Lyman Spartan Press ???

[Russ in WY]

Picked up an ole used Spartan press the other day just for some lite duty work on the load bench. As I was cleaning noticed on the bottom of the bar where the handle is screwed in another threaded hole that will take the handle. Whats the use of that hole??? I put the handle in it, but doesn't look like it would work as an opposite stroke use. Could it be to mount the press upside down for inverted use. Just wondering.. TIA Russ.

[Jimbo2]

Russ - my O-mag lyman press does something similar - the handle hole is threaded all the way through, and you can screw it in bottom or top. I vaguely remember the owners manual mentioning the handle can be used in either hole to operate the press, supposedly the odd handle location makes seating primers more sensitive? I'm not certain, but it seems pretty iffy.

[HeavyMetal]

If I remember right you need to reverse the linkage in the press and then screw the handle in it convert from up stroke to down stoke for applying pressure.

Been a long time since I played with a Spartan.

[1hole]

Heavy is correct. It allows you to reverse the toggle block, move the lever and work on the up stroke. Not many folks liked doing that so the idea was dropped. But , it did build strong biceps for those who did it that way!

[Russ in WY]

Thanks Guys, that sure makes sense, think I'll stick with the Down stroke action. It also has a setscrew that holds the shell holder in. Still in good shape, a tight on all the pivots. Russ.

[beagle]

Yeah, that's what it's for and you got a keeper there. The old Spartans were strong.

Grab a adapter so you can use RCBS shellholders instead of the J series and you'll be happy./beagle

[bohokii]

here is the scan of the man

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/bohoki/spart1.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/bohoki/spart2.jpg

[higgins]

My Spartan uses standard shell holders. I got it new about 1967 and still use it regularly for lighter work like neck sizing and bullet seating.

[chuck...]

Yeah, that's what it's for and you got a keeper there. The old Spartans were strong.

Grab a adapter so you can use RCBS shellholders instead of the J series and you'll be happy./beagle

I just happened to come across this today on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/12-VERY-OLD-SHELL-HOLDERS_W0QQitemZ170458691867QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH _DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27b021391b

While looking for info on a very old cast iron reloading 'arbor style' press.

cheers,
chuck...

[chuck...]

Thanks Guys, that sure makes sense, think I'll stick with the Down stroke action. It also has a setscrew that holds the shell holder in. Still in good shape, a tight on all the pivots. Russ.

I just came across this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/12-VERY-OLD-SHELL-HOLDERS_W0QQitemZ170458691867QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH _DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27b021391b

cheers,
chuck...

[BruceB]

Not wanting to break anyone's chops, but to the best of my knowledge the Spartan press did NOT use the J-style shellholders.

I started my own handloading "career" on a Spartan in 1967, and it used what was then called the "Pacific" style shellholder, later named the RCBS style, and now recognized as the universal-style.

My Lyman All-American turret press, along with the True-line Jr. turret press, did use the J-type, and there is an adapter available to convert these presses to the universal-type shellholder.

I don't believe the Spartan ever used the J-style, as it was introduced just a short time before I got mine. It's a good press and should give fine service for years to come.

[Pressman]

The Spartan never used J shellholders. It is a typical copy of the Pacific design. The rams are interchangable with the old, original Pacific! It uses the then new RCBS snap in shellholders. For some odd reason, RCBS did it also with the JR2, the toggle block can be turned over to convert the press to upstroke operation. Something that had long since fallen out of favor.

The shellholders in the ebay link are J's made specifically for the priming station on the Ezy Loader press. Hence the spring loaded gate.

Ken

[bohokii]

My Spartan uses standard shell holders. I got it new about 1967 and still use it regularly for lighter work like neck sizing and bullet seating.

i'll second that my 1962 model uses standard shellholders and shows them in the manual although they do use a setscrew instead of a springclip

[Russ in WY]

Mine uses the Standard ro RCBS type shell holder. Its just the retention sys that is a bit different, using the Allen screw as opposed to the Spring Clip. Had the Lyman X2 for 45 acp, just the one that I 1st used it for. Now am just doing lite duty work, depriming & pulling bullets. I have 2-Reds ,1-Green & 2 Blue's for the other reloading projects. This Site is the Greatest....My 2¢. Russ.

[JMtoolman]

I got my Spar T press in a trade a couple of years ago. I have about $2.00 in trade in it. Best tradeing I have ever done. Mine needed rebuilding, a couple of new pins, and cleaning. Love it for pistol shells and lite duty resizing. I leave .357 and 44 mag. dies in it, and just change the shell holder, and I'm ready to go! It has a permenent home on my bench. The toolman.

[1hole]

The Spartan and Spar-T both shared the basic body and each had the set-screw shellholder retainer.

I converted my Spar-T to use a conventional retaing spring some years ago. Forget the thickness of the spring but I lathe cut a shallow groove around the ram for it, centering the groove over the screw hole. Seemed like putting the bent end of the retaining C spring through the screw hold was a good idea but it wasn't so I drilled a tighter fitting hole on the opposite side of the ram. That works fine and my shell holders now snap in an out as easily as any modern press.

(Also converted the old simple lever/toggle link to a modern compound swingling toggle system, greatly reducing the power needed to do resizing but that's a different story.)