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Messages - rbwillnj

421
Star Reloaders / Re: Homemade "Star"
« on: March 31, 2013, 05:37:41 pm »
I don't know off hand, but I will see if I can find out.   I shoot in a Bullseye league with the owner of the one pictured, but I'm not sure if he is the original owner.   

Bethlehem Steel shut down the last of it's operations (at least in this area) in 1995.

422
Star Reloaders / Re: Homemade "Star"
« on: March 30, 2013, 12:59:07 pm »
The last ones

423
Star Reloaders / Re: Homemade "Star"
« on: March 30, 2013, 12:58:02 pm »
More

424
Star Reloaders / Re: Homemade "Star"
« on: March 30, 2013, 12:56:50 pm »
And More

425
Star Reloaders / Re: Homemade "Star"
« on: March 30, 2013, 12:56:02 pm »
More Pictures

426
Star Reloaders / Homemade "Star"
« on: March 30, 2013, 12:50:40 pm »
Thought you folks would enjoy this.   Attached are pictures of a "Star" made by a local machinist.  Word is that he was a machinist at Bethlehem Steel.   Local folks know at least four were made and sold at gun shows at a discount to Stars.   This machine is set up for 38 Special.  I personally know of one other that has tool heads for 38 Special and 45 ACP.

427
Star Reloaders / Re: Star Lifetyme Dies
« on: March 26, 2013, 11:07:03 pm »
I haven't seen any adapters on eBay in a long time, but they wouldn't be too hard to make.   7/8-14 thread on the outside, 11/16-24 thread on the inside, probably a thin flange on the top so they would maintain their position.

I'm interested in your Lifetyme 30 Carbine die if you are interested in selling.

On a side note,  I had a conversation with Dave at CH4D a couple years ago and he said he had a "Star" 32-20 shell plate and dies set.  I didn't ask if the sizing die was carbide or Lifetyme.   I did ask if he was willing to sell, and he wasn't.   I don't think he knew if he could find it either.

428
Star Reloaders / Re: New to star reloaders
« on: March 10, 2013, 06:07:18 pm »
So unless you have them and they are not pictured, it looks like you need a primer magazine and a powder magazine.   I can't say if Star parts would work, but they might.   The Star powder magazine has a 9/16-27 thread.   See if you can measure the threads in the top of the powder slide housing for a match.

The Star Primer magazine is 5/16" in diameter and is designed to go about one inch into the primer magazine socket.   

Looking at the pictures, those are the obvious parts that are missing.

This link will show that parts im talking about.

http://www.starreloaders.com/manuals/manuals.html#Illustrations

429
Star Reloaders / Re: New to star reloaders
« on: March 10, 2013, 05:27:55 pm »
The aluminum base, the tool head, and the crank assembly are not Star, Phelps, Berdon, or CPM.   If there was another company that made clones of Stars, I'm not familiar with them, and have never seen a similar example. 

Is the tool head and crank assembly cast iron or cast aluminum?

430
Star Reloaders / Re: New to star reloaders
« on: March 10, 2013, 02:54:18 pm »
A few more pictures would help, but based on what I see, I would say that you have a homemade copy of a Star.

It is possible that the steel base and column are original Star and the rest was made to fit.  We would need to see more pictures to know for sure.

431
Star Reloaders / Re: Star for a .30 Cal Carbine?
« on: March 08, 2013, 11:21:17 am »
It is a Star "Universal" model produced in 1965 or later.   It has a Lifetyme carbide sizing die.   I can't see if it has a taper crimp die installed, or if the taper crimp station has a 3/8" hole, or is drilled and taped for a 11/16-24

From what I can see in the picture, it looks like a decent machine.

Note: For 30 Carbine, even though it has a carbide die installed, it's best to use some case lube.

432
Hi Brad,

I have several extra old decapping assemblies for 38 Special if you need them.  I even have a few of the old steel dies taking up space.

Bruce

433
Star Reloaders / Re: Star for a .30 Cal Carbine?
« on: March 07, 2013, 06:24:32 pm »
A Star Universal could be configured for 30 Carbine, Star offered shell plates and dies for 30 Carbine.  Early Stars used steel sizing dies.  Later they used Lifetyme carbide sizing dies.   In most cases the steel sizing dies have been replaced with carbide dies, but you might come accross one that still has a steel sizing die.

Sorry, not in the Atlanta area, but if you post pictures I'm sure folks will chime in with their thoughts. 

434
Star History / Re: Star Price History
« on: March 02, 2013, 01:25:21 pm »
I have updated my previous list

For a Universal Reloader, I can share the following price history;

December 1, 1945........$ 120.00     (no mention of carbide sizing dies)
January 1, 1952 ......................Parts price list only, Includes price for carbide sizing dies
May 1, 1952 ...............$  130.00     (no mention of carbide sizing dies)
July 1, 1953................$  150.00     (no mention of carbide sizing dies)
August 1, 1954 ...........$                Parts price list only.  Includes price for carbide sizing dies.
January 1, 1955 ...........$                Parts price list only.  Includes price for carbide sizing dies.
January 1, 1956 ......... $  170.00
December 1, 1958........$ 190.00     (with carbide sizing die option)
January 1, 1961.......... $ 190.00     (with carbide sizing die option)
May 21, 1963 ............. $ 210.00    (with carbide sizing die option) courtesy of Larry Lawson
January 20, 1965.........$ 225.00    (with carbide sizing die option)
April 1, 1966...............$ 248.00    (with carbide sizing die option)
March 1, 1968.............$ 248.00    (with carbide sizing die option)
Dec 1, 1968................$ 262.50    (with carbide sizing die option)  Courtesy of Larry Lawson
July 15, 1970...............$ 287.50    (with carbide sizing die option)**
December 1, 1971 .......$320.00     (with carbide sizing die option) courtesy of Larry Lawson***
November 1, 1973........$ 450.00    (Carbide Dies are Standard)
November 1, 1975.........$ 450.00    (Carbide Dies are Standard
February 1, 1977..........$ 525.00    (from Kenneth L. Walters)
March 1, 1978..............$ 660.00
March 1, 1979..............$ 760.00   
March 1, 1980..............$ 925.00    (from Kenneth L. Walters
April 1, 1981................$1110.00    (pricing for "Progressive" Reloader no longer given)
January 10, 1983.........$  925.00    (Says New Lower Prices)
April 1, 1988.................$ 925.00    (Says New Lower Prices!)
May 1, 1990.................$ 925.00
September 1, 1991........$ 925.00
July 8, 1996 .................$925.00    (from Welsh Rifleman)
May 1, 1997.................$ 925.00    (looks like an original Star price list, but maybe from Bill Cunningham?)

*  July 1953 brochure/price list includes a note that "During the present emergency and labor shortage we will only attempt to carry in stock those parts necessary to load the 45 ACP and 38 Special"    Also says the Universal will adapt to the popular hand gun calibers "except 45 Auto Rim"

**  July 15, 1970 Brochure with stamp on the front cover indicating that lead time for a Reloader is 5-6 months and for a Lubesizer 1-2 months.

*** December 1, 1971  9mm Carbide Die $41; .30 Carbine Die $71; Two Stage Carbide Die $41; All other Carbide Dies $22.50

435
Star Lubricator & Resizers / Re: Index of sizer die P/N?
« on: February 24, 2013, 10:20:23 pm »
I am pretty sure that only one part number was used for the die, "101" and one for the punch "102"   

You could request any size lubesizer die, and you could even send your unsized bullets to Star and they would create a die that yield the diameter you wanted with your particular alloy.   They would also make a punch to match your bullet.

I actually have original Star lubesizer dies where the size is given in four decimal places.