Color of Herters Press

[Armorer]

I have an old Herters model 3 press that used to belong to my father-in-law and was wondering if anyone knew the original color. I just got it a couple of months ago, and it was pretty rough. I found it in an old outbuilding, and with the humidity in SE Texas, it was a rust bucket to say the least. Took me 3 weeks just to get the ram to move. I have managed to clean it up pretty well and wanted to maybe get it back to it's original color . Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Trifocals]

If memory serves, I believe those Herters presses were painted with a dark brown wrinkle paint. I hope this helps.

[Ben]

I had a Model 3 Super in the late 60's that was a dark grey wrinkle.

[Ozark Howler]

Most all of Herters reloading equipment was dark brown wrinkle finish, some later models were factory painted red. I've never seen a Model 3 in any color but the brown winkle finish.

Trying to replicate this finish may be a problem since wrinks paint is not a typical available paint...... Look up Herters Super 3 on Ebay and you will find many examples of this finish.

You may find other colors, but they were usually repainted to match other equipment on the loading bench, I have one that was repainted because I just got tired of looking at the old brown finish, sorry I did that now...

[Shooter6br]

my dads was dark brown wrinkle i still have it . i use a turret press now .Built like a brick.....Well you know

[John Boy]

Gray ... http://cgi.ebay.com/Herters-Model-3-Reloading-Press-/190465657045?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

[Armorer]

Outstanding info. I have some "bronze" colored paint that seems like it would be very close to that wrinkle brown. I had also wondered about the red. Saw several presses painted that color. I like the brown though, so I reckon that will be the one. Thanks fellas!

[cheese1566]

RustOleum Hammered dark bronze isn't a bad match, but not perfect.
However, it does give a textured hammered finish and is super hard and durable when cured. Good stuff.

http://rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=29

[Char-Gar]

I have seen lots of brown Herter's pressed. I have also seen some that were grey. I have a Herters U-3 press bolted on my bench and it is a wrinkle grey. I would call it battleship grey.

[hiram]

I had an RF Wells press which looked like a Herters. It was brown krinkle. Then I had a double ram press which was marked Herters and this had a smooth green paint finish.

[Armorer]

[QUOTE=cheese1566;1053342][COLOR="Blue"]RustOleum Hammered dark bronze isn't a bad match, but not perfect.
However, it does give a textured hammered finish and is super hard and durable when cured. Good stuff.

I checked it out, and outside of the "hammered" it looks a whole lot like the bronze paint that I have. I think I'm going to go with either what I have or the Rustoleum. The durability of the Rustoleum makes me lean that way.

[Shooter6br]

Yes i have used the hammer paint Nice in silver and a green.

[Pressman]

Most Herter's presses are a dark brown wrinkle finish known as Herter's brown. That is most presses made after 1961. Prior there was a smooth brown with a reddish tint.
There are green Model 3's, very early production and not common. There are red Model 3's, very late production and not common.
The Model 3M is red, though not commonly seen.
No Herter's press was painted gray by Herter's.
Ken

[1hole]

"I had an RF Wells press which looked like a Herters. "

Don't know, but I always figgered ol' Geo. Herter got most of his presses and dies from Wells.

[Char-Gar]

I am neither a Herters expert nor press collector, but the Herters U-3 on my bench is grey. It is the original paint. Of that much I am certain.

[STP22]

I have a Super M3 here that is dark green. Can`t find my note that lists the vintages and the colors offered...I looked this up and think it was where Floodgate resides these days.

[Pressman]

1 hole you are almost correct. Wells worked for Herter's prior to 1961. I am not sure what he did there but it had something to do with reloading tool buying. At that time the Bystrom brothers were casting Herter's reloading tools. In 1961 Herter's began to greatly expand their line of reloading tool. For some reason there was a unhappy parting of the ways between Herter's and Wells and Bystrom.
Wells and Bystrom went on to offer their own line of tools under the Wells name. While Wells tools look a lot like Herter's there are considerable differences. Wells powder scales have a feature Herter's never offered that is patented under Wells name.
Wells tools sold only so-so and they soon went out of business. The line of tools was continued by the Bystroms under their name and Minnesota Shooters Supply.

Ken

[Ozark Howler]

Least we not forget Ruhr American Corp., another spinoff of the Herters line of reloading equipment, etc.

Not sure what their role was with Herter's in the mid 60's, but there are a number of presses that are identical to the Herters tools.

[pmeisel]

Whatever color any Herter's press was, rest assured that it was "the best paint available, in the only color acceptable to true outdoorsmen, unavailable from others...."

Wish George was still around writing copy. I loved those catalogs.

[Papa Jack]

Just a suggestion, you might want to try out the wrinkle finish paint on the BOTTOM of that press or some other place or maybe a piece od scrap metal to be sure you get the desired effect of the wrinkles before you paint the whole machine.. My experience with Wrinkle finish is....sometimes it works, sometimes it lays flat. Depends on the condition and humidity I suppose....."PJ":popcorn:

[GP100man]

Here`s a pic of the Herters equipment I have .

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/Herters-1.jpg

[Armorer]

I decided to go with the hammered bronze color. These pics are from SWMBO's I-phone. The color actually looks a whole lot better in the natural light. I use the Lee lube and size dies, and I think this might just become my boolit sizing press. I'm sure it is plenty stout! Thanks again for all of ya'lls input!

[Ozark Howler]

I decided to go with the hammered bronze color. These pics are from SWMBO's I-phone. The color actually looks a whole lot better in the natural light. I use the Lee lube and size dies, and I think this might just become my boolit sizing press. I'm sure it is plenty stout! Thanks again for all of ya'lls input!

Nice job, looks good.....it's great to see these old war horses put back into service.

[Armorer]

Nice job, looks good.....it's great to see these old war horses put back into service.

Thank you. I just can't stand to let things go to waste. Plus it belonged to my father in law so that makes it rather special. AND the thing is built like a brick outhouse. I gaurantee I won't wear it out in my lifetime. Wish y'all could have seen it when I first got it. The change is dramatic to say the least.

[Armorer]

I do have the primer arm for it too, just didn't need it so I didn't put it back on after painting.

[Ben]

Charger :

I read earlier that " No Herter's press was painted gray by Herter's. ".

Well, I ordered one from Herters in 1965, it was grey, of that I'm certain also.

Ben

[Char-Gar]

Ben.. I have seen lots of Herter's presses in my day and the vast majority were that reddish brown color. I have seen just one or two grey one, including the one on my bench now. I would not argue with an expert, as I only know what I have seen. I am glad I am not the only one who has seen a Herters' press with factory grey paint. They probably ran out of their signature color and somebody bought a bucket or two of what was available until they could resupply. These kinds of odd ball things don't make it to the collector's screens.

I have seen enough mismatched, improperly marked Smith and Wesson sixguns to know factories to ship odd stuff from time to time. I have a Model 28 in my safe with a high polish Model 27 cylinder and I bought it factory new. I also have a 1955 Target Model with the barrel marked Model of 1950. This also was purchased factory new. Stuff you won't find in literature or catalogs.

[Ben]

Chargar :

I have a Factory Lyman single cav. mold.
It is clearly marked 311291......catch is that it is a 311290.

Yes, things get out of a factory that many collectors know nothing about.

Ben

[BwBrown]

I've been reloading more than 30 years, harken back to the days when ol' George Herter's catalog occupied a long winter night

I have four Herter's presses which are brown, a Herter's scale (identical to the Redding) also brown, and my Herter's powder trickler is brown.
I have a Herter's Super Bullet Maker - red
I have seen green Model 3's
The Super Model 3 I bought in 1976, and still use, is red. Had trouble getting that one, must have been about the time the company was hitting the skids after the gun laws started getting tougher.

Bob