"New" herters press

[Stats Shooter]

I just got a Herters Model 3 press. It appears to be in great condition. NO rust anywhere, everything is tight. Came with an RCBS shell holder adapter. I paid $20. I was looking for a decent C type press for odd jobs around the reloading shop but didn't want the Lee "C" press due to the weaker aluminum frame.

Is this press decent? Especially for $20? I don't know anything about them

[condor bravo]

Yes that press is decent and you got it at a terrific price. Even though I've got two, I would get a third one at that price. Do you know if you got the newer model? Identified by a platform extending outward from the frame adjacent to the ram when lowered. This model will hold the handle in the upward position without having to hold it which is a plus. This is a very powerful press and in another thread I suggested that the OP try to get one.

[F. Guffey]

A reloader with shop skills can fix the Herter press, by design it tried to hurt the user, the handle will fall and cause the ram to raise. To cure the Herter press of droopy handle it is necessary to drill a hole through the frame body and into the ram, after drilling the hole the reloader is required to tap the hole and then add a detent ball and spring with a plug for the hole to secure the detent spring and ball, all the reloader is required to do is increase the spring pressure by screwing the plug into the hole further and further and further until it stops falling. The seat for the detent ball can be lapped for fit.

And then there are the set screws that hold the shell holder, careful; when lowering the ram contact surface is limited, when a case is stuck in the die remove the set screws to remove the doe with the stuck case and then remove the shell holder.

When securing the shell holder to the ram do not get all Godzilla, it is very easy to spread the top of the ram with the set screws, and do not forget to screw the screws in far enough to clear the press when the ram is lowered.

And then? The good news, you now own a cam over press, the cam over press is a bump press, when the ram goes up it stops and then starts down, to lower the ram the ram must go up before it can start down. The raising and lowering of the ram when changing directions is where the press got its name as in 'bump press'.

AND NOW! Reloaders are throwing the word 'bump' into ever function 0f the press like 'I bump this' and 'I bump that'.

F. Guffey

[condor bravo]

However, with the newer model press as described all the above is done from the factory. No need to be a skilled machinist. But at $20 even the older model is a very good buy.

[F. Guffey]

However, with the newer model press as described all the above is done from the factory. No need to be a skilled machinist.

Back to the old says: We installed the detent before the factory started installing the detent in their last model.

F. Guffey

[F. Guffey]

I was trying to 'Segway' split barrels into pressure traces and then suddenly and without warning my response disappeared or I posted the response to the wrong question or forum etc., I could just start over

F. Guffey

[condor bravo]

It appears you posted in the wrong thread, but that's OK. Any post is better than none.

[FrankenMauser]

Good press. Great price.
Better linkage than the contemporary Pacific C presses.


I think I paid $25 for my last Pacific. It was covered in all sorts of nastiness, required rust removal and treatment, and is still sitting on the floor in the guns/reloading overflow area...

[Stats Shooter]

Here it is


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[IMG][/IMG]

[condor bravo]

OK, that's the new model; you made a great purchase.

[Stats Shooter]

It seems to be built very well. I had to have it when I saw it. I'm not sure if there is a new c press on the market as rugged as this thing is..... definately not for the money. Paid less for this than the Lee C "press".

The Pacific C looks decent if you can find one of those

[disseminator]

Sweet old press! I definitely would buy that for $20

[F. Guffey]

I posted a picture of my Herter shell holders, and then? A member claimed I did not have as many shell holders as he had.

I have the 2 Ram Herter, it requires 2 shell holders meaning I have 40+ Herter shell holders. Point? My favorite shell holder is the RCBS shell holder, it fits the case like a hand-me-down short, the RCBS shell holder only fits the case where it touches.

POINT? There is .011" clearance between the case head and deck of the RCBS shell holder, the clearance makes aligning the case with the die difficult when raising the ram on a Herter press. The Adapt-ter kit is nice if the reloaders does not have Herter shell holders but there is a good chance the neck of the case will bump the bottom of the die before it aligns.

For me; the Herter shell holder has other advantages but not for other reloaders because they never mention advantages and disadvantages outside of 'there is an adapter kit available'.

F. Guffey

[Stats Shooter]

POINT? There is .011" clearance between the case head and deck of the RCBS shell holder, the clearance makes aligning the case with the die difficult when raising the ram on a Herter press. The Adapt-ter kit is nice if the reloaders does not have Herter shell holders but there is a good chance the neck of the case will bump the bottom of the die before it aligns.

Guffey I assume you are talking about longer bottle neck cases like belted mags or '06 Family of cases? Probably be ok on .308 length cases and straight walled cases like 30-30. I mean with the RCBS adapter.

If I was going to use this thing frequently I would go look around for the Herters shell holders. Heck maybe I will anyway, at least for longer cases.

[Stats Shooter]

And another question, what about the Herters Turret press? I've got a line on one of those for $40

[condor bravo]

Post #13 by Guffey makes a valid point regarding clearance when using the RCBS shell holder adapter. You might just want to have on hand the three common Herter's shell holders:

#1 for '06/.45 acp type cases
#5 for .223 rem et al cases
#8 for .375 et al belted mag cases

Now that you have this superb press, no telling how many friends will be stopping around wanting to use it.

[F. Guffey]

And another question, what about the Herters Turret press? I've got a line on one of those for $40

I have one, $40.00 is a bargain, the press has its advantages forming cases, Most Herter turrets have 6 positions, in the old days it was possible to have an additional 6 positions added.

F. Guffey

[Stats Shooter]

I have one, $40.00 is a bargain

Yes I thought so.

A gentleman of advanced years is substantially downsizing his reloading operation. He told me that with the money from selling equipment he hasn't used in over 15 years, or for cartridges he no longer has, he is going to resupply his stockpile of components.

And while everyone else is buying stuff you can get new, for nearly new prices like dies, Lyman Tmag presses etc...I'm getting stuff you can't just go buy new, at prices that are way less than the "new" equivalent, if there even is a new equivalent.

I have shied away from"c" presses so far because most of them just are not very strong. But this Herters press, while I wouldn't form cases with it, would size about anything I think.

[F. Guffey]

I have shied away from"c" presses so far because most of them just are not very strong. But this Herters press, while I wouldn't form cases with it, would size about anything I think.

Herter did test on their triple web 'C' type presses and made comparisons to other presses. They had a few presses that required reinforcements, They added a strap across the front down down to the frame.

'O' type presses are not except, for years I have used a feeler gage to determine if the press won or the case won, there are times the press can not overcome the cases ability to resist sizing.

I also have the two ram Herter press and the 'U' type, these two presses are made like a refrigerator with a head.

F. Guffey

[RC20]

Mississippi:

That press looks like it came out of a black smith shop in the 1900s!

Never had a C press, looks like it could crimp the side armor onto a battleship.

Cool. I like the older stuff.

[Stats Shooter]

I have to laugh....

I just spent 50% more money on shell holders for the press than I spent on the press. I got a Herters #1 for 30-06 like cases, a #8 for .375 HH belted magnum case family, a #7 for 45-70 like cases, and one of them came with a #22 for 44mag/sp.

For now I don't think I need Herters shell holders for short cases.....308 and below as I will use the adapter.

[F. Guffey]

Guffey I assume you are talking about longer bottle neck cases like belted mags or '06 Family of cases?

The clearance between the deck of the shell holder and case head does not change when going from 308 w to 30/06 cases because the shell holder is the same, the shell holder for the 30/06 and 308 W RCBS shell holder is #3.

Other advantages no one else talks about: When I hammer a case head with a heavy load it will no longer fit the Herter shell holder. For years and years I have always used a gasket cutting ball peen hammer when driving cases into the Herter shell holder.

F. Guffey

[F. Guffey]

Back to my favorite shell holder: When sizing cases for short chambers I use the RCBS shell holder because it fits like a hand me down shirt.

To shorten a case from the shoulder to the case head .011" all I have to do is raise the case head up off of the deck of the shell holder with a feeler gage. All other reloadrs grind the bottom of the die or the top of the shell holder and then there is that thing they do with Skips shims.

And then there are the Redding competition shell holders, the reloader gets a little confused with that one, the reloader can add to the length of the case between the shoulder and case head when sizing the case. Many of them believe they are moving the shoulder back when sizing, believe me, I have tried that one but I found it is impossible to move the shoulder back and I have found it impossible to move the shoulder back with a die that has case body support.

F. Guffey

[Stats Shooter]

Back to my favorite shell holder: When sizing cases for short chambers I use the RCBS shell holder because it fits like a hand me down shirt.

To shorten a case from the shoulder to the case head .011" all I have to do is raise the case head up off of the deck of the shell holder with a feeler gage. All other reloadrs grind the bottom of the die or the top of the shell holder and then there is that thing they do with Skips shims.

Right,

I get that Guffey. I was illuding to a comment you made about the RCBS adapter being taller and therefore difficult to use the press with long cases. And essentially the Herters shell holders were shorter due to no adapter being in there and thus easier to work with longer belted magnum cases etc.

[F. Guffey]

Right,

The adapter kit adds height, it is not so much the height but the fit between the case and shell holder, when raising the ram I am required to guide the case into the bottom of the die and then there is the primer punch sticking out the bottom of the die.

And then there is the seating die, my favorite seating die for the Herter is the seating die with the window in the side for case neck/bullet alignment. Back in the old days they had a seating die that was called 'universal'.

F. Guffey