Mystery RCBS Item

[Doc_Stihl]

I found this in a box of misc stuff at a shop this weekend.

It's 3.46" Long by .995" wide. The opening at the top is .535". The "nub" at the bottom is .808" across and .358" from the bottom to the shoulder.

That little tab at the top swings out. At first I thought it was some sort of extended shell holder, but it doesn't fit a standard RCBS or Lee shell holder.

Any thoughts on what it is?

[flounderman]

apparently you don't have all the pieces. the swinging part is a lock, I would guess. either for the rim of a case or there are interchangeable inserts. could be to prime or deprime if the threads are standard die threads. without adjustments, you are limited in options. bullet sizing, depriming, or priming come to mind. could be a universal bullet sizing die body if there were inserts that fit it. I been doing this for 60 years and never saw one before. be interesting to learn what it is.

[Doc_Stihl]

I should have taken a picture from the top. There is a hole that runs the length of the piece. No shoulder that I can see on the inside, no threads anywhere.

[Dan Cash]

So email the pix to RCBS.

[bumpo628]

shell holder extension?

[Char-Gar]

Take the shell holder out and see if it will fit in the press ram. I bet it will! If it does, my best guess it it was designed to use various bottom punches to swage bullet with the swaging dies held in the top of the press.

[Doc_Stihl]

First thing I checked was if it was an extended shell holder. The opening at the top is a bit too small. And the "nub" at the bottom that's shaped like a shell holder is WAY too large to fit in a standard shell holder slot.

[Certaindeaf]

It's an anti-camover device. lol

[Pressman]

I do not know either. Maybe for the A4 Big Max or one of the turret presses. ????

Ken

[Bwana]

I hope you find out. I am interested in knowing.

[edler7]

My guess is a lube groove stretcher. Takes the used lube grooves and stretches them back to spec.

[BCall]

It is a depriming device that attatches to a posi-prime. You are missing the depriming pin for it. I can send some pics of one in a little while.

[BCall]

Here are the pics. They are a pretty simple unit. They clip into place instead of a shellholder. The pin goes in the middle instead of a priming punch. Then a case is dropped in on the decapping pin. The little latch is closed, and pressing the lever decaps the case instead of priming it. They made a short one for pistol cases and a longer one for rifle cases. The last pic is of a deprimed case inside of the unit with the depriming pin in the hole. Unfortunately, they pretty much only work with rimless cases, or ones with small rims. I deprime my 30-06 brass that I use with the 308403 boolit to shoot in my 03A3.

Because the look of the base of yours Doc, I think you have one made for the Lee priming tool. RCBS did make some that fit the Lee priming tool instead of the Posi Prime. IF you have an old Lee auto prime, see if it slips in place where the shellholder is supposed to go. HTH, Billy

[Bwana]

When was this made and was it a regular catalog item?

[Doc_Stihl]

You're absolutely right BCall. Went down and tried it in a lee autoprime and it fits.

[lead-1]

That is a neat little set up, very interesting to say the least. Its that kind of stuff that peaks my interests.
I could still kick myself for not buying a hand operated roll crimper that had an integeral clamp to mount it, the guy only wanted 15 bucks for it and I thought "what would I ever use it for" and now I know.

[scrapcan]

Billy,

nice pictures. I had no idea those tools were out there. Thanks a bunch.

[mtnman31]

Yup, a deprimer.
I have the shorter length version and it works okay. In my opinion it isn't nearly as fast or convenient as a press mounted deprimer. To me it falls into the same category as my 310 dies - perfectly functional but less convenient and not as productive as conventional press mounted equipment. Mostly, I don't use it because I deprime brass in large lots using a universal depriming die.

[Doc_Stihl]

For those that shoot BP, being able to deprime at the bench is very helpful.

[Hardcast416taylor]

That is part of a hand prime/deprime unit Rcbs marketed back in the `80`s I`m thinking. I had one of these units and it did do a decent job - just a tad slow is all. I sold it on this site to a fellow site follower last Spring for his collection addition.Robert