I came across a gigantic (really heavy would be a more appropriate description - I guess) Herters "Super Model 81" loading press.
I paid $2.00 for it a an estate type sale!
It is the coolest looking "C" type press and is so massive and strong that it has two side by side rams and shell holders (and die holes). This is (I assume) so a person can resize a case and seat a bullet with a single stroke?
My question is does anyone have any of the Herters type shell holders for this type press?
They are held into place with allen type set screws.
My press came with a Herters 308 sizing die and a 30/06 bullet seater die! It also has two installed Herters type shell holders. But I may be needing a couple of 223 type shell holders if I decide to keep it.
If anyone has any Herters type shell holders for this Herters Super Model 81 press I would be interested.
Thanks for any comments or suggestions regarding this press! I am sure it weighs 40 pounds!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Huntington shows an RCBS adapter that may work...

http://www.huntingtons.com/shellholders.html#herters

Those old Herter's presses were hell-for-stout! At today's salvage metal prices, you paid less than the value of the iron in it! The down-side is that it probably took $10 extra worth of gas just to haul it home, and resulted in a hernia trying to lift it out of the trunk.

As you have discovered, the non-standard Herter's shell holders are the big drawback to actually using these Mastodons. The adapter mentioned by Wrongtarget might be your salvation. You can also ocassionally find the Herter shellholders on eBay, so keep a watch there. . . . problem is, you'll likely pay four or five times the price of the press for a shellholder! But just watching those massive dual-rams go up and down is well worth the price of admission!

I have and have used one of these beasts for almost 40 years,my dad bought it. As has been posted, adaptors are available, as are replacement rams. However, with the adaptors in place, long cases are a pain to reload. Also, make sure that you put your decapping die in the correct side, as one side will let the primers drop out, and the other won't. I machined the blank ram on mine so that either will work with a decapping die. Other than that, they are great to work with.

Anyone got a pic of this press ??

Yeah I want to see it too. I have been looking at the Herters #3 press on ebay. Hey if you ever want to put it up for sale I just ask that you keep me in mind !!!

I purchased a Herter's #3 press in 1952 and have used it ever since for all my single stage reloading.

It is, indeed, a massive press. Had to overhaul the priming arm right away by replacing priming arm spring w/stronger one. Other than that, it has performed admirably.

Shell holders are a problem, but are still available @Herter Shell holders

http://www.vegatool.com/purchase.html

I tried a universal adapter, can't remember who made it, but you could not prime in the press using the adapter.

Vega's shellholders are exact duplicate of original Herter's.

Regards,
hm

Wow! Did I come to the right place for info or what!!!
I just kind of had in mind having an extra press that I would not banging around a bit while on Safari but this thing is so heavy - I am going to have to weigh it on the family scale as my gun scale only goes to 25 pounds!
Thanks all for the info and suggestions I will check them all out.
I prime with a Lee tool anyway!
Now also this is a "Super Model 81" and not a #3 Model as someone above mentioned!
Any other comments gladly accepted!
Sorry I do not have the tech to photo and post as yet.
Hoping to be able to do that in the future.
Thanks again all and keep em coming
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

quote:

Now also this is a "Super Model 81" and not a #3 Model as someone above mentioned!

The 81 and #3 both use same shell holders.

As Loudenboomer stated, the RCBS adapter costs you about 1" of ram stroke, making loading of longer cases a problem.

If you load only short cases and prime w/Lee primer, the adapter should work fine.

Herter's presses are h*** for stout and great for forming cases or swaging bullets. You got a great deal on yours, enjoy!

Regards,
hm

Hello the campfire:
I also have an old Herter's C press. It will tear the base off af any thing you can stick in it. Mine was bought new in about 1957 and looks like it is right out of the box after thousands of reloads. It is slow due to the ram arm length. Shell holders are a problem, but Vega Machine makes an adapter that works just fine. I was using the Herter press for all of my reloading, but now have a Rockchucker for Pistol rounds now as they just don't need as much strength as rifle cases sometimes do. I think that the two stations are so that you can leave the sizing die and the seating die set up and move from one to the other without changing dies. Mine is only a single stage set up.
Good luck with your loading.
Judge Sharpe

I second the hell for stout construction of Herters presses. I load on an old Super 234 turret press. Weighs about 50#! Use Vega adapter with no problems in many varmint calibers.

Can some one provide a pic of the herters press we are talking about here at all ??

PC:
Can't post a picture of the 81, but here is a picture of my old #3 with a loaded 375 h&h round in the shell holder to give an idea of mass.

The 81 is just like the #3 but has two rams, side by side.





Won't let me post picture, but here is a thumbnail:



Regards,
hm

HM thats a massive looking press for sure. I have an Aussie made zero press which may be comparable for solidness build wise, made buy an elderly German Gent, workmanship is first rate.