Anyone know who built this press?

[LeSellers]

I recently found an old single-stage press (50s, maybe earlier), and would like to rebuild it. I have no idea who made the thing, nor whether that company is still in business.

It's cast iron, blue with a green tinge (light turquoise), but may have been repainted. There's a big "P" behind the piston (which I assume is the first letter of the manufacturer's name), "Super" in raised lettering on the left side (as one faces it) and "Deluxe" on the other side. Standard dies fit.

I have photos, but could not upload and attach them for some reason.

[avogunner]

Sounds like a Pacific but pictures would be helpful.


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[armstrong]

By your description, I'm 99.9% sure its a Pacific...had one years ago

[Devon]

There is a Pacific Super Deluxe on Ebay. For picture reference.

[Pressman]

Thankyou everyone, it is indeed a Pacific Super Deluxe. Is a great press, well made and plenty capable of all reloading tasks.

[DonMountain]

Thankyou everyone, it is indeed a Pacific Super Deluxe. Is a great press, well made and plenty capable of all reloading tasks.

I beg to differ. I can't get my 50 BMG dies into either of my two Pacific Super Deluxe presses. But I think these two presses will last several lifetimes with normal lubrication and care, which isn't much of a job to do. And a new RCBS primer feed arm and dispenser fits right on them. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012931959?pid=442109 and https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1013034970?pid=644084

[Pressman]

Don, you are not supposed to get 50BMG dies in a Super Deluxe, they only take standard, or 7/8-14 dies. They have no removable bushing for 50 BMG dies.

[LeSellers]

Wow! Thanks!

I checked out the photos from eBay, and this is the one: a Pacific Super Deluxe.

I really appreciate your help.

The eBay ad says something about a vendor he calls "CH". Pardon my sounding exactly like the newbie I am, but what could that mean?

[DonMountain]

Don, you are not supposed to get 50BMG dies in a Super Deluxe, they only take standard, or 7/8-14 dies. They have no removable bushing for 50 BMG dies.

I know that. But I thought I caught you on that one. But I always appreciate all of your extended knowledge on all of our questions on antique reloading gear of which some of us collect. And to answering my questions in particular. I do use an RCBS Ammomaster to mount those 50 BMG dies which take the 1-1/4" die thread.

[Mk42gunner]

Wow! Thanks!

I checked out the photos from eBay, and this is the one: a Pacific Super Deluxe.

I really appreciate your help.

The eBay ad says something about a vendor he calls "CH". Pardon my sounding exactly like the newbie I am, but what could that mean?

CH4D makes a ram that takes the now standard "universal" shell holder that will fit in your press. The original Pacific presses had the shellholders machined into the ram; I do not know when they stopped doing that, but my Pacific Super C takes interchangeable shellholders.

Frankly, for loading rounds that don't take a lot of resizing effort, I like using the C frame single stage better than using my RCBS Rockchucker, just for the ease of access.

Robert

[LeSellers]

Thanks again.

This one has a ram that accepts universal shell holders, so on that account, I'm already good.

Le

[fguffey]

CH4D makes a ram that takes the now standard "universal" shell holder that will fit in your press. The original Pacific presses had the shellholders machined into the ram;

RCBS and Pacific had rams that were interchangeable, I have both rams; problem, the deck heights were all over the place. That was the beginning of the old 'saying' you must match brands, the shell holder manufacturer must match the die manufacturer. And that was impossible to accomplish unless the manufacturer custom built each press, ram and die.

C&H was before C&H4D, C&H was in El Monte, California. In the early years C&H sold dies in counter display boxes. C&H printed instructions on bottom of the counter display box. The instructions read something like use these dies with a shell holder that has a height of .125".

The C&H counter display boxes were made of paper fiber; the boxes did not last long.

Later I added 'deck to height' Point: C&H did not instruct the reloading public to use their shell holders with their dies.

F. Guffey

[gumbo333]

Simple open C presses are great for depriming dies, case mouth flairing (M) dies, Lee FCD, etc. I have a Lee C press mounted next to my Lyman Crusher. They are great companions, but you need 2 shell holders. Lee can fix that.

[fguffey]

Simple open C presses are great for depriming dies,

I have at least 12 C presses, most of my C presses can be strengthened, in the old days the manufacturer sold a strap that attached to the open C to the frame.

And then for the reloader that wanted to know if their press flexed it was possible to measure 'how much'.

F. Guffey

[gwpercle]

I got an old one in 1973 , it came with some Bear (Bair) accessories and I assumed it was a Bear...same blue color as the case trimmer marked Bair and powder measure marked Bear and primer tube filler . Saw Super Deluxe cast in the sides but never noticed the large block letter "P" cast into the frame behind the ram....that identified it as a Pacific ...but I would bet money the Bair or Bear company cast the frame for Pacific.
Good press I'm still using it and CH4D has replacement parts for it .
Gary

[DonMountain]

I got an old one in 1973 , it came with some Bear (Bair) accessories and I assumed it was a Bear...same blue color as the case trimmer marked Bair and powder measure marked Bear and primer tube filler . Saw Super Deluxe cast in the sides but never noticed the large block letter "P" cast into the frame behind the ram....that identified it as a Pacific ...but I would bet money the Bair or Bear company cast the frame for Pacific.
Good press I'm still using it and CH4D has replacement parts for it .
Gary

Pressman will be along shortly to fill us all in on the association of Bair and Pacific and Hornady as I have a couple of Bair presses that are identical to my Pacific presses. And they are all the same color.

[BigEyeBob]

I got an old one in 1973 , it came with some Bear (Bair) accessories and I assumed it was a Bear...same blue color as the case trimmer marked Bair and powder measure marked Bear and primer tube filler . Saw Super Deluxe cast in the sides but never noticed the large block letter "P" cast into the frame behind the ram....that identified it as a Pacific ...but I would bet money the Bair or Bear company cast the frame for Pacific.
Good press I'm still using it and CH4D has replacement parts for it .
Gary

I have a Bair C frame ,and the shell holder is held into the ram
with a grub screw.