300 C

[Syd]

I was looking through some of my parts and came across a face plate marked 300 C. I know they made them but I’m not finding the reason for the C. Does anyone know about them?
Thanks Syd

[piscesman]

Hello Syd,
The 300C means the reel has bearings in the handle side plate and I believe something different inside. I never really pursued the difference because I never looked to buy them.
Kim

[Syd]

Thanks. As far as I know is that I only have the side plate. With all the parts I have maybe I will look at putting a real together and mixing side cover, body, and rotor colors

[Syd]

Thanks. As far as I know is that I only have the side plate. With all the parts I have maybe I will look at putting a real together and mixing side cover, body, and rotor colors

[GreatLaker]

I was looking through some of my parts and came across a face plate marked 300 C. I know they made them but I’m not finding the reason for the C. Does anyone know about them?
Thanks Syd

Syd,
Sorry for my delayed response.

The best way I can think of to describe the Mitchell 300C model is it's the 300 with roller bearings.
Around 1969 Garcia Mitchell decided to try and market the ever popular Mitchell 300 with an upgrade that Garcia wrote had: "...two sets of precision roller bearings...".

By this time, there already was a high speed version of the Mitchell 300 named the Mitchell 410 which featured a high speed 5 to 1 retrieve ratio to the Mitchell 300’s 3 1/2 to one retrieve ratio although no roller bearings.

Other versions of the 300 were also around at this time as well, such as the automatic-bail 330 and 440. The 330 had 3 ½ to one retrieve ratio, like the 300, only with auto-bail, and the 440 had high speed 5 to 1 retrieve ratio with auto-bail and 2 sets of roller bearings.

If you are wondering why add the 300C with 3 ½ retrieve and roller bearings when they already had the 410 and 440 with roller bearings, we don’t know at this time. Perhaps someone, somewhere, said we need a 300 with roller bearings and so the 300C was born.

Here is a photo from the old MRM which shows what the first version (circa 1969) of the 300C looked like.

First Ver-300C-MRM.jpg (43.98 KiB) Viewed 40094 times

Like all Mitchell 300 reels, the 300C evolved over time. I won’t cover all of the various other 300C changes here.

Below I have posted a photo of a 1977 Mitchell 300C from my collection. Note the changes which have occurred during this time span.

Circa 1977 Mitchell 300C-edited.jpg (118.57 KiB) Viewed 40094 times

The Mitchell 300C like the 300 had what many consider to have been a very interesting history. You can find some very informative pages on the 300C in Wallace's book titled: THE MITCHELL CLASSIC 300 SPINNING REEL.
Also, if interested try a search of the MRM to find other posts on the 300C
Kind Regards,
Bill

[Syd]

Thanks for the info

[dconn22]

Hello, glad this isn't too old of a post... I just started a rebuild of a 300C that was a box of parts when I got it. It appears to have a slightly different cover than the two already shown. I found a NOS head for it as I don't know what happened to the "old" one but I could not get any bail to work on it and what was on it I don't think was correct (by any of the parts manuals I found). I have a used complete roller guide bail on order which by P/N should be correct for the new head I also have coming. Mine has an odd S/N if anyone can explain/date, the numbers are pretty clear except the last but that is because some paint bubbling; it's F2 435 or could be 436. I have inspected it under 30x magnification and see nothing in the space between the 2&4?

[dconn22]

Hello, glad this isn't too old of a post... I just started a rebuild of a 300C that was a box of parts when I got it. It appears to have a slightly different cover than the two already shown. I found a NOS head for it as I don't know what happened to the "old" one but I could not get any bail to work on it and what was on it I don't think was correct (by any of the parts manuals I found). I have a used complete roller guide bail on order which by P/N should be correct for the new head I also have coming. Mine has an odd S/N if anyone can explain/date, the numbers are pretty clear except the last but that is because some paint bubbling; it's F2 435 or could be 436. I have inspected it under 30x magnification and see nothing in the space between the 2&4?

[GreatLaker]

dconn22, Welcome to the MRM Forum.
Here is how I would approach rebuilding your reel.

Let's start with the housing which has a serial number (you noted) of F2 435. Around 1974, Mitchell of France started using serial numbers which began with a letter prefix again. The letter 'F' represented the year circa 1976. The letter was normally followed by six numbers, but, many reels with incomplete serial number(s) have been found. I guess this was due to a bad number stamping device. Whatever the reason, we collectors would represent your serial number as F2x435x, and I would date it as representing circa 1976 as I stated previously.

The cover plate you show in your photo of the reel would be correct for this version housing, even though it's appearance would change shortly thereafter. You should check and make sure that the inside of your cover plate has an enlarged hole where the drive gear goes through the cover. This is because the shaft or axle for the drive gear is where the first roller bearing assembly goes.

300C Box paperwork-circa 1968.jpg (162.09 KiB) Viewed 34826 times

Next looking at the rotor (#81888) you should see, on the inside of the disassembled rotor, a large cut out (bore) around where the rotor axle goes through the rotor (See schematic below). This is where the second set of roller bearings goes and is also how you know the rotor is for a 300C.

As far as the bail goes , the 300C used a roller line guide for your reel. The correct bail will be a one piece bail assembly (#82010) with a roller line guide (#82005) and roller line guide screw (#82006). The roller line guide screw, also has a small pin (axle) attached to it that the roller rotates on.

See if this helps get you started and if you have further questions let us know.

1975 Browning Mitchell 300C-my collection Browning Service and Parts Manual.jpg (549.09 KiB) Viewed 34826 times

Kind Regards,
Bill