What is this? Very strange press ID help?

[High Binder]

My buddy has a strange looking press that works backwards from our traditional presses but it will thread normal dies and uses strange shell holders that are held in place by a set-screw. Anyway it has no identifying makings on it and when you pull the handle down the press also goes down so in order to seat a bullet you'd have to raise the handle which is weird as shit. Any ideas?

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[Brutas]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

Looks homemade.

 

[High Binder]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Brutas</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Looks homemade. </div></div>

It could be but it's made well if it's homemade.

Any ideas on what it's used for?

 

[RTH1800]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

loading ammo, I would guess.

 

[Utah Shooter]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

I would say not only is it home made but looks as though it is set up so you can have 2 dies in it. Maybe a seating die set up on one then rotate and crimp.

Must have been made a while ago. The old RCBS presses used to use a set screw to hold in the shell holders.

Looks as though the shell holder is marked as well. Pretty cool little press I would say.

 

[Clark]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

My brother saw a press at a gun show for $25 and bought it for $20.

It looked home made, but I think he finally figured out that it was a homemade clone of a production press.

He uses it for weight in his truck when it snows.

 

[BuzzBoss915]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

Looks like a machinist's hobby project? The only thing I'm not sure about is the alignment of the shell holder to the die holder which appears to swing freely? Also, where are you going to find the various shell holders you would need? There is a lot to be said for standardization. Dies were not always the thread we have today. I think some old Lyman dies were smaller, (like for the tong tool) requiring a bushing in a standard press. This thing probably has a lot of man hours wrapped up in it, but gun nuts will be gun nuts. BB

 

[High Binder]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Clark</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
It looked home made, but I think he finally figured out that it was a homemade clone of a production press.

</div></div>

Funny how similar these things look. Wonder if there's some machinist in a garage somewhere cranking out odd presses.

 

[High Binder]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BuzzBoss915</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Looks like a machinist's hobby project? The only thing I'm not sure about is the alignment of the shell holder to the die holder which appears to swing freely? Also, where are you going to find the various shell holders you would need?

</div></div>

Yeah, that arm just swings around so alignment could be tricky but it's pretty solid. Luckily he has a huge bag of different shell holders, I bet those old ones are hard to find.

 

[High Binder]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Utah Shooter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would say not only is it home made but looks as though it is set up so you can have 2 dies in it. Maybe a seating die set up on one then rotate and crimp.
</div></div>

I agree, but it sure seems like a weird and overly complex way to do it. I was thinking it would work great as a bullet puller because the down-stroke of the lever (where the power is) would pull a bullet pretty easy.

 

[Utah Shooter]

Re: What is this? Very strange press ID help?

Quite honestly that would not be too hard of a press to make. I would be curious to talk to who may have made it.

On another note. Doesn't it look almost like the same design as an old Lyman AA press? He may have even got the idea from some of the old Hollywood Reloading presses as well.