RCBS Pro Chucker 5 Progressive Reloading Press

[Expat74]

dragon, that depends on your management.. there are is an endless stream of examples from the business world. For the sake of their bonusses, they call it "innovation". But that's another topic

RCBS sent me an email last night with a troubleshooting guide for the press. They will also send the spare sliders. It would be helpful to others who seek information, but so far, it's not on their website. It covers the breaking bars, breaking/bending indexer, primer seating depth issues. I experienced the first two. They also give a few primer bar tuning tips that can be found in the manual also. It's good they re-emphasize those few points though.

Primer thickness issue: I think they solved this with the step in the slider bar. However, that has never been a problem for me.

There is really no exact spot as to when the pins break, it really can depend on a couple of factors. There's a wire that ejects the cases in station 5, get a case stuck there and apply too much force.. nasty noise. I personally think the primer return spring power also is a factor. I replaced it by a rubber band, which makes the priming system work fine (had to sacrifice two sliders to come to this conclusion) and I won't go back to the spring. It's just a softer cycle with less stress on the part and it still works. Additionally, I saw someone on youtube bring the slider guide, the one that forces the slider back and forth, a bit closer to the channel in which the slider rides by putting thin washers under it. I think I'll try that too to mitigate torque.

Yes, the primer slider guide on the LnL has less abrupt angles. It's shorter too I understand, metal, and the roller helps mitigating stress I assume. It also travels far less distance (back and forth) than the Pro Chucker's comparing the two guides.

[AbitNutz]

This is really a sad state of affairs for all of us. I would have liked to have had a choice between half a dozen great presses...right now, I have a Dillon 550B and a XL650. When I was looking to add to my capacity I looked really hard at a LnL but then took a breath and bought the 650. Then I kicked myself when I saw the 7-station RCBS.

I really hope they get this all ironed out and it ends up being a legendary press...in a good way.

The LnL now has a really strong fan base now doesn't it?

[OS OK]

LnL does...what sold me was how spread out the top die area was, I can actually get my mitts in and around them to adjust the powder dispenser and also like the quick die install. I converted the Rock Chucker too...now a BHN test or installing the push through sizers is sooo dang quick. It's nice too that the shell plate advances in 1/2 step increments and does not try to sling a loose projectile out of the case.
I just don't like the powder throw, I'd rather have the Uniflow up there.

[AbitNutz]

There are definitely a couple of things that I like about the LnL compared to the 650. As you say, there is more room around the die area. The 650 is too crowded. I would also like the option of replacing the entire toolhead or use LnL type bushings and quickly be able to replace each individual die. It would be ideal if the dillon toolhead took LnL bushings.

I also like the idea that the LnL advanced in 1/2 steps and seems to be less abrupt when moving.

Another thing I think I like about the LnL over the 650 is the use of the spring that retains the cartridges instead of brass buttons. I have managed to drop those brass buttons more than I care to remember.

My ideal progressive press would combine the best features of the all these top end presses. I really like the RCBS Projector 7's many die stations.

[omgb]

Interesting comments. The slide spring on the LNL is much whimpier than that spring on the RCBS machine. That may be an issue right there. Nobody does it perfectly for everyone but hey, if i were at RCBS I would have done just about anything to avoid using the primer systems that Dillon and Hornady use. Here's the deal, any gravity fed system will have issues. Any system that utilized an open slide will have contamination issues. We mitigate the gravity issue by using a light weight follower rod that drops down as the primers are used. This rod is also part of the low primer warning system. The weight of the rod does much to ensure primers drop down the tube. The open slide is a tough nut to crack. I keep a can of compressed air next to the loader and all spills are cleared immediately. The trouble is a short stroke or an overly rapid stroke can case primers to flip, jam or otherwise be AWOL when you need them. That results in a stoppage and possibly leaked powder all over the platen.

I actually prefer the Hornady powder measure with built in expander over all of the others brands. I converted an RCBS measure by adding the Hornady drop system. I too have big hands rendered all the more clumsy by arthritis and neuropathy. So I like the more open platform of the LNL.

[No Blue]

Expat74, you gotta come to the USA. Fly to NYC, buy a car, don't rent, and head for the sunset. The expat thang is a little confusing, expat from what?

It'll blow your mind. You'll drive for days, and 'Stalingrad' will always be over the horizon. It really is like that, you just drive for hours and hours and it's still the same state. Or country, like in Europe.

Eventually you'll end up in Oroville, California, home of RCBS, and you'll understand why they can't make a progressive press to save their life. I've been around here for 40 years, and Oroville has always been a cattle town and ag deal; like in almonds, walnuts, other left wing fruits and nuts.

So the Stanford or Cal Berkeley engineer looks at living in cow town, bugs out. They can't get top class guys to live in Oroville, not gonna happen.

So they can get community college guys like Aaron Rogers (inside joke) to work there, but the heavy hitters are not to be seen. Expat, without a web search, you have no idea who Aaron Rogers is, right?

So do the cross country trip, it's something everybody should at least once. I've done most of it 3 times, and looking to full time RV it next year. God Bless Donald Trump!

[Expat74]

So after roughly two years I sum up my experience with the press.

The concept seems a good one. The press overall does what it's supposed to do. I don't know if there were shortcuts taken during the development, it was rushed on the market for SHOT or simply needed to save on production cost. Whatever the case, the end user has to pay for the shortcuts. RCBS did a step in the right direction issuing a troubleshooting guide a year after release, but that's only half the way they actually needed to go.

The big achilles heel of the press is the priming system. There is a cam that actuates a slider that picks primers up from the primer tube (pics posted earlier in this thread I think). The sliders are made of plastic, and break sometimes only by looking at them. Way too delicate. These are by far the parts I ordered most as replacements and lost count of how many actually broke. Nothing for a press that is advertised as 600rd an hour machine. The channel for the sliders needs to be squeaky clean as well. Grains of powder in there are devastating and cause, you probably guessed it, primer slider breaking. As does any other kind of debris, brass shavings and the like.

Additional parts I had to order:

- replacement spring for primer slider
- actuator assembly for automatic indexing
- a metric ton of replacment sliders

Actually, quite ok if you don't count the sliders which btw RCBS does replace as anything else free of charge, but unfortunately only 2 for large and 2 for small primers at a time. Maybe I have to buy two primers at a time then as well.

Imagine you sit in your man cave, setup done, boolits in the feeder, powder in the hopper, primers filled, first case in the shell plate. Pull handle, hear snapping sound. And you know you just broke another slider. Your last. Did I mention I live in Switzerland and it takes a good 3 weeks for the parts to arrive after ordering. I will not become tired asking them for replacement and to please send more than just 2 each every time, no one ever cared to comment on that from their side. I went so far to ask them the price for a bag of 100. No reply. It's just super-frustrating..

Up to now I have not found anyone that produces them as aftermarket, working, replacement. Another material would do the trick. Or RCBS selling them by weight..

[dogdoc]

I too like the prospect of 7 die stations but at the end of the day, with all those issues, I will stay with Dillons. The thing about the Dillons is they just plain work without as much fiddle factor as the others I have tried. There is a reason the vast majority of high volume competition shooters use dillon loaders.

[omgb]

I have managed to run over 1500 round through my LNL with only one primer stoppage...caused by powder on the slid base

[dogdoc]

Cannot argue with that record. I don’t think I can claim that on my Dillons

[omgb]

Well, I worked quadruple hard at not having a stopage. The amazing thing is that each pick up was so smooth. I was able to fill 5 primer pick up tubes and run through them 3 times with just that one hitch

[Kenstone]

So after roughly two years I sum up my experience with the press.

The concept seems a good one. The press overall does what it's supposed to do. I don't know if there were shortcuts taken during the development, it was rushed on the market for SHOT or simply needed to save on production cost. Whatever the case, the end user has to pay for the shortcuts. RCBS did a step in the right direction issuing a troubleshooting guide a year after release, but that's only half the way they actually needed to go.

The big achilles heel of the press is the priming system. There is a cam that actuates a slider that picks primers up from the primer tube (pics posted earlier in this thread I think). The sliders are made of plastic, and break sometimes only by looking at them. Way too delicate. These are by far the parts I ordered most as replacements and lost count of how many actually broke. Nothing for a press that is advertised as 600rd an hour machine. The channel for the sliders needs to be squeaky clean as well. Grains of powder in there are devastating and cause, you probably guessed it, primer slider breaking. As does any other kind of debris, brass shavings and the like.

Additional parts I had to order:

- replacement spring for primer slider
- actuator assembly for automatic indexing
- a metric ton of replacment sliders

Actually, quite ok if you don't count the sliders which btw RCBS does replace as anything else free of charge, but unfortunately only 2 for large and 2 for small primers at a time. Maybe I have to buy two primers at a time then as well.

Imagine you sit in your man cave, setup done, boolits in the feeder, powder in the hopper, primers filled, first case in the shell plate. Pull handle, hear snapping sound. And you know you just broke another slider. Your last. Did I mention I live in Switzerland and it takes a good 3 weeks for the parts to arrive after ordering. I will not become tired asking them for replacement and to please send more than just 2 each every time, no one ever cared to comment on that from their side. I went so far to ask them the price for a bag of 100. No reply. It's just super-frustrating..

Up to now I have not found anyone that produces them as aftermarket, working, replacement. Another material would do the trick. Or RCBS selling them by weight..

Thanks for the update, I've wondered if that primer slide problem has been resolved by RCBS or anyone else.
It seems like someone or a user would have come up with a work-around or fix by now.
I haven't looked lately on ebay, but there's a lot of 3D printed parts for loaders out there for sale...maybe some-one's selling a re-engineered printed part.
Kind of glad I bought a Pro 1000 instead, and waiting for Lee to release the new Breech Lock Pro 4000.

[Taterhead]

Thanks for the update Expat. Sorry that you continue to have trouble.

Us Pro 2000 fans are collectively scratching our heads. APS priming has been extremely trouble-free for me, as has been the entire Pro 2000 press. It just works and I don't fiddle with anything. Unfortunately, the Pro 2000 is obsolete. Thankfully I've accumulated a bunch of spare parts, thanks to RCBS, so it should keep me going for a long time. Thankfully I've only replaced a "return spring plate" so far. Very simple, robust design.

[Mike67]

I'm with you Taterhead. Owned the Pro 2000 since they were first available. Upgraded to auto index three years ago and I use it now more than ever. Still haven't broke anything knock on wood, and intend on using this press until I'm too old to safely reload anymore. RCBS screwed up going away from APS priming in the Pro Chuckers in my opinion. It's the fastest and safest progressive priming system so far designed. I would suspect they will have service parts for the Pro 2000 for several decades.

[GT1]

RCBS has a history of designing progressives that aren't winners, and then trying to sweep them under the rug and forget they ever existed. I expect that to happen with this one also. The Pro 2000 wasn't bad, but the cost killed it from being a total success. No one wanted to buy one for a couple hundred dollars more than a 650, and own a slower more expensive to operate press(If you wanted to run APS).

[Taterhead]

RCBS has a history of designing progressives that aren't winners, and then trying to sweep them under the rug and forget they ever existed. I expect that to happen with this one also. The Pro 2000 wasn't bad, but the cost killed it from being a total success. No one wanted to buy one for a couple hundred dollars more than a 650, and own a slower more expensive to operate press(If you wanted to run APS).

It is no more expensive to prime the Pro 2000 than any other press unless you pony up for pre-loaded strips. Otherwise use any primer and load the strips with the included strip loader. Simpler and quicker than pecking them into primer tubes. Mine fully outfitted for 9 cartridges cost less than a similarly-outfitted 550. Not sure where it is concluded that it was a couple hundred more than a 650.

Caliber conversions are inexpensive since all that's needed is a $20 die plate and, if needed, a $30 shell plate. No need to buy extra powder measures/funnels since it is designed to use the same one in its fixed station 3. Micrometer adjustment is standard.

In recent history, an auto-index machine was about $450 setup for the first caliber after the perpetual RCBS rebates.

[Taterhead]

I'm with you Taterhead. Owned the Pro 2000 since they were first available. Upgraded to auto index three years ago and I use it now more than ever. Still haven't broke anything knock on wood, and intend on using this press until I'm too old to safely reload anymore. RCBS screwed up going away from APS priming in the Pro Chuckers in my opinion. It's the fastest and safest progressive priming system so far designed. I would suspect they will have service parts for the Pro 2000 for several decades.

Mine is auto-index too. Wouldn't have it any other way. Priming has been extremely reliable. In fact, it has retired my hand priming tool. When loading bolt rifle ammo on the single stage, I prime on the Pro 2000. As you know, swapping the shell plate and primer plug assemblies are so quick (another huge advantage to this press: changing over anything leads the league in time and ease). With the die plate removed. I load insert a case in station 1, prime in 2, and let them index around to the bin.