Gentlemen!

I have a pacific press that was given to me from my grandfather. I have dies that will fit alot of calibers but I have some specific needs that have come up recently and I do not know where to come up some of the calibers I need,(.30-30 and on...), as far as dies are concerned. Just wondering if I am a$$ out or if I can get something that I can use. Got real familiar to this press and do not want to get another.


EA

I'm not really sure what your question is but, the Pacific presses that I have used and owned in the past took the standard 7/8 x 14 dies.

Hey EA, I'm guessing Dennis is correct, but there is a simple way to know for sure.

Take one of your Dies and screw it into the Pacific. Then un-screw it, take it to a Gun Shop and see if it will screw into an RCBS Rock Chucker(all Gun Shops have them). If it does screw in the same as it did in the Pacific, then it is for sure the 7/8-14 and you can purchase any current Die Set to fit your Press.

i have a super C pacific press, it takes standard dies, all the pacific presses do, as well as shellholders.

I too have an old Pacific press. I also have several sets of Pacific dies. All are 7/8x14. If you pm me with your die needs, I have several sets of Pacific, RCBS and others for sale.

By the way, the old Pacific presses put out handloads that are on a par with any of the newer presses.

It's a bit difficult to figure out just what the question is here. It is just that he needs different dies from what he has, shell holders, or it it just that the press is old enough to have the shell hold integral with the ram?

The very early Pacific "C" presses had cartridge specific rams. That is, it would only handle cases with say, the 30-06 size case heads, or maybe 30-30. I'm not sure if this is his problem or not, or if it's just a case that he needs dies for certain cartridges and shell holders for the same.

Be that as it may, Pacific did go to the interchangable shellholders we now all use, so if that is the case, he might be able to get a new ram from Hornady. They now handle the Pacific line.

It really would help if we had more details.
Paul B.

You can buy used reloading equipment on eBay. It is also a good idea to check the local gunshows and pawnshops.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul B:
...The very early Pacific "C" presses had cartridge specific rams. That is, it would only handle cases with say, the 30-06 size case heads, or maybe 30-30. I'm not sure if this is his problem or not, ...

Hey Paul, Even though I didn't start this thread I just want to say Thank You for that information. I sure don't remember them like that, but don't doubt you at all.

Now he definitely needs to check to see if it accepts Removeable Shell Holders or if he needs to change Rams.

Hot Core. The first reloading press I bought was one of those Pacifics. I was working part time at this gun shop when I decided to take up reloading. The press had the early type ram, and when I went to buy it, the store owner, my boss, told me to hold off, that Pacific was making a change in the rams to one that took the interchangable shell holders. I took his advice. I tstill have that old press laying around somewhere, and it did yeoman service. The only problem I ever had with it was they used a teeny tiny allen head set screw to hold the shell holders in place and it was easy as hell to strip the damn things. I've always thought I might have it drilled and tapped to hold a bigger screw, but one day, back in 1975, I got a smokin' deal on a Rockchucker and the old Pacific got retired. Frankly, I found that old Pacific much faster to work with when doing a lot of handgun rounds. Of course, now tht I have a Dillon, well, guess it'll stay retired.
Paul B.

Hey Paul, Nice story. Have you considered setting it up with a Universal Deprimer just to knock the spent Primers out?

Occasionally I'll come across an old Press at a Gun Show or Gun Shop that they have priced so low they are almost giving them away. Didn't see a need for one in the way until I snatched up a Universal Deprimer. Any Press would do for this job, even the old really cheap Lees that they gave away with the Load Manuals years ago.

Have been thinking about the inexpensive Orange $20 Lyman(I think they are the ones) which can be used non-mounted, or reverse the handle and it can be mounted.

I had a Pacific Shotshell reloader set up for 3" .410 Shells. Traded it and that 870 to a buddy for a rifle. Nice press which worked just fine.

Gentlemen-
I do apologise that when I originally posted, I was a bit tired and was shopping for dies most of the afternoon. After reading the responses I realized it was worded all wrong. I was looking for an interchangable shellholder ram rather than "dies". The Pacific press that I have has never been painted. Looks like a "c" depending on which way you look at it, and has interchangable rams. It has an interchangable ram which has a universal shell holder affixed by an allen screw. I do appriciate Paul B's and AZ Pete's input which led me to re-think the original post. I know my Grandfather didn't have the internet to determine anything, he did it all trial and error.

Peace!
EA