Messages

1

Star Reloaders / Re: primer magazine?

« on: June 28, 2015, 04:11:11 pm »

Green Frog and Joatmon,
Thanks for the replies!
I would fill them with primers when I didn't want to load, and I would drop in a hundred and set the Brewster magazine to one side on a little stand. I always felt that it was extremely dangerous to leave it on top of the Star as I reloaded. I have never had a primer go off on me with the Star(knock on wood), but many years ago I went to a commercial reloading shop in Ft Lauderdale that had holes in the ceiling above just about every Star loader. They told me the holes were the result of the primers going off. I never went back. They went out of business a long time ago.
I have to get a look at the Lee case feeding conversion and put one in.
Thanks again,
Fred

2

Star Reloaders / primer magazine?

« on: June 12, 2015, 10:46:36 am »

Hello,
I am not sure if this is the right place ask this question. Many years ago when I bought my first stars I got what I am describing as primer magazines with it.
I have two,  a large and a small primer magazine.
They are all plastic and have 10 tubes held together top and bottom like a revolver cylinder. Each can hold 1000 primers.
When I use them, I put the magazine of top of my primer tube, drop in 100, and move the magazine off the star to a safe resting place.
I never felt safe facing a few hundred primers in clear plastic tubes at approximately face height.
Does anybody know who made these and approximately when they stopped making them? And why?
Any leads would be appreciated.
Thanks a lot.
Fred

3

Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Drain

« on: April 26, 2015, 10:56:17 am »

Hi  Ma,
Just saw your reply. I will look through my emails for yours.
Sorry to take so long in replying.
Fred
PS I could not find it. looked at everything that came in on the 10th.
Thanks for trying.
Fred

4

Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Drain

« on: April 09, 2015, 04:53:00 pm »

Could you post a picture of the powder drain? I am interested in ordering.
Thank you,
Fred

5

Star Reloaders / Star/Dillon adaptation?

« on: January 20, 2005, 11:24:08 am »

I wonder if anybody has adapted the Dillon case feeder to work with a Star reloader that has a Hulme case feeder attached to it? It seems to be a logical adaptation since Chevron feeders are not made anymore.
I would appreciate any ideas, advice and, if possible, photos of successful adaptation.
Thanks for the help.
Regards,
Fred

6

Star Reloaders / Re: Exploding Primer System

« on: January 16, 2005, 02:05:20 pm »

The Star progressive is based on a machine patented by Winchester in the 1890's.  Ellord Mott essentially copied this machine and scaled it down.  Ellord's original patent was for a machine to load rifle, pistol and shotgun shells.  As far as I know no shotgun presses were ever made.

The Star appeared somewhere around 1930.  Originally they had primer tube explosions.  Ellord redesigned the Star primer tube to withstand the blast.  A Star primer tube is actually a primer tube/primer shield.  Dillon, decades later, made a big deal about putting his weak primer tube in a separate primer shield.  Good advertising but not an original idea.  Ellord helped Mike Dillon design his first produce, the Super Star kit used to convert a Star pistol machine into a unit that could load 223 rounds.

Do Star's blow up primer tubes.  Sure.  What's the primary reason?  Operator stupidity.  The Star primer mechanism was, in my opinion, the best ever made.  Only the current RCBS primer strip system is more reliable.  Why then would Star primer systems explode?  Because many operators can not leave well enough alone.

Ellord personally hand assembled every single Star ever shipped from the 1930's to somewhere in the 1980's.  They simply worked.  Some fools, however, took them apart and, well, messed them up.  That can cause a problem.

Any mechanical device can fail BUT Star progressive primer systems are among the most reliable devices made.  I'm absolutely positive about that.  I probably owned nearly a dozen including a straightline star progressive.  I've also owned and at least tried to use maybe two dozen other progressives.

Another possible source of trouble with a Star priming system is the use of primer turrets.  Anyone dump enough to do that deserves what is going to happen to him.  Evolution in high gear.

A well adjusted Star or one whose factory primer system has NOT been "improved" is as good as this gets. The description you provided, multiple explosions, indicates that these people weren't all that high up on the evolutionary ladder.

I agree one hundred percent, that is why I did not go back. I was afraid that the building was going to blow up one day and I did not want to there when it happened!!  :roll:

7

Star Reloaders / Exploding priming system

« on: January 16, 2005, 08:54:58 am »

In Ft. Lauderdale, F l, many years ago I went to a combination gun shop and reloading shop. I was allowed to wander around their reloading area, where they had several star machines set up in different calibers. Above almost every machine I noticed holes in the ceiling. When I asked about them, I was told nonchalantly that they had been caused by exploding primer tubes. Apparently it happened to them so often that they thought nothing about it. I never returned to that reloading area. I have had primers explode on me, but in a single stage machine. I don't really want to witness a multi primer explosion in a progresive reloader.
Like it was stated earlier, if something is hanging up, stop and clean everything. Accidents happen when we are rushed and impatient. Then it takes a long time to fix the mistakes. I know from personal experience. :oops:
Regards to all.
Fred

8

Star Reloaders / Hogue powder bar?

« on: January 02, 2005, 08:42:47 am »

Hello,
I just found and joined this forum. I love it. I have owned Star loaders on and off for thirty years. All of my purchases were of second hand machines and they all have worked flawlessly.
I was looking at my loader last night, after spending a few hours reading the posts here. I bought this machine with two heads a short time ago because I wanted to get back into competitive pistol shooting. I noticed that mixed in with my powder bars, I had an adjustable bar marked with the name Hogue and patent pending. Does anybody here know how much powder one of these bars will drop? Minimum to maximum powder drops.
Thanks for the help.
Regards,
Fred