Author Topic: OLD reloading equipment (Read 3228 times)

yukondog · « **on:** April 25, 2010, 09:43:25 AM »

Need help from some of the old timers, came across a treasuer trove of reloading stuff.A freind at work told me about some reloding stuff his dad had [gone now] back in the late 50's till about the 70's, one thing is a press made of steal weighs about 30# it's massive stamped on one side is MFG. Hollywood Realoding Gun Shop the other side is stamped Hollywood Reloading Tool the other press looks like a "C" press and has a large C with a H stamped inside the C, another item is a powder hopper with the instructions its labeled Lyman #55, when he oppened the foot locker there was 3 cans of powder H-4895, dupont IMR-3031 and another one that fell apart when we picked it up, all cans are metal and very rusted, about a doz. boxes of bullets at about $5.00 per 100 two lyman sights stamped $4.50 ea. a bunch of rcbs and lyman dies and tons of other small stuff, dont have time to look at all of it yet, I'v got toys to play with when I get off work [night shift sucks] anybody have ant idea of age?

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 25, 2010, 10:20:19 AM »

yd

You got some goodies there , the press's are worth cleaning up and using for sure , as for the powder - PITCH IT - makes great lawn fert.

The dies will need a good cleaning , if you have a case tumbler , just toss them in it for a few hours , once their polished up , give them a light coat of oil and your ready to go .

stimpy

roper · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2010, 12:45:40 PM »

When I started reloading mid 60's the press to have was the Hollywood and C-H still making dies and press http://www.ch4d.com/. If you need shellholders for the Hollywood you can get them here http://www.vegatool.com/.

Not sure what happened to Hollywood someone purchased the right to that name was going to restart the company early 2000 ran into alot of problems. They use to go by Hollywood Gun Shop/Hollywood Engineering/Hollywood Reloading Tool.

bilmac · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2010, 12:50:06 PM »

The presses were C&H tool company. I haven't seen anything made by them for a long time so I guess they are KAPUT. Their stuff was considered moderately high end quality. The first press you described, was it two massive posts with a bridge that travels up and down on them?

Drilling Man · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2010, 12:57:44 PM »

If the powder looks and smells normal, i'd use it. I'm still using powder i bought in the 70's without any problems at all...

DM

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2010, 01:34:27 PM »

Quote from: yukondog on April 25, 2010, 09:43:25 AM

Need help from some of the old timers, came across a treasuer trove of reloading stuff.A freind at work told me about some reloding stuff his dad had [gone now] back in the late 50's till about the 70's, one thing is a press made of steal weighs about 30# it's massive stamped on one side is MFG. Hollywood Realoding Gun Shop the other side is stamped Hollywood Reloading Tool the other press looks like a "C" press and has a large C with a H stamped inside the C, another item is a powder hopper with the instructions its labeled Lyman #55, when he oppened the foot locker there was 3 cans of powder H-4895, dupont IMR-3031 and another one that fell apart when we picked it up, all cans are metal and very rusted, about a doz. boxes of bullets at about $5.00 per 100 two lyman sights stamped $4.50 ea. a bunch of rcbs and lyman dies and tons of other small stuff, dont have time to look at all of it yet, I'v got toys to play with when I get off work [night shift sucks] anybody have ant idea of age?

The hi-lighted part is why I said he should toss the powder , not worth taking a chance .

stimpy

DEACONLLB · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2010, 01:39:59 PM »

C and H are still in buisness and you can still get parts for some of their presses but they are under another name now.I ordered from them a couple months ago but off hand dont remember the firm name

Deaconllb

yukondog · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2010, 04:18:31 PM »

Thanks foe the replys the powder I trashed lust wanted the cans, the big press I googeld it seems the sell for about 100.00-125.00 with rust.I'm going to clead them up and put back into service. Have to go to work now will be playing with my old toys in the morning, I get to seperate every thing.

cybin · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2010, 07:10:32 PM »

The presses sound great--and like one poster said--just tumble the dies (if they are rusted or dirty) and oil and enjoy. The Lyman #55 powder measurer --it seems that I have run into them off and on for the last 35 years or so--everyone I have encountered is a POS--but there may be an exception out there---try it and see how accurate it will throw a load. I have never seen one that did a good job-but for Lyman to still make it--there must either be some good ones out there--or there is some trick to using one that I have not come up with.

cybin

Sweetwater · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2010, 07:36:20 PM »

My Lyman #55 is about as good as my RCBS Uniflows - some difference with different powders, but certainly workable. I did have to read the directions to catch on how to set it, but not a big deal.

bilmac · « **Reply #10 on:** April 26, 2010, 01:20:28 AM »

The advantage of the Lyman is that you can do large rifle loads and then switch to tiny pistol charges without a lot of fiddling. To do that with my Redfield and be accurate requires me to change the metering chamber.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #11 on:** April 26, 2010, 01:51:24 AM »

those old holywood presses are starting to become collectors items and are demanding a pretty good price on the aution sights.

yukondog · « **Reply #12 on:** April 26, 2010, 04:01:15 AM »

The press has one massive cylinder in the center and two toggel type links one on each side.Got to the bottom of the chest and found a weaver k-2.5 scope,I take it that the 2.5 is mag. I found 2 sm. boxes says compleat set of dies [ lyman]45 colt each box has 6 dies the dia. is a littel over 1/2" and find thread do these use a different press or adapter to take it to 7/8x14? And there is a box that has a 270 shell resizer that has no threads is a steal cyllinder with a punch, do you drive the shell in with a hammer then knock it out with the punch? Thanks for all the help.

PawPaw · « **Reply #13 on:** April 26, 2010, 04:22:33 AM »

I've got a Lyman 55 powder measure that I use for weighing up close to a charge and trickle the rest when I'm doing precision reloading (as opposed to when I'm throwing charges for light loads). It seems to be fairly accurate, as when I set it to throw a grain light, it consistently throws all the charges a grain light. I use this measure for extruded rifle powders.

I*t can be kind of "fiddly" with those three charge bars, but once you learn to use it it works great.

yukondog · « **Reply #14 on:** April 26, 2010, 07:57:11 AM »

Most of it I'll just keep because its old, I reload with lee and pretty much set up and know how to use all the parts and pices, the smarler dies I think I found what they are if I'm right there for a hand held reloader?

Barstooler · « **Reply #15 on:** April 26, 2010, 08:25:12 AM »

CH Tool & Die Company is still around:

http://www.ch4d.com/

I still use an old CH 3D H-press and will never get rid of it!

Barstooler

Sweetwater · « **Reply #16 on:** April 26, 2010, 01:38:41 PM »

Those "little dies" you refer to for the 45Colt sound like Lyman 310 dies which was a kinda light weight press back in the day of the rest of it! Probably in the 50's or earllier. There is an adapter to use in the standard presses. Or are they dies for a Lyman Tong Tool also called a nutcracker?

yukondog · « **Reply #17 on:** April 27, 2010, 02:46:25 AM »

They have 310 stamped on the box

Sweetwater · « **Reply #18 on:** April 27, 2010, 07:16:31 AM »

There ya go! 310's they would be... is there a thread adapter in the box for a standard press? See them now and then at a gunshow or on the auctions.

yukondog · « **Reply #19 on:** April 28, 2010, 07:46:30 AM »

Sweetwater there is no adapter in eather box looks like one for 45 lc and one for 9mm. The hollywood press I'm going to clean up and get running again its works but is gumed up and is very stiff, the 310 dies if I'm seeing this right on mid-way run about 60.00 new, theres 4 old rcbs dies 270,300 sav.,308 winand 358 I'll more than likely sell- trade all the dies. I think I saw on this sight a collectors fourm I'll go there and list them, if any collectors out there interested PM me and maybe we can work out a trade/sell. Thank again for all the help.
yukondog.

krod47nw · « **Reply #20 on:** April 29, 2010, 04:07:01 PM »

Does it look like this? My first press was one of these hollywoods. I bought it from an old guy with a similar box of goodies. I regret getting rid of it. It was so heavy duty that you barely even feel any resistance when sizing cases.

I sold it a few years back on ebay. I think it weighed 35-40 pounds if I remember correctly.

Kevin

bilmac · « **Reply #21 on:** April 29, 2010, 07:29:01 PM »

Wow your memory is impressive Sweetwater, I remember that the 1/2" dies were for a unique Lyman press A turret I believe, but to remember the model number?

yukondog · « **Reply #22 on:** April 30, 2010, 04:54:16 AM »

krod that's the one, you dont by any chance have any of the old shell holders any more do you? Do you mind if I ask how much you sold it for? I oild the cylinder and it's working smooth now, I know if I clean it up and repaint it it will take away from any collector value it has but to get it back in service again I think that would be pretty neat, now I need to find a #2 shell holder for it.

krod47nw · « **Reply #23 on:** May 03, 2010, 06:08:01 AM »

You need this item for the shelholders. Here is one on ebay. It lets you use std shell holders.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hollywood-CH-Universal-Shell-holder-NEW-/280501593727?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item414f32a67f

If I remember correctly, I think I sold it for $150.00. I don't know if it actually has collector value. I think they just have a following because they are such a heavy duty press. It makes a rock chucker look like a toy.

Kevin