Messages

1

Star History / Re: star tooling

« on: March 23, 2007, 03:58:02 pm »

The lubricator-sizer dies, parts, ect. went to Magma Engineering.  Mr. Cunningham  of Pioneer, CA., bought everything else; he has apparently decided to go incognito although at one time he would answer emails.

2

Star Reloaders / Re: Universal vs Progessive Identification

« on: January 16, 2007, 02:15:55 pm »

I have a progressive in 9mm.  Ellard found himself with extra progressives and insufficient demand, so he milled an exit gate (as the universals have)  in the progressive to remove the loaded round.  The rim of thed 9 slides into the recess cut in the side of the shellbase.  The progressive was also originally set up in 32 long.

3

Star Reloaders / Re: M/A vs Bruster - Auto Index

« on: June 27, 2006, 01:53:58 pm »

M-A developed their indexer from a Wemco-Williams machine I had.  The thing was a Rube Goldberg looking device, but it functioned quite well and did not spill powder even at high density loads in 44 mag.  I probably loaded a several million rounds on my 45 Star and the only thing to break was the hook.  I learned how to duplicate the hook out of spring steel.  M-A had a companion device called lthe Eject-ease (the indexer was called the Roto-Ease) which was a great help: you never touched the caartridge after taper crimping.  Again, the only thing to break was the spring which was a tad tricky to duplicate the first time.  Elard Maulk at Star had no use for the Brewster as he believed it wore out the floor of the shellbase.  I don'r remember if he ever said anything about the M-A, but the hook did not touch the shellbase, rather it caught one of the indexing holes and pulled the shell plate forward.  Dave Ayers at M-A made very large collators for the ammunitiion manufacturers (like a collator that would feed 4000 375 cases per hour) and sold all his Star stuff to someone.  Dave was literally a professional inventor and once the bugs were worked out of one of his products, he pretty much lost interest in the mere economic rewards of his devices.  M-A also made a case feeder which did not use a spring to feed the case, rather it had twin activating arms that fastened to the guide rod.  My own experience was not satisfactory and I remained with the Hulme although I still have one or two  of the case feeder left.  I do not remember the name, but I'm sure it was sone kind of "Ease". 

4

Star History / Re: Wemco Williams Star Reloader

« on: February 21, 2006, 01:59:44 pm »

Ken, i was until 1999, but I also loaded commercially for nearly 25 years.  I stopped in 1995 and disposed of most of my equipment but I have never lost the interest in presses, particularly progressives.  I am now in pursuit of an old Dercks machine.  I met Joe Dercks back in the late 60's.  I believe that he invented the first reasonably priced and decent automatic loading machine.  The machine was available in both motor and hand power (by a crank).  If I get it, I will try to send you a picture.  Remember the Newcomb in 38 I sold you about 1978?  Istill have the other press in 45.

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Star Reloaders / Re: Green Star? Reloader on eBay

« on: February 14, 2006, 04:08:49 pm »

I looked at a Phelps that I have and it has the same thick base.  I also noticed the silverish looking metal on the side of the base and one the crankshaft--doesn't look like something Star ever did.  The dies are also 7/8 which Star did occasionally but probably never in 45 acp as their dies were superior to anything else available then (or now).

6

Star Reloaders / Re: RLS dies

« on: February 07, 2006, 12:21:10 pm »

Star used "perfection" dies in the sizing stage as an alternative to "Lyfetime".  They also marketed a RCBS body with a Carbide Die (a company in the LA-San Gabriel area) insert when they couldn't get complete sizng dies from Lyfetime which i think was the brand name for Carbide Die.  It was my impression that Star always made their own seating and taper crimp dies.

7

Star History / Re: Wemco Williams Star Reloader

« on: February 07, 2006, 12:15:57 pm »

i lived through it.  When i hear someone asking about a turret, it gives me the willies.  As a commercial loader, i used an ammoload primer tube loader which was very good.  Interestingly, the instructions call for putting several thousand primers in the bowl (a syntron unit) and starting the machine.  The machine was reasonably good at orienting the primers, but not perfect.  Looking down into a mass of several thousand primers is a sobering experience although i never had another explosion (but a close friend did when a loaded cartridge  flipped into the bowl and set off a bunch--no injuries, thank God, but interesting). 

8

Star History / Re: Wemco Williams Star Reloader

« on: January 27, 2006, 02:30:42 pm »

I owned a complete Wemco-Williams mnachine in 38 spcl.  I still have the base and (I think) a bunch of spare parts.  It was a star universal machine mounted on a steel base.  The "ears" on the toolhead were cut off allowijng the machine to operate in a full circle.  The Synchromatic had a long arm driven by the shaft which replaced the Star operating handle.  The Sync used the Hulme case feeder (as I recall), but had its own indexer,  bullet feeder, and case collator (prior to the Chevron).  I think I may still have the original instruction book and, as I said, I still have the base sans Star machine. This machine blew up on me with a Brewster primer turret installed with about 300 small pistol primers (which also blew up).  I don't believe I ever used the machine again.  However, if one were using processed brass (sized, decapped, and good primer pockets) and  non-sticky bullets, I think one could load ammo at the rate of 1800 or so rounds per hour.  With primed brass, the machine would probably be a whiz.

9

Star Reloaders / Re: Star Add-ons

« on: January 27, 2006, 02:08:52 pm »

An outfit called M-A Systems (to which I provided ?a Wemco-Williams machine) developed several very effective Star add-ons. The case feeder they built ?was not one I cared for--it was kind of a cross between a Hulme and a Dillon 1000. ?One advantage was the lack of a return spring so the loading force was reduced somewhat over a Hulme or Dillon. ?M-A also built ?an indexer which looked kind of Rube Goldberg but which worked beautifully as did ltheir version of a cartridge ejector which screwed into the mounting hole Star had lused for their safety cam. ?M-A also built a good bullet feeder with accompanying bullet and case collator. A friend had their prototype setup and he could load 1800 rounds per hour with unprocessed brass and nearly 2400 rounds per hour with processed brass. ?The case collator could be used as a standalone device (as Chevron is now long gone). ?
 ? ? Brewster made an indexer but I remember Ellard Malk telling me that he thought that any indexer (prior to M-A's device) wquld accelerate wear on the shellplate. ?Brewster also made a primer turret which was convenient but deadly--a device which I would discourage any reloader from using--never, never, never.

10

Star Reloaders / Re: Star Add-ons

« on: January 27, 2006, 01:52:39 pm »

An outfit called M-A Systems (to which I provided  a Wemco-Williams machine) developed several very effective Star add-ons. The case feeder they built  was not one I cared for--it was kind of a cross between a Hulme and a Dillon 1000.  One advantage was the lack of a return spring so the loading force was reduced somewhat over a Hulme or Dillon.  M-A also built  an indexer which looked kind of Rube Goldberg but which worked beautifully as did ltheir version of a cartridge ejector which screwed into the mounting hole Star had lused for their safety cam.  M-A also built a good bullet feeder with accompanying bullet and case collator. A friend had their prototype setup and he could load 1800 rounds per hour with unprocessed brass and nearly 2400 rounds per hour with processed brass.  The case collator could be used as a standalone device (as Chevron is now long gone).   

11

Star Reloaders / Re: Star Straightline

« on: January 06, 2006, 02:38:47 pm »

your strainghtline is in 30-06?  would very much like to see pictures and would like a price

12

Star History / A couple of quick notes on Star history

« on: October 26, 2005, 04:20:05 pm »

eagle mike--i have several old star aluminum powder magazines--that's why the old powder magazine caps had a "follower" with a wire attached that indicated the powder level.  The plastic in the new powder magazines was called "excelon" and was a special order from a firm in san diego--there was a minimum order of many feet which acconted for the delay in getting powder magazines as Ellard would only order when he was nearly out.  Incidentally, the O powder slide was actually the second type of powder slide--the original powder slide was slightly narrower--i have three of them that i bought lwith a very old progressive.  The machine also had a powder housing with a powder cutoff builtin--an idea abandoned very early, thank goodness, as i can imagine the empty cartridges which were loaded.

13

Star History / Star Shell Plates and Dies Catalog?

« on: October 26, 2005, 04:13:10 pm »

the star progressive was originally chambered in 38 spcl and 32 long--i once had 32 long dies for loading 32 mag; star also made a 45 auto rim shellplate; i have one--they also made shellplates for 30 car and 32 acp