Can't ID this old press

[Ned Christiansen]

Guys, I have this old press..... the beefiest thing I've ever seen. I've searched all over and although it seems similar to some CH presses, and I have talked to Dave at CH4D, it apparently is not a CH. The strangest part is the goose neck on top. It is threaded 1 1/4, but not all the way through. There is a bushing bottomed out in this thread, and it looks to me as if the (missing 1") ram was intended to enter the bushing at the top of the stroke for more support / concentricity. No markings on the press.... part of me wants to whack the gooseneck off, get or make a ram, and put it into service. The other part says right, put $200 worth of time into ruining it for its original intended purpose to have a press you don't really need when you could get something else on Ebay for $35.

So-- just out of curiosity, can anybody ID this old thing? Got it from a very good friend, an old benchrester who made bulletmaking dies and favored the RCBS A2 press for bullet making, so I'm thinking that's what this press was earmarked for at one time.

[CMSR]

Ned, IMHO, you have the remains of a CH press, it looks like their heavyweight press or even an earlier one. One of my mentors that introduced me to reloading swore by CH and would use no other brand. He was also big into bullet swagging. Most oldtimers that taught me how to reload used CH & A2 presses. Your press goes way back and I have been reloading for almost 40 years. It would be a cool restore if you could find parts. CH made good stuff in their time that cost more than at the time. I don't think they are around anymore. I am new to this forum also 

[Ned Christiansen]

Thanks CMSR.

CH is still around (I was surprised too), their site is CH4D.com I think. The guy there was very knowledgeable but did not recognize my description other than to say it might be really old, as in, I guess, before his time. Sounds like they are very busy despite having a low profile thse days.

[Ned Christiansen]

Here's a link.

http://www.ch4d.com/

[CMSR]

Thanks Ned. I had no idea they were still around. Today, all I see is RCBS, HDY, Redding, & Lee etc. I am almost certain the press you have is their top of the line, I think it was called the heavyweight, but not sure. Many years ago, one of my friends father had one that looked just like yours. He used it to swage bullets. He said it was the one to get if I ever wanted to swage bullets. 

[Ned Christiansen]

I would think this would be the cat's butt for bullet making, it sure won't work as-is for "regular" reloading.

CH's site seems a bit anachronistic but looks to me like they cater to the out-in-left-field kind of shooter, you know, the guys on the edge that the rest of us eventually follow....