Ch REloaders

rangermonroe · March 22, 2005, 12:56 PM

I have a ch mk v reloader

Does anyone know anything about these?

The cases aren't advancing far enough to be "caught "by the notches in the front bar, and I can't see any way to adjust the travel distance.

Jim Watson · March 22, 2005, 02:48 PM

I have a Mk IV and the illustration in an old Handloader's Digest shows them to be similar except your Mk V has the primer feed moved to the back of the machine for greater safety.

If it is really the same on the advance system...

Look on the left side of the machine where the black "clevis" rocks down to push the cartridge slide from left to right. On the left edge of the top plate of the machine is the "clevis pawl" which hooks under the corner of the "clevis" to move it as the top plate moves up on the upstroke of the handle. It is spring loaded to snap over the clevis on the handle downstroke. The screw that holds the "clevis pawl" in against its spring can be turned to give a small range of adjustment to the "clevis" movement. Adjust by backing it out about a quarter turn at a time.

If yours is like mine, this will help for a while but not long. I have found that The Cure is to take the "clevis pawl" clear out, clean it, the spring, the screw, and the hole very thoroughly and lubricate with oil being careful not to drip around powder and primer handling, of course. When mine starts short shifting the brass, I will tweak the screw a time or two and then give up and clean and lube the "clevis pawl." It goes back to its original position with normal operation for a reasonable length of time.

If yours is different from mine or if cleaning, lubing, and adjusting the "clevis pawl" does not help, C-H still has some parts and some people who know how the Autochamps work and will talk to you. Their insuror is scared of progressive loaders and they will not sell new units or work on old ones.

If that fails, go to TheHighRoad.org and get in touch with Paul "Fitz" Jones. He was closely associated with the old-line reloading companies like C-H, Star, and SAECO and literally wrote the book on dealing with the early progressives. If anybody knows, he will.

rangermonroe · March 22, 2005, 04:07 PM

Thanks very much!

I was afraid tht your answer would be as it was.

I had located that pin by the clevis, and , as you said, it helped but not for long.

I guess that I will resign myself to cleaning it out. I hope that it is not overly difficlut.

Jim Watson · March 22, 2005, 05:18 PM

Not complicated, there is only the pawl, the screw, and the spring. Just eyeball the protrusion so you can go back to the same setting after you have cleaned and lubed the parts AND the hole... a Q-tip works for that. I just hope it helps on yours as much as it did mine. I did not discover the need for cleaning until replacing the pawl with a new one furnished by C-H.

rangermonroe · March 22, 2005, 05:32 PM

I just cleaned it and reassembled.

It is still kind of hit or miss with the case advancing.

It sure functions a lot smoother though!

I have two of these things and decided to set one up for my 357 sig.

It came from th e factory set up for a 38sp, but the square rails fit inside the extractor groove almost perfectly, so I dont believe that I'll need to chase down a set of beveled rails.

When were these things popular?

It is as stout as a paint can full of sinkers.

rangermonroe · March 22, 2005, 05:38 PM

Oh, I didn't do the pawl, just the sliding tray thing.

I'll go try the pawl now.

rangermonroe · March 22, 2005, 05:53 PM

Ok, that was the ticket

It workes as smooth at glass now

Thanks Jim

Jim Watson · March 22, 2005, 09:25 PM

Glad it helped, for some reason that device needs to be clean enough to eat off of.

I got mine in 1978 for about $470, as discounted by the old J&G Rifle Ranch at that. More then than a Dillon now, but Stars were Expen$ive. I know of one other in town and he got it because he couldn't find a Green Machine, the similar RCBS loader. Good thing, he is a machinist and has helped me out on mine several times.

klw · March 22, 2005, 11:27 PM

Circular progressives, like the Star if you know what that is, were invented by Winchester in the 1890. The Star was a scaled down version patented in the late 1930's. The Star dominated the progressive market until Mike Dillon came along in, if memory serves, the early 70's.

In the 30 another kind of progressive appeared, the straightline like your CH. The original inventor was a man named Newcomb. Once upon a time I owned his prototype straightline. Newcomb sold the design to Buchanan just before WWII. Nothing much came of it. After the was two brothers, name Gurstenburger, formed the Police Equipment Company, PESCO, and had at that design again. They literally made the machines in their basement.

CH has been around a long time. My knowledge of them only started with their move to Owen Wisconsin. Tony Sailer, who would eventually come to manage CH, wanted to compete with Star, the only progressive maker of the time, the late 50's. He thought that the Gurstenburger machine had promise so he started the CH straightline design. It was nothing more than a slightly modified Gurstenburger. Took of the somewhat elaborate base. Tony, who I know, patented his machine even though the Gerstenburger patent was still in force.

Over the years Tony improved his machine. CH never made a single part. They farmed all that out to subcontractors. One of those was Cougar & Hunter who made a similar machine for awhile.

Tony is still alive and living in Owen. His machines never rivaled Star as he had hoped. Eventually Dillon, who actually had Star's help in designing his first "kit" for turning Stars into 223 rifle machines and had their help in designing the RL1000 killed both companies (Star & CH) off. CH was never any serious problem but Star might have been. Mike repaid them by destroying them. Friends like that...

So the CH machines were never popular. They spawned to others, the Cougar & Hunter and the RCBS Green Machine. Neither of which did very well. CH was probably at its height in the very early to middle 70 but it was never a big deal.

rangermonroe · March 24, 2005, 07:11 PM

Very interesting.

Do you have any idea when mine was built? I searched through the owners manual for any type of copyright date. I could find none.

One interesting note..."You should not smoke during this part of the procedure..", I thought that was interesting that was mentioned.

March 22, 2005, 12:56 PM	#1
rangermonroe Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2005 Location: savannah Posts: 758	Ch REloaders I have a ch mk v reloader Does anyone know anything about these? The cases aren't advancing far enough to be "caught "by the notches in the front bar, and I can't see any way to adjust the travel distance.

March 22, 2005, 11:27 PM	#9
klw Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2005 Posts: 118	When were these thing popular Circular progressives, like the Star if you know what that is, were invented by Winchester in the 1890. The Star was a scaled down version patented in the late 1930's. The Star dominated the progressive market until Mike Dillon came along in, if memory serves, the early 70's. In the 30 another kind of progressive appeared, the straightline like your CH. The original inventor was a man named Newcomb. Once upon a time I owned his prototype straightline. Newcomb sold the design to Buchanan just before WWII. Nothing much came of it. After the was two brothers, name Gurstenburger, formed the Police Equipment Company, PESCO, and had at that design again. They literally made the machines in their basement. CH has been around a long time. My knowledge of them only started with their move to Owen Wisconsin. Tony Sailer, who would eventually come to manage CH, wanted to compete with Star, the only progressive maker of the time, the late 50's. He thought that the Gurstenburger machine had promise so he started the CH straightline design. It was nothing more than a slightly modified Gurstenburger. Took of the somewhat elaborate base. Tony, who I know, patented his machine even though the Gerstenburger patent was still in force. Over the years Tony improved his machine. CH never made a single part. They farmed all that out to subcontractors. One of those was Cougar & Hunter who made a similar machine for awhile. Tony is still alive and living in Owen. His machines never rivaled Star as he had hoped. Eventually Dillon, who actually had Star's help in designing his first "kit" for turning Stars into 223 rifle machines and had their help in designing the RL1000 killed both companies (Star & CH) off. CH was never any serious problem but Star might have been. Mike repaid them by destroying them. Friends like that... So the CH machines were never popular. They spawned to others, the Cougar & Hunter and the RCBS Green Machine. Neither of which did very well. CH was probably at its height in the very early to middle 70 but it was never a big deal.

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March 22, 2005, 02:48 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	I have a Mk IV and the illustration in an old Handloader's Digest shows them to be similar except your Mk V has the primer feed moved to the back of the machine for greater safety. If it is really the same on the advance system... Look on the left side of the machine where the black "clevis" rocks down to push the cartridge slide from left to right. On the left edge of the top plate of the machine is the "clevis pawl" which hooks under the corner of the "clevis" to move it as the top plate moves up on the upstroke of the handle. It is spring loaded to snap over the clevis on the handle downstroke. The screw that holds the "clevis pawl" in against its spring can be turned to give a small range of adjustment to the "clevis" movement. Adjust by backing it out about a quarter turn at a time. If yours is like mine, this will help for a while but not long. I have found that The Cure is to take the "clevis pawl" clear out, clean it, the spring, the screw, and the hole very thoroughly and lubricate with oil being careful not to drip around powder and primer handling, of course. When mine starts short shifting the brass, I will tweak the screw a time or two and then give up and clean and lube the "clevis pawl." It goes back to its original position with normal operation for a reasonable length of time. If yours is different from mine or if cleaning, lubing, and adjusting the "clevis pawl" does not help, C-H still has some parts and some people who know how the Autochamps work and will talk to you. Their insuror is scared of progressive loaders and they will not sell new units or work on old ones. If that fails, go to TheHighRoad.org and get in touch with Paul "Fitz" Jones. He was closely associated with the old-line reloading companies like C-H, Star, and SAECO and literally wrote the book on dealing with the early progressives. If anybody knows, he will.

March 22, 2005, 04:07 PM	#3
rangermonroe Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2005 Location: savannah Posts: 758	Thanks very much! I was afraid tht your answer would be as it was. I had located that pin by the clevis, and , as you said, it helped but not for long. I guess that I will resign myself to cleaning it out. I hope that it is not overly difficlut.

March 22, 2005, 05:18 PM	#4
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	Not complicated, there is only the pawl, the screw, and the spring. Just eyeball the protrusion so you can go back to the same setting after you have cleaned and lubed the parts AND the hole... a Q-tip works for that. I just hope it helps on yours as much as it did mine. I did not discover the need for cleaning until replacing the pawl with a new one furnished by C-H.

March 22, 2005, 05:32 PM	#5
rangermonroe Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2005 Location: savannah Posts: 758	I just cleaned it and reassembled. It is still kind of hit or miss with the case advancing. It sure functions a lot smoother though! I have two of these things and decided to set one up for my 357 sig. It came from th e factory set up for a 38sp, but the square rails fit inside the extractor groove almost perfectly, so I dont believe that I'll need to chase down a set of beveled rails. When were these things popular? It is as stout as a paint can full of sinkers.

March 22, 2005, 05:38 PM	#6
rangermonroe Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2005 Location: savannah Posts: 758	Oh, I didn't do the pawl, just the sliding tray thing. I'll go try the pawl now.

March 22, 2005, 05:53 PM	#7
rangermonroe Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2005 Location: savannah Posts: 758	Ok, that was the ticket It workes as smooth at glass now Thanks Jim

March 22, 2005, 09:25 PM	#8
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	Glad it helped, for some reason that device needs to be clean enough to eat off of. I got mine in 1978 for about $470, as discounted by the old J&G Rifle Ranch at that. More then than a Dillon now, but Stars were Expen$ive. I know of one other in town and he got it because he couldn't find a Green Machine, the similar RCBS loader. Good thing, he is a machinist and has helped me out on mine several times.

March 24, 2005, 07:11 PM	#10
rangermonroe Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2005 Location: savannah Posts: 758	Very interesting. Do you have any idea when mine was built? I searched through the owners manual for any type of copyright date. I could find none. One interesting note..."You should not smoke during this part of the procedure..", I thought that was interesting that was mentioned.