Hi all, I'm about to replace my Lee challenger reloading press. I got an offer to buy a Bear press (or was it Baer, Bair, ...?). It is quite old and is said to be a predecessor of Hornady.
Is is a decent press?
/HerrBerg
Posts: 1723 | Location: Stockholm, Sweden | Registered: 18 March 2002
I HAVE A BAIR PRESS. I GOT IT FROM MY BRO IN LAW ABOUT 20YRS AGO USED. MINE IS A HEAVY CAST C STYLE PRESS. VERY RUGGED FIRM PRESS TO LOAD ON.MINE IS PRINTED WITH BAIR CO. LINCOLN NEB.. I LIKE IT ALOT SO I'D SUGGEST YOU GET IT.
Actually, I think Bair was absorbed by Pacific, which was in turn bought by Hornady. Seems like their trademark color was light blue. At any rate, if it is cast iron and kept properly lubricated, it will last a couple of lifetimes.
Posts: 13263 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
My cousin inlaw just gave me a Bair 600 12 gauge shotgun press which is like a medium blue cast iron machine. I did some research and they where bought by Pacific then Hornady.I am still waiting to hear from them on the availibility on parts. The shotgun press on their website looks identical to the Bair . This is a well engineered machine. Boon
Posts: 647 | Location: Pa | Registered: 05 January 2003
Bair made at least two presses. The "Black Bear" model was inexpensive model similar to the Lyman Spartan or RCBS Junior press of the time. They also made a "Grizzly Bear" model that was a larger heavy duty press with compound linkage I believe. It would be equivalent to a "Rockshucker"! Both were heavy cast units. My first press was a Black Bear and I used it for 25 yrs.I moved up to one of the larger O-mag presses that handle the long mag cartridges even better than a Rockshucker. I gave the old Bair press to a friend and he has been using it ever since.
I got one of these presses when I started reloading as a kid in high school around 1970. I have never needed to purchase another one. It is still just as good as it ever was. It is very sturdy and I can see no reason to ever replace it. I even have a powder trickler and an old scale from the same company. I did update the scale though. If you can get it cheap I would not hesitate to buy it. The company was indeed originally in Lincoln, Nebraska.
