Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - rbwillnj

31
Star History / Re: Paul "fitz" Jones
« on: February 27, 2022, 12:46:21 pm »
The attached letter is from Willis "Bill" Brenizer to Bill Cunningham.   Bill Brenizer and Elard Mock were the co-owners of Star Machine Works.   I knew I had this, just took a while to find it.

Bill Cunningham was quite upset with Paul Jones'* claims and the many disparaging remarks he had for Bill Cunninham.   He wrote to Bill Brenizer posing a series of questions about the claims Paul Jones made.   Bill Breniser's response is attached.   Bill was at least in his late 80's at the time so the writing is a bit hard to read.

*Paul Jones also went by the name John Paul Jones and Paul Fitz Jones.

Bruce Williams

32
Loading Data & Reloading Procedures / Re: 25 acp
« on: January 04, 2022, 09:51:06 am »
Star did not make 25 ACP shell plates or dies.    I actually have a letter that one of the Wilkersons wrote to a customer which emphatically states that they will never make 25 ACP because they didn't believe their machine was suitable to load the caliber.   Can't find it right now or I would post it.   

Someone else did make a couple 25 ACP sets and I have one in my personal collection.   It's not exactly a pleasure to use, but it works.   I had a second set made by the same maker which I sold, and which eventually ended up on eBay when that customer passed.

Bruce Williams

33
Star History / Re: Making H&G molds
« on: January 03, 2022, 09:05:51 am »
Star price lists from as early and 1945 (the oldest I have) through the mid 60's specially list H&G bullet moulds.

Star apparently also sold H&G bullet moulds under their own name at least briefly.    I'm sure many of you saw the "Star Machine Works" stamped H&G 10 cavity mold on eBay a couple months ago.

Bruce Williams

34
Just finished a new batch of both aluminum and brass adapters, so both are in stock.

35
Star Lubricator & Resizers / Re: Star sizer w/ Lee TL Bullets
« on: December 12, 2021, 09:01:32 am »
I have never used Lee's tumble Lube but from what I can see on YouTube, it's a liquid.   I can't see how that would work with a Star sizer.   You would have lube all over the place.   

However, I'm pretty sure that you could tumble lube your bullets in the conventional manner and then run them through the Star sizer.  I just don't know if that would leave enough of the lube on the bullet after sizing.   

I think Lee has a push through sizer that you can use with tumble lubed bullets.   It mounts on a single station press.

36
Star Lubricator & Resizers / Re: Extended lube magazine
« on: October 18, 2021, 09:21:55 am »
I have five of them that will be available in the near future.   I'm in the process of cleaning them up.

Bruce Williams

37
Star Lubricator & Resizers / Re: Extended lube magazine
« on: October 17, 2021, 04:13:02 pm »
So you mean something like this?   Standard product, but not all that common.   

38
Stars Want to Sell/Want to Buy / Re: WANTED, Need 9mm Luger Shell plate
« on: September 19, 2021, 07:42:36 pm »
Gentlemen

We still produce new shell plates and dies at Star Machine Works.   I have sold quite a few 9MM shell plates, Die Sets and 9MM machines this year.   With the ammunition shortage, everyone who said 9MM was too inexpensive to bother reloading suddenly wanted to reload 9MM, so we sold out.  Got it back in stock and sold out again.  We will have it back in stock again at some point and it may very well sell out again.  I have a number of backorders already.

We also produce the rest of the calibers produced by Star and have a number of them in stock, but it's been tough keeping anything in stock this year.

Bruce Williams
Star Machine Works

39
Star Reloaders / Re: Half the Mounting Holes Drilled Out to 3/8"
« on: June 25, 2021, 07:55:06 am »
Sometimes people just don't have enough 1/4" bolts in the drawer.   I have seen several where the mounting holes have been enlarged.

Since only the two in the front mounting holes have been enlarged, I would guess it had something to do with mounting an indexer.

40
Star Reloaders / Re: Powder bar designations
« on: May 05, 2021, 09:46:46 am »
Original Star powder slides came in four thicknesses.   The 0 powder slide (marked on the edge for the bar) and typically found on "Progressive" models is 1/4" thick.   The 00 powder slide, the most common, and standard on "Universal" models is 5/16" thick.    Star also made powder sides that are 1/2" and 5/8" thick that are typically used for magnum charges.  These powder slides are not marked on the edge.

All of the above powder slides are marked on the top with the powder, and the charge in grains.

Star made corresponding powder slide housings marked No. 0, No. 00, 1/2 and 5/8.    Star also made spacers to convert a No. 00 housing to handle a 1/2" or 5/8" powder slide.

The 299 designation is not a marking that I'm familiar with, but there are powder slides out there with markings for a number of now obsolete powders.

Bruce Williams

41
Star Reloaders / Re: DIY case kicker
« on: April 12, 2021, 01:58:50 pm »
It goes through a hole in the "L bracket"    The wire is .015 Hard Brite Spring wire, or at least that's the closest replacement I have found.

42
Star Reloaders / Re: DIY case kicker
« on: March 30, 2021, 02:12:35 pm »
Actually, I like your system because it doesn't interfere with a taper crimp die.   You might consider a thin wire like used on the MA Systems Eject-Ease to push the case back in.   It doesn't interfere with the ejection.   Picture attached, let me know if you need a better one.  This is what I had handy.

One note:   Not all Shell Plate Thrust Nuts are the same size.  Yours looks like a late model which is the smallest.  Earlier ones tended to have a bigger diameter.

Bruce Williams

43
So if the outside diameter of the shell plate was a little smaller than normal that shouldn’t  keep it from working then right?… Since that should still give me clearance to keep the plate from interfering with the tabs holding the case in place? Is that outside diameter what you would normally expect to see for a 45acp plate?

By the way, I measured the plate at work with my micrometer and it is .2174” thick

The diameter you mention above would be close to the spec for a 45 ACP shell plate.  Sorry, specs are proprietary.

Yes, you can use a shell plate that is smaller than spec, but it makes adjusting the shell locator straps a little harder.   The best way to adjust the shell locator straps is to turn the shell plate so the straps are NOT opposite a shell opening then adjust the strap so it just clears the shell plate.  Of course this assumes the shell plate diameter meets spec.

Bruce Williams

44
First off, the shell plate really does look like it was made by Star.   The G is a puzzle, but I have seen some odd markings on Star shell plates.

The slot where the case is inserted looks like it has a beveled edge which would be typical for rimless or semi-rimmed cases that are held in the shell plate by the extractor groove.   Shell plates for rimmed cases like 38 special and 45 Colt are held by the rim and the slot is not beveled (so far as I have seen).  This doesn't prevent it from being used for 45 Colt if the case fits and the recess on the bottom of the shell plate is big enough to accommodate the rim, and is the correct depth.

The diameter of each caliber shell plate is different.  This makes it possible for the shell locator straps to push the case all the way into the shell plate.

I wonder if it was a 45 ACP shell plate that was modified to fit 45 Colt.   I have seen such things.  I won't name any names.

Bruce Williams

45
45 Colt Shell Plates made by Star are generally marked LC.   So I'm guessing yours was made by someone else.  A picture would help.