Pacific Power C Press (And Comical Story)

[CarlGeorge]

Given all the time my wife and I have available these days we've decided to attack the attic over the garage. It has acquired 30+ years of scrap lumber, old boxes, etc. She's up there handing stuff down to me and she starts handing me old ammo boxes with fired .270 cases in them. Powder measure. "Just hand me the box." "I can't. There's a big heavy thing in it."

It's an old Pacific Power C press. I really started laughing. It was my dad's. I got it before I started reloading. But when I started (5+ yrs ago) I thought I'd given it to a relative. But I had it. We sometimes find cool little things in our parents' or friends' houses. But in your own house?

Were these presses considered good? OK? Not so great? Aesthetically it's in great shape. The ram movement is a little rough. But I'm sure after a disassembly, probably a little steel wool, and some lube, it would be just fine.

Thanks.

CG

 

[Rustytigwire]

Dad, looking down, rolls his eyes proudly, "He found it!"
Press looks pretty clean, great find!

 

[Twicepop]

I started reloading with one of these. I sold it to purchase a RCBS Rock Chucker, there's been several times over the years I wish I would have kept it.

 

[RegionRat]

My vote is to clean it up and use it. One day, you will tell some kid that it belonged to your dad, tell them about your dad the story of how you came to rediscover the press..., then tell them that when it becomes theirs, they should tell the story too...

 

[CarlGeorge]

Dad, looking down, rolls his eyes proudly, "He found it!"
Press looks pretty clean, great find!

Not sure about the "proudly" part. Maybe "disgustingly" would be more likely. Although losing something in the attic is COMPLETELY and UTTERLY in the realm of something he would've done. So I'd be able to razz him right back. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

 

[Ned Ludd]

If you decide to clean it up and use it, the relative precision of whatever ammo you turn out is really only a minor consideration. Using your Dad's old press to load rounds would be priceless.

 

[R.Morehouse]

If you plug in high quality dies it should serve you well...........I use a few Hollywood Seniors and couldn't be happier with the quality & operation........Very Nice Find.

Regards
Rick

 

[7887mm08]

Although i use a rockchucker press as my main press i still use an old Herters press also.
Looks very similar to your press. Turns out great for me ammo.

 

[Bill K]

I started loading with a C-H "C" press, which I believe is what Pacific copied, when they brought theirs out back in the fifty's. They both are good presses and I still use my C-H along with the Rockchucker. That C-H press was bought in about 1953 when I started reloading with a 30-06 rifle. Bill K

 

[Bill K]

Although i use a rockchucker press as my main press i still use an old Herters press also.
Looks very similar to your press. Turns out great for me ammo.

The Herter's press I bought years ago is the very heavy, double ram model, is that the one you have or the single ram ? They were build to last forever.

 

[Pawnee Bill]

"Were these presses considered good? OK? Not so great?"
Pacific presses was a good press. It was a little beefier than most "C" presses of the day. It's a great find. I would clean it up and put it on my bench just for nostalgia.

 

[biggun2869]

There was an article in PS that checked the deflection of quite a few presses and suprisingly (at least to me) the open front presses did pretty well. Use it!

 

[7887mm08]

The Herter's press I bought years ago is the very heavy, double ram model, is that the one you have or the single ram ? They were build to last forever.

Mine is the single ram, and yes it is "heavy duty".

 

[jds holler]

There isn't a reason in the world to not use those old C's for most single stage steps needed for pistol and intermediate cartridges.. I looks like that one would probably work with the RCBS auto primer attachment.

For a lot of tasks the open front is pretty handy. I'd damn sure use it for pushing bullets through a Lee sizer die. jd

 

[Fast14riot]

I have a Lee C frame mounted on the end of my bench dedicated to decapping. Could always just use a universal die mounted in it for that.

 

[CarlGeorge]

Thanks all. Interesting comments.

For a while I was considering cleaning it up and putting it on my (small) bench and keeping it dedicated for decapping. However I spoke with my nephew who lives close by. He (considerately) asked if my son was interested in it. I told him he wasn't. Then he said "It would be a shame to lose it." I offered it to him and he accepted. He's a thoughtful and considerate guy. So he'll be using his Grandpa's press - and if his sons use it then they'll be using great-grandpa's press.

It also worked out because in the box with the press were a bunch of .270 empties, virtually unused .270 dies, and 200 .270 bullets. Last summer I introduced this nephew to the NRA Whittington Center and High Power Silhouette and he had a ball.....to the point he told me was considering getting a .270 for hunting and use on silhouette.

I'm glad it's with someone who appreciates the history of it - and remembers his grandpa's love of guns and his gun room.

Thanks again for the comments.

CG

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Thats a great press. Dont worry about the C press haters- they cant even measure press deflection much less find it. Look at that logo and the city it was made and see if you recognize where they went and why theres no more pacific. I wish i had one just like it.

 

[Intheshop]

I passed one on to my #3 son,he uses it as a decapping station and loves it.

 

[JFrank]

I’m with Dusty on this one, it’s a great press and them haters can’t even spell C press so heck with them Pilgrims........
J

 

[jdh47]

It's not so much what you've got as it is how you use it. I have a couple of those C presses and use them. My son and grandkids will wait until the last minute before deer season to inform me they need more ammo and I set them up around the shop and load their stuff without having to change out dies that I am using at the time. I also will use them for my own ammo when I need to. They work well. My theory is you can't have too many presses or other reloading stuff for that matter.