Mystery loading press

[chadface]

I have one of those. My primer feeder is missing parts, so I cant use it to prime. But it's a bad *** piece. Works really nice for BIG stuff like .308 and 45-70. I can't remember if I used it to reload 30 carbine or not, I must have cause I didn't have another press at the time.

My lower links are steel. I would go out an measure them for you but the press is buried under a mountain of crap - I am having drywall installed in my shop and it is a HUGE mess.

Glad to hear is it not a POS! No need to go measure it, I do not think they can be any longer without interfering with the base. Do you normally run the dies all the way down to the shell holder?

I put some washers under the shell holder and it is now reaching if I remove the lock nut on the die and run it all the way down. Only problem is the primer seat will not reach now

I just tried to deprime a 30-06 shell with no luck, it would not get the primer out and was hard to press. the brass was korean surplus which may have been the problem. I am going to try a remington one in a moment, it is tumbling now.

[finyllw]

I just went out to look at it, I was wrong. The links are alum. With the handle all the way down, the shell holder is about 1/4" away from the bottom of the turret. I know I have been able to turn the dies down far enough to touch the shell holder. Maybe the difference is newer dies vs old ones???

When I do my .308 I have to use alot of lube, maybe there is not enough leverage to run cases dry and get away with it.

[chadface]

I just went out to look at it, I was wrong. The links are alum. With the handle all the way down, the shell holder is about 1/4" away from the bottom of the turret. I know I have been able to turn the dies down far enough to touch the shell holder. Maybe the difference is newer dies vs old ones???

When I do my .308 I have to use alot of lube, maybe there is not enough leverage to run cases dry and get away with it.

This is good news! A member of casboolits mentioned that the issue could be with how the handle is attached. I am going to try that this evening and see if it does the trick. Fingers crossed
As it sits, when the handle all the way down, it is a good 2" from the turret. Also, it looks like when the dies are set right and everything is good, the turret can be rotated without any problems.

[chadface]

Well, after lots of guess and check, it looks like the linkage is too short on mine. I have no idea how or why but that seems to be the case.
Here is the other forum where the friendly folks at castboolits helped me figure it out:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?180329-mystery-press

Thanks to those who helped me figure this out!! I am off to find a machinist who can make some new ones for me

[spy-d]

Looks like an old Hollywood Press.
Haven't seen one of them for years.