Old reloading tools

[abunaitoo]

I was looking through some old Gun Digest and saw some of the old tools that are no longer made.
How about posting pictures of your oldest, unique, or not normally seen, tools.
I've got some. I'll post pictures after I get home.

[Roundnoser]

OK, I'll start it off. Here is a Potter Standard Duplex machine. Made in 1939 or 1940. Only 600 of these were ever produced.

[Pressman]

OK, where to start? RCBS I suppose. Here are three of the more rare RCBS presses. The aluminum frame JR 2, the prototype for the Rockchucker made on an early JR2 frame and the first RCBS press, one using a welded frame with no castings.

There are a lot of old tools in the early Gun Digest, plus try locating some early American Rifleman copies from the late 1930s through the mid 1950s. Lots of early tools in them.

Ken

[abunaitoo]

I've never seen anything like that.
Looks like one of those "all in one" machine".
Would be great to reload with one of those.
Do you still load with it?????

OK, I'll start it off. Here is a Potter Standard Duplex machine. Made in 1939 or 1940. Only 600 of these were ever produced.

[Roundnoser]

Abunaitoo,

Yes, it is an interesting "all in one" tool. The powder measure station makes the sequence complicated, but it was ahead of its time...The infancy of semi-progressive machines. I load on them once in awhile when I get all nostalgic.

You should check out the ARTCA (Antique Reloading Tool Collectors Assoc.) website. There are pics, descriptions and discussions about every antique reloading tool, article, instruction manual, etc. that you can imagine. Along with its members; an invaluable knowledge base. Check it out.

[Catshooter]

Wow. Four very cool presses.

Moar please.


Cat

[Roundnoser]

One More... A Potter Super Twin. Only 30 ever made between approx. 1955 and 1966. I had help from a fellow CB member to acquire this from a gun show vendor in Oregon. Unbelievably, it was not the press I thought I had purchased. I believed I was getting a very good condition Automatic Duplex press with a couple of die sets. Instead this rare beauty arrived. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box.

[texassako]

Those are some neat old presses. I never knew there was a collectors assoc. for these old tools. Now I have something new to lust after since they match my vintage woodworking machinery. The only old stuff I have is not so old dies since I reload several obsolete calibers that were much more common in the past.

[Kevin Rohrer]

My Hollywood Universal Model-B swayback turret, allegedly 1 of 100, made >1945.

[abunaitoo]

Anyone know when Hollywood and Pacific stopped making reloading tools?????

[abunaitoo]

Here are two of my old Pacific powder measures.
I still use the bench mounted one. It's as accurate as any of my other measures.
It's kind of works like a B&M.
The hand model I got a while ago a the gunshow. Never used it and it looks like it was never used.

[Spruce]

That Hollywood Model B is a serious piece of machinery.

The Potters are neat too. New to me. Great pics. Keep them coming.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Anyone know when Hollywood and Pacific stopped making reloading tools?????

"Hollywood" may still be in business. The guy who bought the excess inventory has been selling new presses on a hit and miss basis.

[kd185]

"Hollywood" may still be in business. The guy who bought the excess inventory has been selling new presses on a hit and miss basis.

i met old Joe from Hollywood 2 or was it 3 years ago
he was old but still making parts and presses
i have read some horror stories about trying to get new ones from him though

[W.R.Buchanan]

The thing about the older tools is they will never wear out from normal use. The cast iron tools will still do everything that any new single stage or turret press will do. And since they have already lasted for a long time it's a cinch that they will last for another long time.

None of this stuff ever goes obsolete. How much can you change or improve a single stage press? The only real improvement I have seen is drilling the ram so the primer falls out the bottom, and really that is not much of an improvement.

My RCBS Rockchucker was made in 1976 and it will out last me easily. The new ones are virtually identical. I also use it more than any other single reloading related tool I have. The single stage press is a Primary Reloading Tool, and everyone needs one.

The whole reason why newer machines are not made like the older stuff ,,, is cost. Pure and simple.

With older tools the paint may get old and flake off, and the exposed metal might rust a bit but all of this can be fixed in a matter of a few hours of work.

Just look at Kevin's Hollywood, it is beautiful and will last many lifetimes. It will also load any metalic cartridge known to man, and will do so until you can no longer find metalic cartridges to reload. He has also got several other vintage presses and tools that have been restored beautifully and will outlast him and his offspring literally for generations. This stuff just doesn't go away!

There are many here that do this as a matter of course just to see what makes the tool tick and to revive it to it's former glory.

I am here to tell you that this is not hard to do, it just requires some patience and elbow grease.

IF I buy a used tool and it comes in dirty or in need of a little cosmetic help. I immediately take it apart and clean it up and repaint it if necessary.

That way I am starting with essentially a new tool.

Here's a pic of a redone shooting rest. I bought it at a gun show, came home, stripped it and repainted it with Hammertone gray within 1 hour, I reassembled it the next day when the paint was dry. I've got $10 in it and it is essentally new and will last me forever.

You can do this too.

Randy

[abunaitoo]

Not sure where I got this.
The screw in bottle looks like a good idea. but it dosen't work to well.

[abunaitoo]

Got these reloading tools that look like they have never been used.

Potters buttom pour pot. Still has grease on the inside. No signs of it being used. Came without the cord, but I found one that fit. Plugged it in and it started to heat up. Really small, maybe #1 1/2.

Potters ingot moulds. Still has grease inside. Have three.

Redding scale. Original box. Pan is as new.

Potters press. Ram is oppsite of the newer presses. Have to pull the handle up to move the ram up. Haven't tried to reload with it. I have two of them.

Ideal iron pot with the drip pan. Original box with instructions. Still has grease in it.

I kind of don't feel like using any of them. To me their kind of looking at past history.

[Roundnoser]

The Potter casting equipment was made into the late 1970's. The Potter reloading equipment tools ended in 1966.

That C press is a Pacific, I believe. Potter didn't make a single stage C press.

The Ideal stove top protector and melting pot combo is somewhat of a collectors item. I had the stove top protector, but sold it to a member on the ARTCA website who collected vintage Ideal items. The original instruction manual for the pot and protector maybe the real prize. Our own CB member Pressman manages the document repository. If you can copy or scan that document and send it to him, it would be great to have on file.

[abunaitoo]

My mistake on the press.
I ment to type Pacific and not potters.

I don't have a scanner, but I can take a picture of the instructions.

I've been looking for someone who collects these old tools. Some who would save it, insted of use it.
I would be willing to sell it. Have no idea what it worth.

[Pressman]

Here is a reloading tool that is seldom encountered. The Bellows scale dampner. It is an oil dampner desigend to fit the eary Redding presses with the exposed brass beam to add oil dampning. This was all the hot thing to do in the very early 1950's. The non-nickle plates Reddings were around for about three years beginning around 1951. After that Redding added an oil resevouir to the base.

The Bellows clamps on the beam at the pivot point and the paddle extends to the side where you put a small jar of oil. It works and is less messy that scales with an oil in the frame system.
Ken