RCBS Big Max thread

Sounds like we need a Big Max thread!

I found mine in Cali on Craig's list and it was a leap of faith sending a stranger 3000 miles away a cashiers check but the guy was true to his word and it was shipped, tracking info supplied abd it did indeed arrive.

When I got it, that cockamamie three pronged, spring loaded "universal shell holder" couldn't hold onto anything and the few I tried it with got stuck in the sizing die because the springs for the shell holder "hooks" were worn out. RCBS was of no help getting spare springs. So, I had a poor excuse for a boat anchor.

Then, I found a Big Max standard shell holder for it on Ebay, and got in a bidding war with another poor devil that MUST have had the same problem, a useless Big Max. Well my pockets were deeper than his, or I was more desperate and I "won" the auction paying silly money for it :-)

This was around 11 years ago and I've never been more happy I got it. Every precision .308 I make is on it, one at a time and the Dillon presses stand by waiting for production ammo :-)

I bought one on a local swapping page for dirt cheap , well compared to what they were selling for elsewhere anyway , in 15' . In 2016 I was on the list and received the reproduction universal shell holder stud made by Illinois coyote hunter .

The spring jaw stud wasn't to bad off in mine but it didn't work well with 222 & 30 Rem . 30-30 , 308/06'/Mauser was good but it was to small for 45-70 rims .

It's really overkill for about 90% of my loading but really even the pair of RCs are too . Of course where it really hauls the freight is in working my wrecked wrist for the heavy FL and forming .

there is a fellow on here that makes new holders for them, think it was Illinoiscoyotehunter. I have 2 that are used for swagging.

I'm trying to get btsniper to make some adapters for mine that will hold corbin dies, if your interested you might hit him up.

I got mine off gunbroker for a bargain price about 15 years ago.
The press included a Forster priming tool and a RCBS 5-10 scale.
My press came with the standard shell holder adapter. I did not even want the 3 pronged mess.

Something looked strange about my press in the photos so I spent a long time staring at it.
It had white latex paint slopped on it across the back edge of mounting flange. It took a while to figure that out.
The paint and the other stuff in the auction much have scared off the other buyers because I got the press for about $200 including the other items which were sold.

I got my Big Max back in 83 at a little gun shop in Fort Myers Fla I think it was called Fridays guns. I explained that I knew little or nothing about reloading and would need some advice on equipment and " Joe" set me up with everything I would need. The press came with universal 3 jaw chuck and a standard shell holder piece, mine also has a shovel handle single rod as well as the dual rod roller handle for heavy applications, I dont know how many rounds Ive reloaded on it but I wouldnt trade it for any other press.

I bought mine new and use it to do any swage jobs that I need.

There is another thread discussing these wonderful press's in the Vintage Tool section. It seems some folks really like them and others think they make great boat anchors. So, that got me thinking.
I am a fan of the early Rockchucker, of all the presses I have and have used it remains the gold standard for my needs. This summer I was able to get back into shooting just so I can reload. I built my new bench and mounted the Rockchucker. After reading all the comments in the other thread I thought why not? So the RC went back on the shelf and the Big Max went back to work.
I find that I like it, the long throw f the handle takes getting used to, but it is appreciated when full length resizing 7.5 Swiss cases. I cannot see a reason to not use it so it's found a new home.

There is a story about how I came to own the Big Max. I wanted one for the collection but eBay prices were way out of line. In the spring of 2017 I had a display table of RCBS presses at the Colorado Gun Collectors show in Denver. On Sunday a gentleman walk in and stopped, looking over what I had. Then he said "you don't have a Big Max." No, I don't though I would like one.

"You should buy mine". OK?

"$125.00 plus shipping of course" OK, where do you live? "About an hour south of Grand Junction". Oh, I'll be there in the morning.

I had seen no pictures and had no idea what I just committed to. From Grand Junction to the little town he lived in was a beautiful drive. And the press was near new with all the accessory parts except the double handle. Everything! The rest of the day was spent driving east on US highway 50, something that I had wanted to do for years.


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I went to a gunshop auction in Dallas about thirty years ago and bid $10.00 on a Big Max that was set up as a demonstration model. I think my bid may have been the only one as no had an interest or seemed to know what it was. I used it until recently when the large round "pin" (?) in the lower half broke. RCBS has no more parts.

Regardless, these are great presses and I prefer the Big Max over my Redding Ultra Mag, though that's also a good heavy duty press. I was a bit skeptical of the three-jaw shellholder on the Big Max when I got it, but it has worked flawlessly. There are a couple or so cases it won't grip, but it's easy to swap over and use a conventional shellholder if necessary.

Ok I'll jump in the pool too. About 10 years I was on a call and ended up in a guy's garage, looking for a stray cat or a rabid skunk or something similar. I noticed a strange looking reloader hanging on the wall in his garage.

Out of curiosity I asked him if he reloaded? He said he no longer did and asked how much I'd give him for it, and all the rest of his reloading dies and supplies. I didn't recognize the reloader but noticed that it was an RCBS A4.

I told him that I wasn't certain that I wanted another press, as I already had an RCBS A2 and an older Rock Chucker. He gave me his number and asked me to think about it and to give him a call.

I called my reloading mentor (he's now 87 and still reloading) and he told what I had come accross. I called the guy back the next day and offered him $75.00 for it, he accepted. The A4 only had the universal shell holder but I also got several sets of dies and a couple of hundred .30 cal J-words and some other reloading trinkets.

I bought a standard shell holder adapter for it from Illinoiscoyotehunter. I really don't use it much right now as I load mostly straight walled pistol cartridges. I have plans for doing a bunch of case forming in the near future so it will get a work out.

Bought a new one, just after High School...

Still have all the parts.

Great stories!!! Gnappie says he does not like the "three pronged, spring loaded "universal shell holder" but I've had great results with it. I was recently given a bunch of messed up pistol cartridges of all calibers. It seems it was every round he ever made incorrectly (40 years) all thrown into a box. De-priming all that mixed brass was easier thanks to the adjustable shell holder