Vintage Reloading Press - Herters?

[marty.toms.3]

I've been thinking about upgrading from my cheap Lee aluminum press for a few years now but I've loaded thousands of vintage military rounds with it with no problems- until today. I cracked the frame neck sizing 7.5x55.

Before ordering a new press I called an elderly enthusiast friend to see if he had an old press he wasn't using. Turns out he had this old girl that he had rescued from Bubba's pickup truck bed a few years back. He took it apart and cleaned, refurbished, and repainted it.

Had to force him to take $40 and then I spent $28 on an RCBS shell holder adapter.

We think it is a Herters but not positive. He had a 1972 Herters catalog with a very similar looking press called a model 3. This one is a model 6.

Ram and linkages appear tight and it runs smoothly.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170606/44f4b46dfd578bc8b0d77000383b6bf8.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170606/d65de025b76db15ebfe6f51db2e4bc88.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170606/206829983a13254197013e0e20cada63.jpg


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[jakharath]

I believe that to be the same press as a Herters Super Model 3

[Pressman]

It's a Herter's.
An early Model 3 made about 1958/59.
Luger, Krupp and Ruhr American are Herter's spin off companies. They existed in consecutive order until about 1970. The tools are all Herter's except the scales which use a taller riser.

All the tools were painted an attractive dark green, your John Deere green is, well it just is.

Ken

[Juan Jose]

Very cool looking press there!

[Kevin Rohrer]

The Lee makes a decent doorstop; the Herter's will serve you well.

[w5pv]

I had a metal table with Herters equipment bolted to it my Herters equipment was finished in brown crinkle paint.Rita took the loading/radio room from me but some thief took the table and equipment.I hope who ever took it gets some good use out of it.lol

[marty.toms.3]

I had a metal table with Herters equipment bolted to it my Herters equipment was finished in brown crinkle paint.Rita took the loading/radio room from me but some thief took the table and equipment.I hope who ever took it gets some good use out of it.lol

I lost a few old oak trees to Rita. I'm over 200 miles inland - can't imagine what it was like where she came ashore.


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[marty.toms.3]

It's a Herter's.
An early Model 3 made about 1958/59.
Luger, Krupp and Ruhr American are Herter's spin off companies. They existed in consecutive order until about 1970. The tools are all Herter's except the scales which use a taller riser.

All the tools were painted an attractive dark green, your John Deere green is, well it just is.

Ken

Maybe it is a 1957 model - my lucky year! Thanks for the info - so it was a model 6 before it was a model 3?


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[lotech]

My first press in the mid-'60s was an R.F. Wells that looked identical to yours. I've always thought their stuff and Herter's was the same but never knew for sure. Maybe not coincidentally, R.F. Wells also had a Minnesota address.

[Wayne Smith]

I believe Wells did the castings for Herter's.

[Pressman]

Richard Wells was a designer for Herter's. Bystrom Brothers Foundry did the castings. Untill a big split in 1959 when both left and began RF wells tools.
Ken

[Wayne Smith]

Thanks for correcting me, Ken. Research shows that all memory is creative!