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51
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by FOR_Star on October 16, 2023, 11:36:38 am »
Hey Bruce, what's the clue from Jason's picture that his machine is a Phelps?

I never thought about .45 Colt being too fat to use the safety cam.  In the world of rimmed cases, I've loaded a bunch of .38 Spl & .357 Mags on my Star, but no other rimmed cartridges.  Will .44 Spl/Mag work without modifying the cam?  Will they fall through the hole in a standard 67U bushing?
52
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by rbwillnj on October 16, 2023, 09:03:27 am »
Just got back from vacation, so let me add my two cents.   Yes, the safety cam is not compatible with taper crimp dies.  That's a big reason why you see so many machines with the safety cam removed, even though Star supplied them on every machine.   There is a relatively rare Auto Eject Safety Cam that is compatible with some taper crimp dies if there is sufficient clearance between the bottom of the taper crimp die and the shell plate.

I don't think it can be said that the safety cam is compatible with rimmed cases and not compatible with rimless cases. I think that JW4570 might have the same problem loading 45 Colt as 45 ACP as there is just not enough clearance to remove a rimless case or let a rimmed case drop out the bottom.

While personally, I recommend using a taper crimp die with rimless cases, strictly speaking it's not required.  There are a ton of 45 ACP machines out there with no taper crimp die and as I recall, Star didn't offer any Taper Crimp dies until the early 80's.

JW4570, to get your safety cam to work with 45 ACP, you will need to grind the side of the safety cam that contacts the case sufficiently to allow you to remove the loaded round.

It looks like your machine is Phelps.  I can't say if your safety cam is exactly the same as a Star, but they are probably pretty close.
53
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by CDRT on October 15, 2023, 11:28:58 pm »
Warren,  thanks for that clear and concise answer. I was scratching my head over this post, since all of my Stars have taper crimp dies installed and no safety cams.
54
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by FOR_Star on October 15, 2023, 07:48:35 pm »
The Safety Cam is designed to work with only rimmed cartridges, like .38 Special.  At station #6, no taper crimp die would be in use and part # 67U (Shell Floor Base Bushing) would be required to allow the completed cartridge to fall through the base into a catch bin.  At station #5, both the bullet seating and case crimping operations would take place.  If case crimping separately from bullet seating is desired, then station #6 would be configured as if rimless cases were being reloaded, as described below.

This manner of reloading rimmed cartridges goes pretty fast, even without and indexer.  The #39U Safety Cam will prevent the operator from pulling the handle more than once without indexing the #13 Shell Plate, and allows the finished cartridge to fall downward through #67U and into a container.

When the machine is set up for reloading a rimless cartridge, like .45 ACP, the #39U Safety Cam will not be used, and part # 68U (Shell Floor Base Plug) would be installed in Station 6.  Since a rimless case cannot clear the Shell Plate to fall down through hollow #67U, a solid #68U is installed instead to support the case.  The case must be mechanically ejected or manually removed in order to properly index the Shell Plate after completing an operational cycle of the handle.

Star worked on a uniquely designed Safety Cam that would function when reloading rimless cases, but never put the design into production.  Bruce Williams may have pictures or examples of this different type of Safety Cam.
55
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by jw4570 on October 14, 2023, 10:57:25 am »
Pulling the pin (with Hulme removed) will allow me to get the case out, but I thought the whole point was this was supposed to flip flop between two positions without pulling the pin. 

I do not have a taper crimp die.

With 45 ACP you have to index the plate which pushes the safety cam over so you can remove the loaded cartridge and also pull the handle to operate on the cases in the shellplate. 
56
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by varmintpopper on October 14, 2023, 12:26:51 am »
pull the small  "pin" that looks like a screw , this will release the stop and allow you to remove the shell case and will allow You to reset the safty.

Good Shooting

Lindy
57
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by jw4570 on October 13, 2023, 02:09:34 pm »
Sounds like a good idea but how does that work with the spring underneath where it hooks to the post on the bottom?
58
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by gilmarc1974 on October 12, 2023, 11:17:15 pm »
try turning it over
59
Star Reloaders / New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by jw4570 on October 11, 2023, 10:55:54 am »
I'm a brand new Star owner.  I've lurked on this site for years.

I recently purchased a Star Universal in 45 ACP.  I've always been intrigued by them and finally decided to buy one.  I have a variety of Dillons and other reloading equipment.  I had called Bruce about maybe buying one from him, but I bought one elsewhere (still planning to get some items from him).  I maybe should have just got one from Bruce as I know it would have been right out of the box.

I'm having a little trouble with the Safety Cam.  It appears to not be correct.  I can't get the 45 ACP case out.  The safety cams are different between a Progressive and Universal according to the parts list.  Are they different among calibers in the Universal?

I have a case feeder, it doesn't say Hulme but it looks like one.  It does hit the Hulme as the safety cam doesn't appear modified to clear as in the modification sheet I've seen.  I can easily do the mod, but I removed the case feeder and it still doesn't move far enough to get the case out.  Is this the wrong cam, or am I missing something?

Here is a pic:



Hopefully someone can help me solve this dilemma.

 Jason


60
Star Reloaders / Base plate size
« Last post by jcullen on October 09, 2023, 11:32:13 am »
Are the Progressive and Universal base plates the same?
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