Old C/H shotgun reloaders Model 902 & 907 Shellmaster

[Black River Smith]

I have full searched the internet using different search text and only came up with incidental comments.  I am looking to find any form of instructional information for their usage.  Both are 12GA but they are setup differently.

For the 902 --  I have figured out most of the operation positions -- I have the external sizing collar;  I can deprime and re-prime; I have the wad pressure die figured out; I have the external 6 and 8 star crimp starters; and then how to final crimp.  But I cannot figure out how or what position to use to remove the sizing collar.  Nothing seems to be engineered to push-out the shell so it can advance past the repriming.  I do not know if I am missing a part?  Plus I have an 'A' powder / shot slide and the bushings that came with the set do not fit.  I can do these steps by hand externally and still make the press work.


For the 907 -- I have figured out most of its operational positions also -- I have the sizer ring that screws into the depriming die; the removal bar works for getting the sized/deprimed shell out; I have figure out the combination re-priming / wad pressure shellholder position; I have figured out how to set the 'specific plastic' 8 star crimper.  But the star crimper setting requires a lot of downward pressure to get a good crimp.  Is that correct?  Also since the sizing ring is removeable was this a two step process.  Again the powder / shot slide is still questionable and as above can be done externally


I would really like to use these presses more because of nostalia than practicality and because I bought them at very good prices in the 2000's.  I have a Lee shotshell loader from the late 90's that still works just fine.  I, also have in the past mainly loaded BP and just did things by hand and then went to full brass shell and really did thing the old way.  But I bought one of the Win 1887 replicas and would like to load smokeless for it and get pressures correct.

Any help or shared knowledge on these oldies would be appreciated.

[Baltimore Ed]

I also successfully use old sg presses but mine are Bair presses which became Pacific and then eventually became Hornady. I think that I have some c-h stuff that was in some odds and ends that were given to me. Could be rifle/pistol press stuff though. How about some pics? Check out the outfit that does all the catalog and op manual reprints, Cornell Publications. They just sent me their monthly newsletter, very informative. They might have a C-H manual in their archives. Good luck.