Bonnanza CoAx Press - familiar?

[retread]

Saw a listing for this on Fleabay. Anyone know anything about it?

8387983880

Thanks, Jay

[snuffy]

That one is pretty old, I never saw an orange one. It may have been painted, mine is red. It's a great press. It produces the straightest loads of any other press. The dies are able to "float" as is the automatic shell holder. This allows the brass to self center making everything square as it enters the sizer and bullet seating die.

Changing dies is faster than any other press made. They simply slip into the slot ready to go. That older one will need a shell holder for the priming system on the top of the press. Theirs has a larger hole in the center for the primer punch. I'm not sure, but I think the present universal primer system will fit on the older presses. You'd have to give forster a call to see. Of course that's IF you buy this one.

They are still being made, Bonanza sold out to forster, who makes the press now. Most dies will fit the slot that the lock nut slips into, but some won't, like the hex nut on Lyman dies. Forster will supply you with locking collars made for their dies as a separate item. Or the excellent Hornady locking collars work too.

Bonanza made the claim that their press had more leverage than any other press, so much you could size a 30-06 case without lubing the brass. The shell holder actually surrounds the case head, so it's possible,(I never tried it, feared having to do the stuck case dance).

Here's mine with the Hornady bullet puller in it. Someone said you couldn't use it, the handle wouldn't clear it. That's one fault, real long dies will not clear under the stock handle, they do make a handle with more clearance under it for the longer dies. (Like the big precision seater dies).

83899

[remy3424]

Looks like mine....great press...takes a little getting used to, but will crank out straight ammo...think I gave short of $200 here a few years ago...Forster still has parts for them, I think the jaws are the same as the new ones as are many of the other parts, the new one has a longer or deeper yoke in the handle to accomadate the long dies with the micro-adj stems

[BAGTIC]

Been using mine for 30+ years. I have five different metallic presses and it is my favorite.

[Cadillo]

I have it and two Rockchuckers. The Bonanza is the best press for rifle ammo. It also has the best priming system ever for precise seating of primers for accuracy loads. Once I tried the Bonanza, I retired the expensive Sinclair hand primer.

Best rifle ammo press ever in my book!

[MT Chambers]

I agree, the Co-ax is best, however someone mentioned the fact that some very tall dies/cartridges would not fit the Bonanza, but they all fit in the later Forster model.

[AZ Pete]

I have a Bonanza Co-Ax. Bought it used about 20 years ago. I do almost all of my rifle loading on it, and also use it for load development for hand guns. The only disadvantage I find with it, is that I have to use an adapter with a standard shell holder to load 45-70. But, I don't load 45-70 that often, and putting the adapter on doesn't take any longer than doing a caliber change on a Square Deal B.

If I didn't have the Bonanza, I would buy a new one from Forster.

[doctorggg]

When I was shooting High Power competition all my 223 match ammo was loaded on this press. It does produce the straightest cartridges with minimal run out. I load all my precision ammo on this press. I have had mine since 2000. No problems. I highly recommend it.

[retread]

Thanks for all the info. Unfortunately the bid price got out of my range. Went for over $200. Didn't need it that bad!

[257]

every time i see one of these on e bay they always bring almost new price for used ones

[WallyM3]

It's my main press.

[bbqncigars]

I machined the base of an RCBS shell holder so it would fit in the CoAx shell holder jaws like a regular piece of brass. This makes loading 45-70 a quick change out.

[WallyM3]

I machined the base of an RCBS shell holder so it would fit in the CoAx shell holder jaws like a regular piece of brass. This makes loading 45-70 a quick change out.

That's one of those: "Now why didn't I think of that!"

[Petrol & Powder]

Always wanted Co-ax but could never afford one!