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Messages - Kenneth L. Walters

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106
Star History / Winchester Patent
« on: March 07, 2007, 09:09:37 pm »
The Star was just a copy of an earlier Winchester machine that Winchester patented in the 1890's.  But I've lost the number of that Winchester patent.  Anyone know what it was?

107
Star Reloaders / Whatever Happened
« on: January 19, 2007, 12:16:01 pm »
Some fellow bought the rights to make the Star progressives.  Obviously he didn't do much with the uniquie opportunity.  So what, if anything, is he doing with the company?

108
Star Reloaders / Re: Universal vs Progessive Identification
« on: January 16, 2007, 02:40:27 pm »
Steve,

e-mail me.

109
Star Reloaders / Re: Universal vs Progessive Identification
« on: January 13, 2007, 10:59:23 pm »
The Star Progressive was only made in 38/357.  If there is another case with the same rim diameter I suppose that would work.  To distinguish between this original unit, made well into the 80's I think, and their later machine, the second machine was called a Universal Progressive.

I bought one of the very last Progressives Star made.  Have the invoice.  That would pretty well date the end of the production of this unit.

110
Star Reloaders / Re: Phelps indexer?
« on: January 03, 2007, 09:47:23 pm »
I had forgotten that Phelps thing.  Think I had one decades ago and do not remember it working.

None of the indexers I ever saw for the Star were all that great.  I know that Ellord hated them because they caused extensive wear.  I just thought that they were a solution to a non-existant problem.

111
Star Reloaders / Re: Freeloader
« on: November 24, 2006, 06:08:12 pm »
Ransom made a variation of this for his shortlived progressive.? Chuck is long gone, unfortunately, but his wife just recently sold the Ransom rest business.? So if you contacted the people who make the Ransom rest now and asked if they could help you get information from Chuck's wife on his case feeder it just might work out.

Anyother possibility would be to contact Tony Sailer in Owen Wisconsin and see if he had any information.  Assuming that he is still alive, Tony ran CH for some number of years.

112
Star Reloaders / CPM
« on: November 20, 2006, 09:05:04 pm »
Nice looking CPM progressive over on e-bay.

113
Star Reloaders / Re: Any ideas what this is?
« on: November 12, 2006, 04:33:13 pm »
These didn't work well.? As I recall the operating handle could develop near infinite leverage but the handle itself couldn't withstand that kind of stress so the handles broke.? Also they weren't well made.? Big and impressive to be sure but, well...

Sold three in 96 I think (along with a LOT of other progressives including my star straightline) to Ron Peterson guns.? I would imagine that he still has them rusting away somewhere.

Back in the days before the internet a lot of people would call Star and want to trade their machine for a new Star.? Star was never interested BUT they would refer these people to me and quite often I bought what they were trying to dump.

The Newcomb was the first of this type of design.? I had one bought from another fellow who posts here.? Never knew anyone connected to the manufacture of the Newcomb.? That was odd.? In almost every case I tracked down some family member for each machine made.? That took effort in the pre-internet days.? J.D. Buchanan bought the rights to the Newcomb and made a variation.? Talked to his wife years ago.? After Buchanan this design passed to the Gerstenburger brothers of Chicago.? Maybe formally.? Maybe not.? One evening decades ago I called every Gerstenburger listed in the Chicago phonebook.? Seem to remember that there were two.? One turned out to be the wife of one of the two owners.? Her husband and his brother literally made these in his brother's basement at night.? When her husband dies, this stopped.? After that there was no more communication between the living family members.

Tony Sailer knew of this machine.? When he wanted CH to make a progressive this is the design he selected.? Though that it would be easier and less expensive to make than another Star copy.? Problem was that the Gerstenburger brothers had patented thieir machine and the patent hadn't quite run out when CH introduced the Auto-Champ.? So, though no big deal was ever made of it and maybe CH would even deny it, the CH machine was a copy.

No Star-like parts use here that I remember.

114
Star Reloaders / Re: Any ideas what this is?
« on: November 11, 2006, 07:50:21 pm »
PESCO, police equipment sales company.  Two brothers built these in their basement in Chicago for awhile.  Covered in Sharps book, I think.  Not sure they were that color originally.  I just can not remember.  Think that I had three.

115
Star Reloaders / Patent Pending Star on E-bay
« on: October 07, 2006, 08:34:01 pm »
If you do a search on E-Bay for Star reloader you'll find one marked patent pending.  Kind of interesting.

116
Star History / Re: Star Price History
« on: October 05, 2006, 12:12:08 am »
May 15, 1975 (from invoice) $450
February 1, 1977 (from price sheet) $575  - came with long cover letter explaining increase
March 1, 1980 (from price sheet) $925

Also found invoices for a 32 ACP tool head and another in 475 Wildey.

117
Star Lubricator & Resizers / Re: Star/Magma Sizing Die Problems
« on: September 28, 2006, 06:34:06 pm »
Never seen this problem and I've certainly sizes bullets larger than what you are talking about.

I'd call Magma and ask for help.  I've always found them to be very helpful.

Years ago I did an article for the American Rifleman on Veral's moulds so I know him.  But, well, Veral thought that he could take on the IRS and win.  I wouldn't take his advice on taxes and I wouldn't take it here either!

118
Star Reloaders / Re: How do you tell a Star from a copy?
« on: September 11, 2006, 02:22:31 pm »
You could special order a star with 7/8x14 die holes but you also had to have the dies modified as there wasn't really enough clearance.  As I recall, Star would do that work.

119
Star Reloaders / Re: How do you tell a Star from a copy?
« on: September 08, 2006, 12:09:44 am »
Berdon?!  Really?  I owned one but it has been so long since I sold it, about ten years, that I just don't remember.

I also don't remember any machine but the Star that had a Star-like blue paint job.

I was leaning towards this being a parts machine.  Some Star parts some not.

120
Star Reloaders / Ransom Progressive
« on: August 09, 2006, 12:39:54 pm »
OK so it isn't a Star but it is a RARE machine.? There is a Ransom progressive on e-bay.? This is only the second one I've ever seen.? I owned the other.

Checked with Ransom International.  According to an e-mail received today, 100 were made.

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