Phelps Engineering 38 special progressive reloader

I’m a new member to this group. Thank you for for the add. I am a shotgun reloader by history. A fellow older member of my hunting club is asking me to assist in helping him move some reloading equipment. He has a Phelps Engineering press. Looks in good shape. I don’t know the level of functionality. Made in East Orange , NJ. If any has some information on this or would be interested in buying, please advise. I am in NJ as well. Thank you!

Greetings,

The Phelps is a copy of the original Star.

"Some" parts will interchange.

If the press is complete with no missing bits they function the same as a Star.

Contact Bruce Williams at Star Machine Works. He has a lot more information.

http://starmachineworks.com/

Cheers,

Dave

My dad had a Phelps and a Star. I used both extensively as a teenager. My recollection is that the Phelps was more prone to malfunctions than the Star. That was more than a couple of decades ago, and a lifetime of experience and education ago, so I can't tell you anything beyond the fact that this was indeed, an anecdote.

Some info from the star site.

https://starreloaders.com/forum/index.php?topic=38.0

One popped up for sale near me set up for .38 spec. for a few hundred dollars. Looked like a new machine. Didn't know anything about it, so I googled it and found the above info and passed on it.

Whish I would have rolled the dice on it now!

I didn't know the Star machines were made by CPM or I forgot..  CPM also produced a Star like machine in the 70s.   I own one. It was my main reloader when I first got into B E in the mid 70s. Solid machine once it got broken in. Loaded both 45 and 38spl on mine. The CPM was a larger machine that used standard dies but looked all the world like a Star from 10 feet. Less than 100 were produced to my knowledge

Star machines made by CPM??   Not sure where that came from, but NO, Star Machine Works made Star reloaders.   CPM (Clyde Products Manufacturing in Clyde Ohio) made the CPM machine, and probably only about a hundred of them.  The CPM machines I have seen are pretty nice.

The Phelps machines with a Phelps Engineering decal made in Orange, NJ, and the Phelps machines with a Phelps Manufacturing decal made in Sussex, NJ were made by John Phelps in his machine shop.   The Phelps machines with a Phelps Reloaders, Inc. Orange, NJ decal were assembled my Dan Fausto after he bought the Phelps machinery and parts in a bankruptcy sale.   I would favor the earlier machines over those with the Phelps Reloaders Inc. decal.

Bruce Williams