RCBS Sizer: Not impressed

[ebner glocken]

I bought this thing in October of 2010 and sized around 4000 boolets through it. This was purchased as a secondary sizer as my lyman has hummed along for years without complaint. Have any of you had this problem with yours? Monday RCBS will get a call to see how they handle this. Is this normal wear and tear? Is 4000 strokes all they are made for now?

Ebner

[knifemaker]

Any metal machine can have a metal fatigue failure. I think you will find that RCBS will come though on their customer service and back up their product. One reason I have been using RCBS for over 25 years.

[Matt_G]

No, that is not normal "wear and tear" and I am positive that RCBS will do right by you when you call.

[ebner glocken]

I will admit that RCBS isn't my first choice in product, not saying they're bad. I can't say much bad about the RCBS products that I have had, just prefered dillion and redding dies. This is the first substandard product that I have run across. My hopes are they will come through.

Ebner

[jimkim]

I had thought about purchasing the RCBS LAM II and put my 450 into semi-retirement. What material is that made of, pot metal?

[handyman25]

I have had good luck with RCBS service, number 1. Switched to rcbs in 1970 and only 2 calls for service both my fault.

[winelover]

My older Lam II handle came apart but didn't shear like yours did. I just took it into work and had it welded back together. Didn't seem like I needed to bother RCBS Customer Service with it, at the time.
However, they would probably have stood behind behind their product. Been using it ever since and is better than new, IMO.

Winelover

[ebner glocken]

Mine came apart first, then JB welded it (probably a mistake). If they fix it and it still comes apart I will probably TIG weld it solid. Sounds like that's what you did w/o any problems.

Ebner

[Stampede]

The same happend to me with my lube-a-matic. I send it back to RCBS and within 2 weeks I received a complete handle set back..... without any cost, they did't even charge me with shipment cost (normaly about $25,00) to the Netherlands. I have to mention that due to exstensive use the handle broke of.... they said it was still a warranty case!

Peter (Stampede).

[Bongo Boy]

Definitely not normal. I've got probably 10,000 through mine with no signs of wear at all. But, that's not 'wear'...a very impressive fracture. I've only done little 40 cal and 45 cal bullets, so probably not much straining of that part here in my shop. Must be a hardened part, I'm thinking.

I'd probably just zap it with the welder and save myself 20 min on the phone, but I'm thinking RCBS will send a new part out pronto. Hope you didn't bust an elbow when that puppy let go.

[cheese1566]

Call them and be patient. I almost guarantee they will stand behind and come through for free.
save the old parts and have them welded up for spares.

[Mal Paso]

Do you water drop? How much do you size down?

I water dropped exclusively at first and broke my Lyman after about 18,000 sizing down .003. I cut a piece of 1/4" steel to replace the casting that broke.

Don't know if I'd have spent the money back then but Now I wish I had a Star.

[Recluse]

In the past thirty or so years, I've had to return a few things to RCBS and have had zero problems with them. The closest I came to a problem was when I sent them a sizing die for .223 that had a stuck case in it. I got a snyde e-mail from some kid about using proper case lube, blah blah blah and how ONLY RCBS lube will work in RCBS dies, blah blah blah.

I sent the kid an e-mail back and told him I'd resized more cases in my life than he had pubic hairs.

Never heard another word from him and got a brand new sizing die out of the deal.

RCBS will take care of you. But, like you, I'd like to know why the handle failed, and in the epic manner it did.

:coffee:

[Bret4207]

I've got zillions of cycles on my RCBS LAM, no problems at all other than the o roing finally wearing out, much better than my Lymans. What exactly are you doing that stresses the handle so much? I've "bumped" a lot of boolits in mine with no issues.

[3006guns]

I still use my Lachmiller lubrisizer from 1970.........identical to your RCBS and cloned from it. It's got some wear in the joints these days, but still functions just fine.

That appears to be a stress fracture failure and a possible material issue. No problem though, RCBS will replace the part immediately.

[451whitworth]

Do you water drop? How much do you size down?

I water dropped exclusively at first and broke my Lyman after about 18,000 sizing down .003. I cut a piece of 1/4" steel to replace the casting that broke.


i did the same thing on my Lyman 450. when that tiny, cheesy cast 'L' shaped pivot broke i made one the next day at work from tool steel. it's massive compared to the original part. that was 15 years ago and never a hiccup since.

[ebner glocken]

Talked to RCBS today. After being on hold for around 10 minutes phone operator asked what happened. I told him, then he asked for my address and is sending a whole new handle assembly. I can't complain about that. With a new entire assembly the old one is going to get TIGed back up and used for a spare. Materal isn't pot metal but definatly way softer mild steel than I would have used if building myself.

Most of the bullets that have been run through this thing are 148 DEWC .38 from wheel weights water dropped. A few hundred 440 gr .50 lees of the same alloy. A few hundred various other things. This sizer was bought as a secondary to my lyman that I've had for years. Outside of this incident I can't say if one is really any better than the other. It would be nice to have something faster.

Ebner

[Matt_G]

Talked to RCBS today. After being on hold for around 10 minutes phone operator asked what happened. I told him, then he asked for my address and is sending a whole new handle assembly. I can't complain about that.

I figured as much. [smilie=s:
Glad to hear you'll have it up and running shortly.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Ebner you need a Star for those .38s. Then use the Lyman or RCBS for the low volume rifle boolits. Best sizer I've ever run. Wish I had bought my Star decades ago instead of just a couple of years ago.