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Messages - rbwillnj

841
Star History / Re: Star or Not??
« on: February 07, 2009, 07:28:28 pm »
In May 1934, American Rifleman published a review of the Star Reloading Machine by CF Ness.  Below is a picture that was included in that article.
Note the lettering cast into the base.   

842
Star History / Re: Star or Not??
« on: February 07, 2009, 07:25:32 pm »
The owner of the Pictured Star Reloader was kind enough to provide the pictures below.   Note the lettering cast into the base which says Pat. Pending.  Star filed their patent application in July of 1933, and it was granted in February of 1936.   I think it's reasonable to assume this machine was manufactured between those two dates, or at least sometime close to those dates.

843
Star History / Re: Star or Not??
« on: February 05, 2009, 09:28:16 pm »
Some additional pictures courtesy of Ricketts.

844
Star History / Star or Not??
« on: February 02, 2009, 12:10:00 pm »
Currently there is a Reloader on eBay that is proported to be a very early Star.   What do you think?  Star or Not??  Why??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=270336982555

Courtesy of Ricketts, I have updated this post with larger pictures.    Anyone else have an opinion, Star or Not??

845
Star History / Re: Star Dunn & Bradstreet Report
« on: January 31, 2009, 05:51:28 pm »
I had a nice long conversation with the lady at Magma Engineering last week.   They had expressed their interest in the Lubesizer long before Star closed their doors.   They finally bought the rights, molds, and machines to make the lubesizer in the early 90's, she thought around 1993.   That matches up with other reports I've heard about when Star ceased opporations.   

As for when they started, it was in the early 30's.   They applied for their patent in 1933, and it was granted in 1934.   I have seen Stars on eBay that had a brass plaque that said Star Mfg, Patent Pending.  American Rifleman did a review of a "Progressive" in May 1934.  According to the review, Star was already making the Universal.

How many did they make??  I don't think we will ever know that one, but I'd like to hear if anyone has and ideas.

846
Star History / Star Dunn & Bradstreet Report
« on: January 31, 2009, 05:01:02 pm »
Attached, courtesy of Swanee, is a 1979 Dunn and Bradstreet report on Star Machine Works of San Diego Inc.

It shows their annual sales in 1978 as $900,000.  Eighty five percent of their sales was reloading equipment, and the balance was irrigation sprinkler equipment.   I always thought it was the other way around.

I have a 1979 price list which shows the price of a Universal at $760, so a little math leads me to believe they were selling maybe 900-1000 reloaders per year at that time.

Thanks Swanee

847
Star History / Re: CPM on Ebay
« on: January 31, 2009, 09:39:26 am »
The person listing the CPM machine on eBay emailed a number of pictures to me and gave me permission to post them on the forum.   Do to size limitations, I can only post a few, but I have more.

848
Star History / Re: CPM on Ebay
« on: January 29, 2009, 11:51:18 am »
Also, although it looks a lot like a Hulme case feeder, I don't think it is.  Take a close look at the case feeder cam.

849
Star History / CPM on Ebay
« on: January 29, 2009, 09:47:50 am »

850
Manuel,   Yes, its very tight.   When I remove the nut on the central shaft, I remove the tool head, but then I put the crankshaft assembly back on, secured with the taper pin.   They with suitable padding (like strips of heavy leather, I clamp head of the crank shaft assembly in a vice to keep the shaft from rotating while you loosen the nut.  In some cases, I have applied some heat to the nut with a propane torch, but usually it isn't necessary.

If there is a bushing, you should be able to hook it with a bent paper clip and pull it out from above.  Only if its held in place by oxidized grease is it necessary to remove the aluminum base to get at it.   If the hole has straight walls, there is no bushing.  If the walls of the hole are tapered inward, then a bushing is installed.

851
Manuel,    I don't see why not, though I have never seen one where its been done.   

I have a few extra plugs that fit a Universal, but I think hole on a Progressive might be a different dimension.   The parts list shows #68 for the Progressive, and #68U for the Universal.   Since there are different part numbers, I assume there is a difference. The plugs for the Universal are 1.06" long and .749" diameter.  If the plug for a Progressive is different, I'm sure I could make one up, but I would need to know the dimensions.

852
Star Lubricator & Resizers / Re: lubricator and resizer parts
« on: December 21, 2008, 08:24:03 pm »
Magma Engineering http://www.magmaengineering.com/index.php?&vmcchk=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 still makes the Star Lubesizer.   You can get the pump plunger and the nut from them.   I don't know if they still make nose punches. 

Magma sells flat punches for nose first sizing, and that is what I use for almost all of my bullet sizing.   I do have a couple of nose punches for round nose bullets, but I don't know if they would match the profile of your bullet.  In any case, I'd be willing to sell one to you.

853
Star Reloaders / Re: Star Machine Works
« on: December 17, 2008, 10:39:32 pm »
Star is not back in production, however, C-H Tool and Die http://www.ch4d.com/ has made a run of dies for the Star Reloader.   Don't know if they have any left, but they did make dies for 32 S&W Long.   Richard Daniels in Connecticut is making Shell plates.  You should be able to find contact information for Richard Daniels elsewhere on this forum.

854
Star History / Re: star tooling
« on: December 03, 2008, 07:59:38 am »
You guys have way more patience than I do.

855
Star Reloaders / Re: Needed: A Photo of Hulme Case Feeder
« on: November 21, 2008, 02:17:19 pm »
With the right top plate, you can use the same feeder for all calibers.  If you have an M3 top plate just flip it 180 degrees for 38 Special.  The M3 also works for 40 S&W.   The M3A is for long cases like 44 Magnum, 45 LC and 41 Magnum, but flipped 180 degrees can also be used for 45 ACP.    9mm and other smaller calibers require special top plates, but you still use the same case feeder.   For short cases like 380 and 32 ACP, Hulme made a conversion kit with the required top plate and a substitute ram that was milled down on the top so that it would not catch the case above.

Dillon actually made a top plate for 30 Carbine/.223 for use on his SuperStar .223 Conversion