Questions on a Texan Loadmaster

[glhc46]

Picked this press up at an auction with some other presses. Sorry I don't have any better pictures as I already disassembled to clean it up.

1. Does anyone know the production years on this? From what I have researched I believe it to be a gen 1 Texan Loadmaster.
2. Was this press originally Red? It does not appear to have been repainted but I read somewhere they were all originally red. I'd like to repaint but probably wouldn't if everything was original.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I had one that was red. Sold it to lubedude here on this site. He is in TX and collects reloading presses. Has more room than me.

I think Texan eventually went to black wrinkle paint. I had a Texan DP II shotshell reloading press that I bought in late 1960's, and it is black wrinkle paint.

[Pressman]

That is the 2nd model, and yes it is black. The decal is rare to find in tacked. Be careful with it.

[lotech]

I've had two, a red one and a black one; sold the red one but still using the black one for all handgun ammo. Based solely on what I know from the person I bought the presses from forty years ago, I think mine were from the '60s. Texan moved from Dallas to Illinois, I think. After the move, they had a display at a SHOT Show in Dallas, about 1980 or '81. I'm pretty sure they went out of business not long after that.

[Conditor22]

Welcome to Cast boolits glhc46

I have no experience with Texan.
I did get these in part of a deal and they are just taking up space

[lotech]

I'm not positive, but I think Texan was better known for shotshell loaders than their turret presses. If the shotshell loaders are of the same quality as the cartridge turret loaders, they are good machines.

[j4570]

I have a sixteen gauge Texan FW press like pictured. It uses charge bars (which interchange with MEC) but has interchangeable bushings (different than MEC). Thankfully, I came across a bunch of bushings several years back. I really like how it's set up. I might have a set of their dies around somewhere. Seemed like their stuff was pretty good, and yes I've seen way more shotgun loaders from them.

[glhc46]

Thank you for the replies and information. I am very happy that it is original so I will just clean it up and reassemble. After researching into old presses I can easily see how collecting them could be addicting.