Herter's Super Model 3 ... what's it worth & info

[Flip]

Hi All,

I got this from my dad and I'm not sure what to do with it. It's a Herter's Super Model 3 press and it is S-O-L-I-D but it does have some surface rust. I did some checking around on some other boards and those guys said you can still get stuff for it here: http://www.vegatool.com/

Pics:






Am I better off keeping this as a backup press or is it worth something.

Thanks,
Flip

[gyrfalcon]

It's worth thousands of dollars if you can find the right buyer for it!

Otherwise it's an old rusty piece of history that would look real nice if you refinished it.

[rugersol]

Damn! ... and here, just last week, I pissed away $20 on a brand new anchor!

[Bessy]

Dude that's pretty awesome. I'm not sure if it's economically feasable to use it for reloading. I've got an old pacific, that I started on, but it takes modern shell plates and dies.

[user293]

Damn! ... and here, just last week, I pissed away $20 on a brand new anchor!

[Squib Joe]

Good for cracking walnuts I bet

[gyrfalcon]

If you have a sandblaster and some free time on your hands you can restore it:

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=65758



Apparently some folks like to restore old presses and collect them like baseball cards. Which is ironic since they both seem to have the same value.

[Shipyard]

Apparently some folks like to restore old presses and collect them like baseball cards. Which is ironic since they both seem to have the same value.

that's not ironic - it's coincidental. but i bet it would go really great in a mid-90's pop song....

[Stradawhovious]

Apparently some folks like to restore old presses and collect them like baseball cards. Which is ironic since they both seem to have the same value.

that's not ironic - it's coincidental. but i bet it would go really great in a mid-90's pop song....

Its like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife. Kind of like rain on your wedding day.

Wait, there isn't any irony in those things either! Stoopid Alanis morrisette.

As far as the press is concerned, Id bet that if put back to working condition it would do it''s job longer than you would be alive to use it. I would certainly love to have it for my bench, but I'm afraid it isn't worth much money, espically missing parts.

[gyrfalcon]

As far as the press is concerned, Id bet that if put back to working condition it would do it''s job longer than you would be alive to use it. I would certainly love to have it for my bench, but I'm afraid it isn't worth much money, espically missing parts.

What parts are missing? Parts should be easy to find, it's your time refinishing it that would cost the most.

[Stradawhovious]

What parts are missing? Parts should be easy to find, it's your time refinishing it that would cost the most.

Priming mechanism. Don't get me wrong, as a press it should work just fine without it after being cleaned up a bit, and the OP would do well to keep it and use it, but it probably won't tip the scales as the most valuable item seen on the antiques roadshow, that's all.

[gyrfalcon]

Well...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Reloading-4-priming ... 0494901976 <-- $2.80 so far for this auction on priming arms.
http://cgi.ebay.com/PACIFIC-RELOADING-P ... 0671676511 <-- $10 + 10 shipping so far on this Pacific press which is a clone of the Herters

[westhope]

I've had a Herter's "O" frame press that I still use for my single stage press. Probably 40 years old. The "O" frame press was Herter's top of the line single stage press at the time. It is heavy as heck but extremely rigid since it is an enclosed "O" frame rather than an open "C" frame as most presses. Heavy cast iron frame too. I have formed many obsolete cases on it.

I did modify the de-priming system. Sometimes the old primers would get stuck in the channel when they were removed. I just machined the channel deeper and it has worked fine ever since.

I have many Herter's shell holders for it. I have an adapter to convert from Herter's to RCBS shell holders if I need to.

I can't imagine ever wearing the thing out. I have a Dillon 650 for my progressive press.

[DanM]

Well...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Reloading-4-priming ... 0494901976 <-- $2.80 so far for this auction on priming arms.
http://cgi.ebay.com/PACIFIC-RELOADING-P ... 0671676511 <-- $10 + 10 shipping so far on this Pacific press which is a clone of the Herters

The Pacific reloading tool was the forerunner of todays reloading presses, not a clone of Herter's. A little reloading history: Pacific was THE reloading tool in the early days of metalic reloading. Phil Sharpe mentions and illustrates the 'Pacific tool' in his classic reloading manuals first published in 1937. Elmer Keith used the Pacific press in his cartridge development. His reloading setup is pictured in 'Sixguns Cartridges And Loads' published in December 1936. This website has some history on Pacific reloading tools http://pacificreloaders.awardspace.com/History.htm from which the following is excerpted:


The Pacific Gunsight company opened its doors in the early 1920’s at 353 Hays St, San Francisco, Calif. About 1953 they moved to 2901 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, Calif. Pacific was then sold to R.R. Deitemeyer of DL Products Co maker of Deitemeyer shotshell loaders. The tool colors changed to blue with the move from California to P.O. Box 4495 Lincoln, Nebraska in 1960. While in Lincoln, Pacific tools were made by Bair Machine Company until there was a parting of the ways in 1969. This resulted in Bair offering the same Pacific tools under their own name. In 1972 the company name was changed to Pacific Tool Company while the address remained the same. In 1974 came another change, the address was moved to P.O. Drawer 2048, Ordnance Plant Rd., Grand Island, Nebraska. Pacific was now a part of Hornady. By 1992 the Pacific name had been dropped as Hornady began offering reloading tools under its own name.

Way back in 1928, Pacific introduced the world's first 'C' -frame reloading press. This was the start of today's concept of reloading. And later Pacific followed with many other innovations - like the 7/8" x 14 dies now used throughout the industry, the universal primer arm, and the removable head shell holders - that established Pacific as the leader in making rifle/pistol cartridge reloading easier and better. In shotshell reloading, it's been the same story. Pacific was first with a complete shotshell reloading manual, first with a built-in wad guide, and first with many other pace-setting innovations. And Pacific's revolutionary DL-200 (forerunner of the DL-266) probably did more than any other loader to popularize shotshell reloading in this country.