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I've yet to take the plunge & buy a press & the associated necessary goodies to begin reloading. I see this press on E-Bay, an old C-H reloading press. Any input? Any surprises if I were to get it? I'd like to get going, as I have most of the dies needed, just not the rest.
Total NoooB's need to know. [smilie=p:
C-H made very good equipment. However they made several different designs of presses and I can't give an opinion without knowing WHICH C-H press.
If it is a C-H Super C press, I started with one and would not recommend it. Dunno about newer models of their presses.
A good rule of thumb for buying reloading equipment. If it is green, or orange, it is probably OK. If it is not, it is not.
Here's the link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7185783489
It don't have a model name/#, but it's cast iron, not aluminum. 11 1/2 lbs!! What a guy really needs is for a mentor to come along in his area, and show him the ropes on his equipment. Maybe pass it along as he grows. Any reloaders without kids in my area with lodes of equipment, time & patience?? Maybe want to add me to their wills for the equipment?? ;-)
I have a press like the one on e-bay. It was my first press not counting a Lyman Ammo Maker in .45 ACP. (310 tool). I never use it since I got a Rockchucker. Probably not as heavy duty as the Rockchucker but, other than that, its OK.
I have a Pacific Super C very similar to that one. The slight angle that the ram sits on makes it less than optimal. You have to guide the cases into the dies or they will often tilt toward the rear and catch on the edges. I inherited mine from Dad and still use it as my single stage press, but if I was buying, I'd buy one with a vertical ram.
NV Curmudgeon:
"If it is a C-H Super C press, I started with one and would not recommend it. Dunno about newer models of their presses."
Yeah, years ago a friend had one of those Super C's, and with a C-H sizing die we found it wouldn't FL size a lubed .45-70 case, however hard you pushed on the handle; with my Herter's die it would JUST do the job; but in my old Wells monster C press, it was two fingers on the handle with either die. Another friend had one of the early single-station C-H "H" presses, though and liked it a lot - even got away with some minor case forming on it.
floodgate
OOPPPPS! Just re-read your post, and realized it was the later cast iron model. The one my friend and I had trouble with was an aluminum frame, and pretty small, about like the little Lee. Anyhoo, it's gone from eBay now, so the point is moot (always wanted a chance to say that!)Quote:
Originally Posted by fiberoptik
floodgate
I checked the aution and see it went for a hair less than $15.00. I used a similiar Pacific Super C press for many years with complete satisfaction. That old C-H would make a fine press to get into reloading. You can produce ammo of the highest quality on that press.
About 2 years ago, I bought an older cast iron Herters on Ebay. It came with several primering arms and a number of shell holders. I sold the primer arms and shell holders and bought an adapter to use RCBS snap in shell holders. By the time the whole deal was over, the press ready to go on my bench cost me $1.00 including postage.
If the truth be known, it will produce ammo fully equal to my $200.00 RCBS A2 on the bench beside it. The A2 is more fun to use, but the ammo doesn't know the difference.
Older used presses are great bargins in this world of reloading. If you need some help seperating the sheep from the goats email me at cgraff@stx.rr.com and I will help you through the maze. I have been at this for over 40 years and know the old stuff pretty well.
The older Lyman stuff is Grey and still turns out some good ammo. I have an old Spartan C that I still use. I don't know how many rounds it has loaded - thousands and thousands of 44 mag and 45 ACP and probably twice that many 38's and 357's. That press is over 30 and still going strong!Quote:
Originally Posted by waksupi
Drew
What was the name of the Herter double ram press? I remember reading an article on that press in Handloader.
Seemed pretty interesting with two dies side by side.
Regards
Just remember CH is still in business and supportig their products. Most of them anyways. www.ch4d.com
I gotta say I bought the new Lee cast iron "Classic" press and is it ever a nice piece of equipment.
The $65 price tag is no indication of it's quality, cause this is easily a $200 comparable hunk of steel. Smooth and powerful, with little effort... I think they got it right with this one.
Headstamp:Quote:
Originally Posted by Headstamp
That was the Herter's "Model 81 Super", shown, along with other Herter's presses, on pp. 14-15 of the First Edition (1962) "Handloader's Digest". A neighbor of mine back then had one, and I went for the six-station turret "Model 234 Super", with single ram. Bothe wer massive and "Hell-for-stout", but mine didn't register well and I later replaced it with the single-station version, as made by R. F. Wells (who may have been associated with hHerters; the presses looked identical.
floodgate
Quote:
Originally Posted by waksupi
You owe it to yourself to try a Forster Co-Ax it's red, as the Hornady line. I prefer the Forster, but both are great presses and top quality equipment. ;-)
And Dillon is Blue
Thanks Floodgate 8)Quote:
Originally Posted by floodgate
I probably loaded a few thousand rounds on a CH C befor I could afford something up scale like a Lyman turret. A friend of mine still loads on one of the old (seems like 25 lb) Herters, and has no complaints, but I always figure that if he took up fishing he could use it as an anchor. Still have the old CH-C, and still use it, but use it now exclusively for ramming cast bullets up through Lee sizers.
1Shirt