Just found one at my local, don't know much about them, this is the first one I've had in my hands. I gave $30 for it, everything moves freely and it has a punch and .452 die. I'll clean it up and see what I can learn about it.
Just found one at my local, don't know much about them, this is the first one I've had in my hands. I gave $30 for it, everything moves freely and it has a punch and .452 die. I'll clean it up and see what I can learn about it.
Wow, the sizer die and top punch are worth more than that. They are a bit finicky to get set for your bullet but when you have it set they are fantastic to operate. You will learn the proper screw pressure to get the lube to flow properly as you use it. You can get a heater base to keep the lube soft enough to flow but you can also use a hairdryer to heat it as you go. Extra sizer dies and top punches can be had from one of our members lathesmith. As you probably know if there is old unknown lube in the cylinder you may want to boil it out and start with lube you like. Over the years I have acquired several stars if they were reasonably priced and have different lubes in them.
Congrats on the find
gmsharps
In the old tools world you’d get a “you suck!” for that deal, it’s a compliment.
My local guy doesn't seem to care at all about cast boolits items, a couple of years ago, I got over 60 Lyman moulds from him, many with handles for $5 each. I don't care to educate him!
You stole it...and you will love it. My first was almost 50 years ago.
Don Verna
You got a fantastic deal on that Star! My cheapest was free, primarily because it needed a good cleaning. They're the best machine for sizing and lubing bullets ever made, even though the others have some specialized uses, but for general sizing and lubing, the Star beats them all for speed and ease of use. I have several set up for specific bullets and lubes, and all of mine have heaters. I keep them mounted on 10" x 10" x 1.5" wooden bases that can be clamped to my bench when I need them.
Hope this helps.
Fred
After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. - William S. Burroughs.
Excellent deal - I got my first a few years ago for a lot more money than that.
Since I moved away from traditional lubing in favor of powdercoating and only need it for sizing... instead of buying expensive Star sizing-dies and top-punches, I got the NOE sizer-adapter, various NOE sizing dies and I've gotten lathesmith here on the forum to make a few different-sized top-punches.
Last edited by AndyC; 02-28-2021 at 01:58 PM.
I have two Stars but will double your money if you decide to sell!
Tony
I am jealous.
Once you get it mounted and figure out how to set it up, you will absolutely love it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001
Yeeee Hawwww
Wonderful deal ---- For YOU !!
Enjoy it
Mike
NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95
I have 2 Stars, both older San Diego, and both do not look much better than the one pictured but both work perfectly. However, after buying a few sizing dies from Lathesmith, my friend who sold the first one to me found the rest of the doo-dads that came with it. I have top punches designed to push different caliber boolits base first through the sizer which are useless in my opinion. Now have more stuff than I know what to do with for these sizers. Some of the nose punches & boxes the dies came in had never been opened and some items were still in their original wraps with staples holding them inside the little bags with original preservative lube to keep them from rusting. Some of the sizing dies are marked San Deigo as well. Star equipment is first-rate machinery for sure. Big Boomer
Last edited by Big Boomer; 04-03-2021 at 03:18 PM.
Following up on the original post, I stopped back in my LGS a couple of weeks ago and found another Star, same deal, I gave $30 for it. This one has a .358 die and punch but it was froze up, could get anything to move and I put some muscle into it. I finally knocked out one
of the link pins and was able to get the top half moving and eventually with some Kroil and patience go everything free. It had been froze up by a liberal dose of what looks like WD-40 dried under the moving parts, now it operates with finger pressure. Oh, this one was missing the handle and he lube screw handle also but I replaced those from Magma
It's junk. You were ripped off. Send it to me and I'll mount it next to my other 4. I might even give you back your 30 bucks.
"EXPERT= Ex is a has been, spurt is a drip under pressure" Unknown
One of the club old timers had passed. His estate went up for sale. There were two Star's in the estate. I paid $50.00 for one sizer with tool and two dies. The press was in nice shape. I was a newfer to Stars. I did get a handle from Magma.
The machine was filled with rock hard ancient black lube. I planned on some horrendous dance getting that stuff out. I put the machine on a heater. A screw driver was use to poke the lube. Screw driver went in. Our came a large lump of lube. What Luck! The reservoir emptied. I do not want to discuss how the pressure spring got full of fresh 50/50.
The machine and dies are from San Diego era. I am getting new dies from lathesmith. I have no idea of the age of the machine. I am using Magma lube currently. Handgun bullets only.
Last edited by Roundball; 05-12-2021 at 06:21 AM.
Just bought 1 myself,,dirt cheap.
Wanted 1 for 20 years,but couldnt justify the price.cleaned mine all up,in very nice condition,was full of alox lube,,set it outside on my black celler bulkhead,,,all the lube melted out of it,,motha nature style!
Wow, good deal and not just once but twice. .Sounds like you may have found a side business, by star's cheap, clean them and resell. Enjoy!
Fantastic deal.
I bought my Star in about 1973. Cost about $100.00 as I remember and took a year to get. Still using it.
Somebody once said Stars were made to space age tolerances before there was a space age. I agree.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |