Messages

76

Star Reloaders / Re: Any interest in new star type reloader?

« on: March 16, 2010, 11:44:58 pm »

It has been way to long for me to be sure but I think that the Willis was an entirely different machine made here in the US.  If it is the unit I'm think of it was announced, there was a picture somewhere but I could never track down a machine.

The Australian Shooter's Journal could probably tell you the name of the Australian Star copy.

77

Star Reloaders / Re: Any interest in new star type reloader?

« on: March 16, 2010, 11:09:30 am »

The Star copies, as best as I can remember, were the Phelps, Berdon, CPM, Dillon RL1000, the 50 BMG and a unit produced in Australia by Simplex I think.

78

Star Reloaders / Re: Shockey progressive on ebay

« on: March 16, 2010, 11:02:22 am »

I know that I answered this days ago but I don't know where my answer went?

Owned one.  Excellent machine.  Probably the best straightline ever.  Actually used mine.  Really clever case advancement mechanism.  

If things were a bit different I'd be going after the one on e-bay big time.  Someone here certainly should.  That machine appears to be complete.

79

Star Reloaders / Re: Any interest in new star type reloader?

« on: March 05, 2010, 11:20:25 am »

Joatmon,

This evening I had a conversation with Dave Davidson of CH Tool and Die.  I'm not sure how we got around to the discussion topic, but he began to talk about a guy who had designed a large version of the Star to load 50 BMG.  According to Dave, John Powers who owned a machine shop or metal working business in the Detroit area designed and built one for himself, and later for $5000, built one for a guy by the name of Kent LaMott.  As far as Dave knew, those were the only two ever built.  Apparently this all happened in the mid 80's.

Bruce

I'm pretty sure that there were four.  Had a set of pictures of one of them years ago.

80

Star Reloaders / Re: Any interest in new star type reloader?

« on: February 07, 2010, 10:01:17 am »

I've been staring at a star for a while now and was wondering how much interest there would be in a newly manufactured star with upgrades and how much people would be willing to pay for it.  The upgrades I think should be included are:

No shell, no powder.
Reversible for right or left hand.
7/8-14 dies.
Adjustable powder bars.
Make it so you can use whatever powder measure you desire.
Hulme type case feeder standard or being able to use one from someone else.
Change the ergonomics.

Any suggestions or ideas, value?

Wasn't that the idea behind the CPM?
As much as I like the Star, I believe that its time has past.  The Dillon/RCBS is every bit as serviceable but a lot less expensive to make.  The Star tool head is just too expensive to compete.

81

Star Reloaders / Re: I know this might be blasphmey here but how does a Phelps differ from Star ?

« on: December 22, 2009, 10:56:44 am »

The Phelps rifle unit had a manually operated powder measure, at least on the one I knew about.

82

Star History / Re: Factory returns ?

« on: December 22, 2009, 10:54:47 am »

It has been too long ago now for me to be sure but I think that I returned one once.

Had bought a used machine that was in horrible condition.  Returned it for repairs.  The machine's problem was neglect.

83

Star Reloaders / Re: Looking for Paul Jones, Star Loading enthusiast

« on: September 11, 2009, 04:32:52 pm »

I thought that the father died some years ago and that the son was selling off his stuff.

84

Star History / Re: Wemco Williams Star Reloader

« on: September 11, 2009, 04:31:15 pm »

I got an e-mail recently from a fellow whose father bought the rights to the Tri-Standard.  Apparently he has several operational machines.  Don't know if any are for sale but...

85

Star Reloaders / Re: Star sizer & Potter Duplex

« on: August 04, 2009, 12:43:29 am »

Just before I retired back in 97 I sold my gun collection, gun books and reloading equipment to Ron Peterson Guns in Albuquerque.  Over the next year or so I helped him write ads for the stuff.  Don't know if he sold the Potters or not. 

86

Star Reloaders / Re: Star sizer & Potter Duplex

« on: July 21, 2009, 12:48:17 am »

More years ago than I can remember I wrote a history of the Potter tools.  It is either in the Handloader's Digest or Gun Digest but, unfortunately, I don't know which publication nor witch issue.  The piece wasn't very popular I afraid.

87

Star History / Re: Early in line Star Reloaders Photographs

« on: June 23, 2009, 01:03:21 am »

Elord Mott gave me one in 32 S&W Long.  Worked beautifully.  When I sold my press collections that went with it.  Really wish I had kept all my Stars.

88

Star History / Re: Star Price History

« on: March 26, 2009, 11:13:10 am »

Saved all my Star invoices.  Prices from them were

Star Universal with carbine die 5/15/75 $450
Star Universal 223/pistol tool 12/3/85 $1050

Also found that I ordered a 32 ACP and 475 Wildey tool heads

All the others must not have been bought from Star directly.

89

Star History / Re: 1985 Handloader Article about Star

« on: February 24, 2009, 01:43:53 pm »

Was hoping a picture of the straight line as included, but none the less a very interesting article.

Ellord Mott gave me his star straightline.  I didn't want all my photographs of these and other old progressives to go into the trash someday after I was gone so I gave them to the folkes at http://www.antiquereloadingtools.org/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi.  They should have quite a few pictures of my star straightline. Ken Neeld probably has them now.

90

Star History / Re: 1985 Handloader Article about Star

« on: February 24, 2009, 10:24:32 am »

A short article from Handloader Magazine 1985 by K.L. Waters:

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/hl115partial.pdf

I've lost track of the hundreds of times someone thought that I wrote one of Ken Water's articles.  Certainly keeps your ego in check.  But this is the first time someone thought that Ken wrote one of my articles.