Old Stirling shotshell reloader

Double barrel, side by side, over-under, semi-automatic, straight-pull and lever action shotguns.

Old Stirling shotshell reloader

Post by Jarhead » 30 Mar 2020, 7:53 pm

Hello all! I am new to the forum, long time shooter and reloader.

About 5 years ago, I acquired an old 12G shotshell reloading press and a can of old Nobel powder for the astonishing sum of $20. I knocked the dust off of the press and got it working. I was surprised at the quality of the build. It reminds me of a kitchen Mixmaster- over engineered by todays standards and clearly built in a different consumer economy. I will likely hand this to one of my great-grandkids in about 40 years- and I am sure it will still be working perfectly when I do. The base looks as thick as tank armour and the tools and dies are all blued tool steel. I am sure the gold paint contains lead.....

I have found only 3 references to the type online-2 were references were online sales that had sold & 1 is an ebay sale. I could not find the new owners contacts and the sellers knew nothing about them- found them in their father's and grandfather's shed.

Photo attached- this one is not mine....

Mine has a non original charging bar that was made in the 70's- I found an ad for it on page 3 of the Oct 1977 issue of the Australian Claytarget shooting news- have a read- its worth a look just to see how shooting has changed but shooters have not- especially the haircuts :D .

https://www.claytarget.com.au/joomlatools-files/docman-files/CTSN/1977/1977_V30_09_Oct.pdf

All this tells me the press is old- but how old escapes me. I would love to find an owners manual or just know more about the press! If you know anything about these or the history- would love to hear about it !

R's

JP

Beretta 680 12G | Savage MkII 22LR | (Soon to be) Beretta 92FS Brigadier
Attachments
s-l225.jpg
s-l225.jpg (14.65 KiB) Viewed 2897 times
Regards,

Jarhead
___________________________________
Beretta 680 Special Skeet 12G (1350 fps)
Savage MkII .22 (1040 fps)
1969 Mustang Fastback (227 fps)
Tikka T3 6.5 CM (2660 fps)

The Mustang looks the fastest but it's not.
User avatar
Jarhead
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 188
New South Wales

Re: Old Stirling shotshell reloader

Post by marksman » 03 Apr 2020, 7:08 pm

not to many people reloading for shotgun anymore Jarhead
l do myself but using a MEC reloader
l cant tell you anything about your loader sorry
that link is an interesting read
thanks for posting :drinks:
“If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed”. Mark Twain
User avatar
marksman
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3660
Victoria

Re: Old Stirling shotshell reloader

Post by cockroach » 21 May 2020, 6:57 pm

I have the same reloader in the shed. Have reloaded a lot with it in the past but I now have a mec jnr that I only use when I get bored and reload 100 or so shells. Will have to buy some steel shot and wads to start reloading steel shells
cockroach
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 1
South Australia

Re: Old Stirling shotshell reloader

Post by Jarhead » 10 Jun 2020, 10:33 am

Hey cockroach,

Can you do me a small favour if you get the chance- Check if the MEC bottles have the same thread as the Stirling ones. :D

I have a crack in one of my original Stirling bottles and will replace it with an MEC bottle if it fits.....

Thanks in advance!
Regards,

Jarhead
___________________________________
Beretta 680 Special Skeet 12G (1350 fps)
Savage MkII .22 (1040 fps)
1969 Mustang Fastback (227 fps)
Tikka T3 6.5 CM (2660 fps)

The Mustang looks the fastest but it's not.
User avatar
Jarhead
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 188
New South Wales

Re: Old Stirling shotshell reloader

Post by Gadge » 16 Jun 2020, 1:31 pm

Greetings Jarhead and folks,

This unit is early 1970s vintage - I used one at high school, to load the shells for the DTL shooting we used to do on the weekly 'sports arvo', as an alternate option to the usual field sports.

It was made in Oz for Fuller Firearms, a major importer/distributor back then, but I've no idea who would have made it for them.

Manufacture of this shottie press brand, and at least two other local ones I know of [B&B and NES, both Vic made] ceased after their tariff protection was removed. This was part of the Whitlam Govt's wide-ranging import tariff reforms, around 1975 IIRC.

It is in large part a copy of a Redding press model of that era, with the design difference of a square charge bar, a la MEC. The Redding used a round bar.

I don't know offhand if a MEC bottle would fit, but you can test that without actually buying one! 8-)

A lot of smaller water and juice bottles use the same thread the MEC presses use - one I have in front of me here, is a 600mL 'Original Juice Co Black Label' orange juice, which I know for sure will fit MEC's properly. Try that for size.

You may have to make up the rubber seals that go between the bottles and the bar, but they can easily be cut from the right size of car heater hose.

Just as an aside, these are perfectly useable as MEC bottle replacements, but there's a trick to use with the powder bottle, to get it to not leak around the bar. :lol:
User avatar
Gadge
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 25
Victoria

Re: Old Stirling shotshell reloader

Post by Jarhead » 18 Jun 2020, 10:16 am

Thanks Gadge!

I tried it, and to add to the knowledge pool, MEC and Stirling bottles are not compatible.

Cheers,

Jarhead.
Regards,

Jarhead
___________________________________
Beretta 680 Special Skeet 12G (1350 fps)
Savage MkII .22 (1040 fps)
1969 Mustang Fastback (227 fps)
Tikka T3 6.5 CM (2660 fps)

The Mustang looks the fastest but it's not.
User avatar
Jarhead
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 188
New South Wales


Back to top
 
Return to Shotguns - 12 gauge, 28 gauge, 410 bore etc.