, Hollywood made a powder measure which fit on the turret. I don't have a price for this model, but few people could afford one. Phil Sharpe has a picture of himself using one of them in his Complete Guide to Handloading, and also a picture of the simpler Universal tool which had only a sector of turret holding three dies.

Congratulations on your haul. All you need is the Hollywood "Jr" press, which was a circular base and a circular die holder held together with three rods which enclosed the ram and lever, and you'll have the Hollywood Grand Slam.

[ChrisK]

You guys are great! Floodgate, I've picked up some Lyman presses, dies etc in this batch as well that I might be pinging you on later (if you don't mind).

[floodgate]

Dave:

There was also a version of the big turret tool "D" with a swinging sector at the top holding just three dies.

ChrisK:

I'll look forward to your Lyman press inquiries, and be happy to provide any info from my collection or files.

floodgate

[madcaster]

I just sold mine for $285.00,the one with the big turret,FAR RIGHT in the pictures.
The Senior,middle 2 in the pics were selling at $700.00 new in the year 2000 in the factory brochure.
the Senior is great for resizing brass.
Jeff.

[carpetman]

Yea Im a Hollywood type. Everywhere I go folks want my autograph(well atleast on a check) and to take my picture--well ok see my picture to see if I belong there.

[Swagerman]

I believe Elmer Keith liked the Hollywood presses, he had pictures of them in his Six Guns book.

But he had a lot of pictures of other makes in there as well.

Jim

[STP]

I have the Senior...very stout. What`s "D" weigh????

[ChrisK]

These aren't light presses. I'm not too worried about them breaking


A: a bit over 40 lbs
B & C are approx 30lbs
D is a tad bit over 55 lbs

[3sixbits]

If you need more help on a map to the stars houses and information (BIO)from the fan club try this link.:-D

http://www.antiquereloadingtools.org/

Type in Hoolywood in the search feature and get lots of information. Good luck!

[Bent Ramrod]

The bulge on the turret of the Hollywood Senior Turret is for a rod which is bolted through a similar hole in the base. This gave the press an "O" aspect for heavy case forming chores. The illustrations of the single-station Seniors I have also show this forward rod hole; I think I see them in your two Seniors as well, but the dark paint and the camera angle obscures them. There should be an extra hole in the lower linkage rods of these to reposition the upper ones, so a shorter stroke can be obtained. This, with the rod in place, was for swaging bullets with the special Hollywood swaging dies. The Universal tool, big as it is, is not for either of these duties; I sometimes reload with mine, but mostly it's an objet-d'arte that I just gawp at in amazement.

There was apparently a lot of discussion in the Thirties as to whether the Lyman tong tools and the other light-duty tools like the Belding and Mull made ammunition worthy of the new generation of shooters who were making records fall right and left with their "New Springfield" and custom bolt guns and high-velocity jacketed bullets. The lack of "straight-line" sizing and seating in the tong tool, and the general flimsiness of some of the others were hardy perennials in the discussions of shooters, and this spilled over into a general impression that if you wanted the equivalent of factory match ammunition, you had to produce it in the heaviest, most rigid equipment possible. I really do think the average shooter of the day had the impression that the presses that drew shells and jackets which were illustrated in the gun magazines were also used to trickle powder and seat primers and bullets. Companies like Hollywood, Jordan, Schmitt, Easton and others worked to fill this need, with reloading equipment that looked like machine tools. But the relatively light and much cheaper Pacific "C" press wound up delivering everything the average reloader needed, and all the heavy stuff, except for Hollywood, was pretty much gone after WWII. When RCBS came out after the war with the "O" design and the compound linkage, that was pretty much the wave of the future for even the advanced handloader, at least until this desperate need to produce hundreds of rounds per hour showed itself.

Nonetheless, Hollywood Engineering is still in business; not in Hollywood, alas, but at 10642 Arminta St., Sun Valley CA 91352, Ph. (818) 842-8376; FAX. (818) 504-4168; e-mail cadqueenel1@aol.com Joe and Margaret Mueller run it, and they still have parts, dies, powder measures and other accessories. It might interest you to know that as of two years ago (the date on my catalog) the Senior press went for a cool $900, and the Senior Turret for $1000.

[ChrisK]

Hey Bentramrod,

I picked up lots of other vintage presses with this as well as parts (most of which I have no knowledge of). Any pics which show the rod that goes in the hole of the Hollywood Senior Turret? I'd hate to toss it by accident.

Great info on Hollywood Presses, I had no idea that they are still around.

[Bent Ramrod]

It looks like a plain 1/2" or so rod with thread on the ends and nuts.

[madcaster]

Bent Ramrod,
What year is that price?

[ChrisK]

Any idea why my Senior Turret Tool does not have mnfgr markings and the rest do?

[Bent Ramrod]

Madcaster, that was 1962. The first edition Handloader's Digest they were pictured in cost $2.95 back then.

ChrisK, no idea. I thought they all had "Hollywood Gun Shop" embossed on the castings somewhere.

Are those bullet jackets in the boxes in the picture? One of these days I'll have to get a Senior just to try the .25 caliber Hollywood swage die set I picked up somewhere. Too many projects; too little room.

[ChrisK]

Ya, I have a couple hundred thousand brass casings & Semi Wad Cutters that I'm selling off (long story). I have loads of additional vintage presses that I have ton's of questions on as well. Any problems posting the questions here or should I go to the antiquerelaoderstools forum? There seems to be quite a bit of knowledge here. Any rough idea of what those 4 Hollywoods are currently selling for?

[45nut]

Chris you are certainly welcome to post items for sale here,, only one caveat, 25 posts and you are well on your way there.
And posting questions is encouraged, we all get a chance to learn by reviewing whats known.
Those boxes of brass sure do shine BTW. I would appreciate a pm about that stuff :P

[ChrisK]

Thanks 45Nut.

[quasi]

The press on the far right is a Hollywood Universal model 3. It sold for $150.00 in the late '50's! I had 3 of these at one time. Inow have a senior turret, it is much more rigid and has better leverage than the Universal model.

KLW is the expert to ask here about presses.

Here is a picture of my Universals and a #5 scout rifle.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s320/buckbrush1961/DSCF0182.jpg

[klw]

Use to collect Universals and Hollywood Universals. Never was much interested in the Senior's, however, and three of these are Seniors. Bought my examples of the one at each end of your picture from John Amber if memory serves.

The one on the leftis a Hollywood Senior. A couple of firms made those starting with the Hollywood Gun Shop.

The two in the middle are the single stage versions of the Senior. Never understood the appeal of that model but...

The one on the right is a Super, I think the name was. That was the biggest and last of the three turret Hollywoods. Oddly enought it was reintroduced shortly after its 50th birthday (a couple years late) again my M&M. Don't know if they made or sold any but I know that they advertised them for a bit.

[TAWILDCATT]

any one have a modern-bond press?its small and odd threads
:coffee: :Fire: :coffee:

[quasi]

KLW you are correct, that is a Super turret, not a Universal 3. I would love to buy a Super turret.

[ChrisK]

Quasi,

I'm going to be selling off these Hollywoods including the Super. I have one of the Seniors on Ebay now. I know that shipping and Customs for Canada would be VERY expensive and a pain in the A$$. I shipped a Rock Chucker up there one time and there were lots of problems with the Canadian customs, he eventually got it.

[quasi]

It was $55.00 for me to ship a Universal3 with a st of 12 guage dies to Florida. It is around $1.10 a pound to ship from the US to my address via USPS or UPS. Not to bad really. I will keep watch on Ebay. thankyou.