Old Bonanza press shell holders?

Gatehouse

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A few years ago an older gentleman was moving and gave me an old Bonanza single stage press. I have a number of other presses so didn't figure out a use for it. Was cleaning up the shop today and stumbled onto it. Tried an RCBS shellholder in it but it didn't fit so I assume that it uses proprietary ones?

I'm sure someone on here has one that they have been using for the last 50 years and can answer this! :)
 
I can not help you about the Bonanza brand, but for sure an elderly Herter's "C" press that I bought a few years ago used proprietary shell holders that would not interchange, at all, to my RCBS stuff. My brother has that outfit now - it does work fine, once we found shell holders to go with it, for the cartridges that he loads!!!

I always wondered if adapters were ever made - that would go into the press ram, and then accept a "standard" shell holder. I never found any to buy.
 
Gatehouse - not sure what you are considering, but besides width of the slot, also need to get a shell holder more or less to centre of the ram - to be kind of lined up with the die?? If the slot is a bit too narrow, it is probably also a bit too short to fit properly??
 
I'm sure it's not as easy as just going in and grinding away....But like I said I prob will never get to it anyway. I don't need another project, especially one that has low rewards like this would be :)
 
I have an old Bonanza "O" type press, I bought used 42 years ago. My first press!
Still use it occasionally. It takes standard shell holders, no problem.....
Strange that yours won't.IMG_0563.jpg
 

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I have an old Bonanza "O" type press, I bought used 42 years ago. My first press!
Still use it occasionally. It takes standard shell holders, no problem.....
Strange that yours won't.View attachment 666215

After reading this I went back and tried again. Turned out I just had to push it in a little harder. It was just a little gummed up, needs a bit of a cleaning. Thanks!

Still not sure what I'm going to do with it but good to know it works with the standard holders.
 
I can not help you about the Bonanza brand, but for sure an elderly Herter's "C" press that I bought a few years ago used proprietary shell holders that would not interchange, at all, to my RCBS stuff. My brother has that outfit now - it does work fine, once we found shell holders to go with it, for the cartridges that he loads!!!

I always wondered if adapters were ever made - that would go into the press ram, and then accept a "standard" shell holder. I never found any to buy.

I have an old Herters press from the 60's and do make new shell holders work in it . weld an appropriate dia piece of pipe to the holder base, drilla hole for the set screw to enter and your done.
 
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