Messages

1

Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question

« on: October 16, 2023, 12:04:47 pm »

The aluminum base has a sort of pebble finish which makes it either a Phelps or a Berdon.   The Thrust Nut is a Phelps design (notice the knurling on the Thrust Nut).

All of the rimmed cases will fall through the 67U bushing, but the 45 Colt is likely to bind up on the safety cam keeping it from dropping freely.  You can probably push it down manually.   Not sure about 44 Magnum.  41 Magnum is probably OK.    In any case, it's no big deal to slightly modify the safety cam.

Attached are pictures of a modified safety cam on the left and unmodified on the right.   The modified on came off a machine that came into the shop.

2

Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question

« on: October 16, 2023, 09:03:27 am »

Just got back from vacation, so let me add my two cents.   Yes, the safety cam is not compatible with taper crimp dies.  That's a big reason why you see so many machines with the safety cam removed, even though Star supplied them on every machine.   There is a relatively rare Auto Eject Safety Cam that is compatible with some taper crimp dies if there is sufficient clearance between the bottom of the taper crimp die and the shell plate.

I don't think it can be said that the safety cam is compatible with rimmed cases and not compatible with rimless cases. I think that JW4570 might have the same problem loading 45 Colt as 45 ACP as there is just not enough clearance to remove a rimless case or let a rimmed case drop out the bottom.

While personally, I recommend using a taper crimp die with rimless cases, strictly speaking it's not required.  There are a ton of 45 ACP machines out there with no taper crimp die and as I recall, Star didn't offer any Taper Crimp dies until the early 80's.

JW4570, to get your safety cam to work with 45 ACP, you will need to grind the side of the safety cam that contacts the case sufficiently to allow you to remove the loaded round.

It looks like your machine is Phelps.  I can't say if your safety cam is exactly the same as a Star, but they are probably pretty close.

3

Star Reloaders / Re: Star - What did I bring home

« on: June 27, 2023, 08:35:26 am »

Looks like a nice find.  Should clean up nicely.

In addition to the reloader, you have an MA Systems Roto-Ease indexer and an MA Systems Eject-Ease finished round ejector.   The manifold is probably for a MA Systems bullet feeder, but I don't see the rest of it in your pictures.

Bruce Williams

4

Star Lubricator & Resizers / Re: Star Luber gaskets

« on: June 17, 2023, 08:18:39 am »

Hi Bruce
Take a look at the edge of Your Hycar washer with about twenty power magnification, I'm sure You will find a cloth material there like You find in Belting, All that I've delt wth Have this.

Lindy,   The Hycar washers I have are molded, not stamped.  There is no cloth belting.   It wouldn't surprise me if they stamped them out of belting at some point in the past.   As I said earlier, I recall a leather washer on a very old Star lubesizer.

In the pictures I posted above, the two pictures are the top and bottom of the same washers.   You can see how the "rubber" is molded around the metal piece in the center.

Bruce Williams

5

Star Lubricator & Resizers / Re: Star Luber gaskets

« on: June 04, 2023, 06:44:45 pm »

"They appear to be stamped from a belting material of black rubber with a single layer of cloth in the middle."

That doesn't describe any Hycar washer that I have seen.    In the attached pictures, the black one is what I have seen on every Star Lubesizer I have taken apart.   The white one which appears to by Nylon is what Magma Engineering sells now.   

Come to think of it I may have seen a leather washer on an ancient Star Lubesizer.

Bruce Williams

6

Star Reloaders / Re: Dillon 223 conversion of a Star

« on: April 11, 2023, 09:31:07 pm »

That looks a lot like the linkage for an indexer similar to the Capital Indexer, but in the Dillon picture it looks like a solid rod coming off the crank shaft.   On the Capital Indexer there is a wire.   The wire on the left side of the picture goes up to the crank shaft and hooks to a linkage similar to the one in the Dillon picture.

In any case, it has nothing to do with the Super Star conversion.

Bruce Willaims

PS   Although it says its an original Super Star Conversion, it is set up for 45 ACP, not .223.....but it does have a number of Super Star conversion parts.

7

Star Reloaders / Re: Dillon 223 conversion of a Star

« on: April 08, 2023, 11:38:59 am »

Honestly, the link arms are unnecessary.   The only thing they do is allow you to raise the tool head about 1/8" higher.   Take a look at your machine with the tool head in it's highest position.  You will see a small gap between the crank shaft casting and the tool head.   The Super Star links allow you to raise the tool head so the tool head contacts the crank shaft casting.   Without the links you have plenty of clearance.

I didn't see the April catalog that Scott is referring to so I'm not sure if the Super Star links are what Scott is referring to.    Attached are a few pictures of a Dillon Super Star Conversion installed.   Unfortunately, they don't show a clear picture of the links.   

Maybe Scott could post a picture of the catalog page.

Bruce Williams

8

Star Reloaders / Re: .44 magnum powder charge

« on: March 26, 2023, 06:21:19 pm »

I have 1/2" and 5/8" powder slides and housings for both.   I also have spacers to convert 00 housings to handle 1/2" or 5/8" powder slides.

Both the 1/2" and 5/8" powder slides accept bushings which I make.   22 grains of 2400 is a bit much for even a 5/8" bushing slide.  It requires a bushing with a hole size of .450".  Since I'm working with 1/2" stock, that's more of a sleeve than a bushing, but still possible.

A 1/2" bushing slide with no bushing (i.e. a hole size of 0.501") will get you to 21.75 grains of 2400.   If necessary, you could enlarge it slightly to get to 22 grains.

Bruce Williams

9

Loading Data & Reloading Procedures / Re: Good Bullseye Load for W231 for 45 ACP

« on: March 04, 2023, 04:28:26 pm »

Thank you.

10

Loading Data & Reloading Procedures / Good Bullseye Load for W231 for 45 ACP

« on: February 13, 2023, 09:54:54 am »

I have a customer with good supply of W231 that he would like to use for 45 ACP, both 200 gr SWC and 230 gr FMJRN.   I have used 231 for other calibers, but I don't have experience with that powder for 45 ACP.   Can anyone suggest some good Bullseye loads for W231.

Bruce Williams

11

Loading Data & Reloading Procedures / Re: Powder Check

« on: February 01, 2023, 11:58:52 am »

Checking to see if powder dropped is sort of a Dillon thing.   At least that's what I here.

12

Stars Want to Sell/Want to Buy / Re: WTB: Maurilew Powder drain

« on: January 16, 2023, 12:36:46 pm »

Last time I talked to him he was in his 90's and still going strong, but that was a while ago.

I do have a couple of his units. available.    Star slightly changed their powder slide housings over the years and the Maurilew powder drains do not fit all powder slide housings.

Bruce Williams

13

Star Reloaders / Re: 223 conversion parts

« on: January 03, 2023, 12:42:29 pm »

It took me years to put together my first Super Star kit with pieces coming from multiple sources.   It took me quite a while just to figure out what all was included in a Super Star kit.   The last kit I acquired came all together in the original box.  All gone now.

Bruce Williams

14

Star Reloaders / Re: 223 conversion parts

« on: January 03, 2023, 08:33:41 am »

It's a 5/8" adjustable powder slide.   The housing is special because it holds the expander and powder spout in place.

15

Star Reloaders / Re: Switching between 45 ACP and 45 Auto Rim

« on: November 01, 2022, 10:14:30 pm »

Changing between 45 ACP and 45 Auto Rim only requires changing the shell plate.   Very easy, should only take a couple of minutes.

I have 45 Auto Rim shell plates in stock.

Bruce Williams