Bonanza Press - any value?

B

black_hog_down

New member
I was given a vintage Bonanza press by a friend who inherited it but does not reload.
Does it have any value? Or just pitch it? I am set for a press. Thanks.
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Forerunner to forster co ax,
A good press always has value.
If you need to rehome it, im sure someone will be interested.
I have 6 presses, but im interested.
 
I have one similar I bought at a garage sale for $50. Yours looks like it is in better condition, perhaps NOS? Looking around online I see used ones selling in the $150ish range.
 
Minimum used $200 and up to $250, in that range. Great press and in demand. If you find them in good condition with all the parts less than $200 then you found a bargain but if I were you I'd definitely KEEP it.
 
Well I am new to reloading and need just about everything. I will trade or sell and get some stuff I need.
It also came with a vibrating cleaner and a Thumbler Tumbler. I'm keeping the tumbler for sure.
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Nice score!

That is a great press and even though you already have a press, you might want another one down the line. I suggest that you clean it and oil it and put it on a shelf until you realize what you got.

.02
 
A friend had one of those Vibra Tek "springboard" tumblers in the 1970s.
Shows how long this stuff might have been on the shelf.
 
FWIW,that press is held in high regard by people who pursue extreme accuracy.Its known for producing concentric,straight ammo.
It will work very well with Forster dies,which are designed a bit different,and also produce straight ammo.

Once the lock ring on your die is set,the die just loads in the recess.No screwing it in. You have a universal shellholder. Up at the prime station,too.

Even if you buy a Dillon 1050,its always good to have a single stage press on the bench.Thats a Cadillac press,something (generally) advanced loaders step up to.
I suggest you try loading with it for a year or so before you make the decision to sell it.
If I may ask,if you sold it and had the $,what press do you imagine you would rather have?
I like having two single stage presses on my bench. You could have a size and prime press,a powder measure,and then a seating press. They can be mounted so you can run all of them from one stool.

If you have several loading blocks,two guys can safely "tag team" two presses and make some production.

One guy can be pulling brass out of polishing media while the other trims and chamfers .
Followng that,media guy switches to lubing,trim guy starts sizing/priming to a block of 50.
Lube guy moves to powder measure.Pulls uncharged brass from his left,charges,puts in a loading block on his right. When that block is full,powder level is visually checked under a good light.

At some point,all the brass is sized/primed. That guy moves to seating.

Powder charge guy moves to wiping,inspecting,boxing.

I've had my Thumbler's Tumbler a long time.Its older than some here. It still works fine.
 
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That CO-AX is the B1 model, the very first Bonanza CO-AX. It uses shell holders to prime which require Bonanza shellholder. (other makes of shellholder have different widths.) If yours comes with a set of original shellholders it has some serious collector value..

Forster does offer the B2 upgrade to use for more precise seating depths of primers. Many don't care for it because it is not as fast as most hand or bench mount primers. But it is a very precise primer seater. The Co-ax seater forces the primer 0.004 below flush with the face of the case head. That is ideal with an ideal primer pocket, but will crush primers to varying degrees if you don't first uniform primer pocket depth. If you take that step it is very good, especially for ammunition to be loaded in military self-loading actions.
 
Foster's Coax press is one of the best single stage presses money can buy. Many say it is the best. At the retail price of $299.99, one of the most expensive single presses out there. I think the Army AMU uses that press and they know something about making accurate ammo. Great gift!

Here's a You Tube video on the press:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEzVZe7f6G0
 
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daboone said:
That CO-AX is the B1 model, the very first Bonanza CO-AX. It uses shell holders to prime which require Bonanza shellholder. (other makes of shellholder have different widths.) If yours comes with a set of original shellholders it has some serious collector value..

Forster does offer the B2 upgrade to use for more precise seating depths of primers. Many don't care for it because it is not as fast as most hand or bench mount primers. But it is a very precise primer seater. The Co-ax seater forces the primer 0.004 below flush with the face of the case head. That is ideal with an ideal primer pocket, but will crush primers to varying degrees if you don't first uniform primer pocket depth. If you take that step it is very good, especially for ammunition to be loaded in military self-loading actions.
Click to expand...
2 sets of original shell holders
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Nah, just pitch it, I'll PM you with my address...

I just paid $300 for a new version of that press, a Forster Co-Ax. Just have had it for a couple months and reloaded mebbe 400 rounds and I'm still in love with it...:cool:
 
Sorry I didn't make it clearer about the difference between shellholder and jaws. I saw you have both sets of jaws. The Shellholders I was referring to are the Bonanza variety. The photo of the press show you have what appears to be one one shellholder on the top of the press where primers are seated.

The newer B2 primer update/improvement doesn't require shellholders. It has adjustable "tabs" that can adjust to fit any case.

I hope this is clearer than mud. ;-)
 
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