Hollywood press question

[hotwheelz]

Hi guys Im so excited I scored this press and powder measure at the gun show today for cheap.. Is there away to get and adapter of some kind to run regular shell holders also does anyone know what model this press is ? There is an extra threaded hole on the top of the ram do you guys know what it is used for? I want to load with it right now


By hotwheelzzz at 2011-06-25

By hotwheelzzz at 2011-06-25

[seagiant]

Hi,
I've got one just like it. Some people call them Seniors and some call them Juniors. You have what I call a Junior. The Senior is actually a wee bit taller and loved by the .50 BMG crowd! You will never have a single stage press as good as that one. When you get it on a heavy reload bench secured and start resizing brass it is a joy to use and has that solid smooth bank vault door feeling! I found mine at a gun show also for $10!!! How much was yours???

[Pressman]

That is a Senior, the Junior is a completely different press. It uses "H" type shellholders, they are available on eBay, plus C-H and others sell adapters for snap-in shellholders.
The extra hole in the top has no real purpose. It is there as a part of the manufacturing process : chucking it into a lathe. As you can see it is turned from one solid steel casting.

They are good presses routinly selling for $125-$175 on eBay. After 1961 there were upgrades which included lengthing the main shaft for a longer throat. Made from 1950/51 till 1961 in your style. There was also an aluminum version made at the same time.

Ken

[hotwheelz]

Hi,
I've got one just like it. Some people call them Seniors and some call them Juniors. You have what I call a Junior. The Senior is actually a wee bit taller and loved by the .50 BMG crowd! You will never have a single stage press as good as that one. When you get it on a heavy reload bench secured and start resizing brass it is a joy to use and has that solid smooth bank vault door feeling! I found mine at a gun show also for $10!!! How much was yours???

Id gladly send you $10 plus shipping for yours... But I paid $150 for the press and powder measurer not as good a deal as yours but Im so happy to have it...

Pressman thanks for the info I just ordered the universal h type shell holder from C&H ...

[Char-Gar]

I have a Hollywood powder measure like yours, two in fact. It has been in regular use by me since 1959 and is still as accurate as it was the first day I got it.

After a while it will start to a little sticky due to powder coatings residue building up on the outside of the rotating drum. Back out the set screw and remove the drum. You will see the black streaks on the drum. Scrub them off with a little 0000 steel wool, put a little graphite on the outside of the drums and reassemble. It will be good to go. Never use any oil on the measure.

Mark down the micrometer reading for you favorite charges. You will be able to go back to that setting. I always check the resetting with a scale, but in the thousands and thousands of checks, the charge has always been spot on. I still do it, just because I get nervous if I don't. This measure will throw accurate charges from as small as 2 grains of Bullseye to 90 grains of 4350.

I have had other measure, but never one that I felt was as good, reliable and easy to use as the Hollywood. If you want a different size drop tube, the green plastic ones from RCBS will screw right in and work like a champ.

Hollywood presses are very finely made. I have never wanted one as the leverage is pretty low compared to the compound leverage of my cast steel RCBS A2. Still they offer more than enough leverage for any reloading purpose.

I have seen folks use that extra hole in the Hollywood to hold another die so it doesn't get lost on the bench.

[seagiant]

Hi,
OK no matter what height the throat is it is still a Senior! Interesting that you would have 2 different size presses with the same name!
To the OP,that's a very good deal there is one like ours on E-bay right now that is $250 with not much else so you got a great deal!!! I also have a 50's Hollywood powder measure that I refurbished and made a new tube and cap for that works very well and I'm looking for another!

[Pressman]

Hotwheelz
Can you send me, or post, a better picture of the cap on the powder measure? I am wondering if it is original. Yours is a first model measure from 1952.
Kan

[Char-Gar]

I noticed that cap. Both of mine has simple two diameter aluminum caps that fit down inside of the measure powder hopper. They are knurled on the outside edge.

[seagiant]

Hi,
I'm not on my PC but later will try to put up a pic of my powder measure it has no side clamps and has a see-thru drum which is suppose to mean it is an early one. I had to put in a new tube piece and turned a new cap from aluminum.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Pressman is correct.

Here is a Junior:




Hotwheelz: If you don't want to tough the bare metal arm, CH sells a red, rubber handle for it for $3.

Here's a pic of the Handle on my Senior:

[Kevin Rohrer]

Ken,

Here is Hollywood powder measure I picked up in a trade. What can you tell me about it?

[hotwheelz]

Pressman is correct.

the powder measurer on the lyman stand what can you tell me about it?? Inever seen 1 like that ?

[Pressman]

Kevin, yours is considered the first model. The patent drawings do not show the bench clamp feature and there are some out there. I have one but it has no paint and I am not sure who made it. It is possible that M&M Engineering made it. Second models are nearly all made of aluminum as opposed to the first models cast iron, other wise the body is the same. Second models do not have the see through drum.

It appears that the measure posted by Hotwheelz has a Saeco cap. The hoppers are interchagable between the Saeco and Hollywood.

Ken

[Kevin Rohrer]

Hotwheelz:

The measure in front is a Quick Measure. It uses removable drop tubes to measure out powder. I can charge 100-cases about 4-minutes. And will *accurately* drop **any** powder to within .10gr. I think of it as being a B&M w/ semi-fixed drop tubes.

The one in back is a Belding and Mull clone called the Schutzen and was made by Vega Tools. They have pretty much gone belly-up and no longer make it. B&M and aftermarket drop tubes work fine w/ it.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Thought I would show the Senior (small type) that I picked up and refurbished. This loader had a cracked arm piece that I rebuilt so I had all the strength it had to offer. There is also picks of the Hollywood powder measure that I got from Roundnoser a member here. It was missing the tube and cap and the body was very rusty. I had to blast it with AO and very carefully polish the drum and inside of body so it would work correctly. I did this by oiling and "lapping" them back together and then when good,degreasing everything and running it dry. It now runs smooth as silk!

[Pressman]

Seagiant, the owner of that website did not want it published all over. Es[ecially without his permission. It is still a private project.

Ken

[seagiant]

Hi Pressman,
Well... If you want to keep something a secret,the Internet is probably the wrong place to put it! Ask Mr. Wiener!!! I will edit! Thanks!

[Ozarklongshot]

I've been using mine for 35 years!!! I never understood all the new fangled single stage stuff. All this time I thought I was the only one! I lost an amazing hollywood turret press that I would dearly like to find another of.

[MightyThor]

Hollywoods are good. More Hollywoods are better!

[jcw1970]

I've been using mine for 35 years!!! I never understood all the new fangled single stage stuff. All this time I thought I was the only one! I lost an amazing hollywood turret press that I would dearly like to find another of.

Is that a Texan underneath that cover?