If you had the choice, which would you choose?

[mdi]

I think I would teach him in my shop on my tools until he was ready to set up his own bench. Then I would loan him the press of his choice, Chucker or Lee. No need to press your own preferences/prejudices on him as opinions of reloading equipment fit the person that owns the opinion. When he's ready he will probably return the press after he has purchased his own. I never minded using other's tools, but got a lot of pleasure and experience/learning from researching and buying my own...

[LUBEDUDE]

I know that I, myself would have seller’s remorse and some guilt if I sold the RC.

[Conditor22]

I would keep the RC, add it to your bench in honor and remembrance of your mentor. (plus it's a classic and a better press)

[RogerDat]

You can always buy another Lee if you regret not having it. Not going to buy another gift from a departed mentor and friend to replace the RCBS he left you.

I would also consider the advantages to letting him buy his own press. Personally I favor the Lee Classic Turret press. I remove the index rod in about 1 minute if I want to use press single stage, and put it back in less than 2 minutes when I want a bit faster production. Others have their own favorites. I think when people are starting out some help with equipment is nice but the stuff you shop for and purchase yourself provides some specific enjoyment and gets valued more. You spend $130 on a press you researched I think you are a bit more likely to think and treat it differently than one you are given. Maybe if he stays with the hobby offer him the Lee later if you want. Lord knows most of us end up with at least a second press eventually. The Lee Classic Cast O press single stage is on my wish list to replace an older C press that I currently use for trimming brass and sizing cast bullets.

Yourself you might want to check out Pat Marlins Rock Docks. Sort of a thee sided plate that mounts on the bench with slide in plates that mount on the press and lock in place on the bench plate. Easy to switch out the presses so you can use either your Lee or your RCBS. Might find the rock chucker ends up being set up for say sizing die so you can do trimming, or primer pocket swaging if you use 1x fired military brass. Make a nice sizing press for converting calibers of brass. Like 30-06 to 8mm Mauser with the forming die made for that purpose.

There are also a lot of options for home made base plates for presses. Mine are all mounted on two pieces of 1/2 inch plywood glued together. I had a lot of good 1/2 inch plywood so I went with that.

Press mounts to wood with counter sunk screws from bottom. Press mounts to bench with bolts counter sunk in wood and wingnuts under bench. All the bases are drilled to line up with the same bench holes. I just undo the wingnuts to remove and swap. Since then I add some MEC presses on bases that I just clamp down, don't use them as often so haven't felt the need to drill the wood bases yet. Harbor Freight grinder stands are a great mounting platform and Lee sells a set of legs made for their presses, as well as a mounting system. Said mounting system might only fit their presses, I don't know one way or the other. So "extra" press should not be an issue for you. Sharing for a bit can also be accomplished via a loan. But I would loan the one you would sell him if you are thinking he is trying before buying. And repeating myself a bit I would only loan the one I could replace. The Lee.

[GregLaROCHE]

I have a Lyman turret press I bought new in the eighties. For over twenty five years, I have always wanted a Rock Chucker. A couple of years ago I saw a new one for sale cheap on eBay. I thought it would become my main press. In reality, I seldom use it except for heavy duty stuff, like sizing down or depriming military brass. For me it’s so much easier to have a number of different dies all installed at the same time.

The point I’m trying to make is, it’s hard to know what someone would really want, because I didn’t even know what would work best for myself. Let him make the decision about what he wants. If one day he asks you about buying one, that’s different.

I also have a young neighbor who I have helped getting into reloading. He has become a good friend. We reload together and that’s fun for me. I even let him use my shop if I’m not around. He’s only had to buy his dies. I don’t have his calibers. He in turn has helped me build a new heavier duty bench (for my Rock Chucker) and a lot of other things too. Works out well for both of us.

[L Erie Caster]

I would not offer to sell him anything until he is more experienced and can decide what press will suit his wants and needs the best.

[Three44s]

Tough call!

I would keep both presses for now. Having two single stage presses set up simultaneously is not out of reason. Many loaders do that and more.

The RC was the corner stone of your mentor and long term friend’s loading regiment. The Lee was your choice for your personal press. I think they should stay with you. You could loan one and then the other to familiarize your new to loading neighbor but I would not sell or give them away.

As others have pointed out the guy you are taking under your tuteledge will likely have his own epiphanies about what to equip himself with and may just feel some sort of obligation to use what you present him with. Perhaps he really appreciates a press from you but there is no guarantee.

Now your giving of your time and attention to his new hobby AND dies and components that you may have no use for sold or gifted or traded is an entirely different situation.

Having your friend come and use your tools at your place for whatever time you chose is a much better gift than gifting a press and later seeing it sold or traded away if and when the recipient loses interest.

I remember the day in the fall of ‘75 that I went to town as a 19 year old and bought my first press, scale, dies and components to load 250-3000 just like it was yesterday. Until 5 years ago that press, a RCBS Jr. was my one and only. Now I own all sorts of different presses but that Jr. is staying.

I had a hard time choosing what to buy the day I equiped myself to handload. The guys behind the counter were reluctant to make powder suggestions but I finnaly squeezed out the suggestion of IMR 4320. I would have cherished a guiding hand far more than a free press that day personally because I had no one to help me that handloaded.

Three44s

[bdicki]

Will it bother you if he sells the Rock Chucker later?

[Petrol & Powder]

Working with the theme of: "Knowledge not shared is knowledge wasted", I would extend that theme to the tools needed to use that knowledge.

If you sell the Rock Chucker to the neighbor, he may not value it like you do. But if you give it to him with an explanation as to what it means to you, I think he'll value it more. I think the greatest tribute you can pay to your mentor would be to train and equip and new reloader. You already reload, your neighbor is contemplating the adventure.

[Land Owner]

28 responses into this thread and I can see that I have framed my question incompletely. That reflects on me for not thinking it through. I sincerely appreciate all of your responses and your insights are well founded.

From the 2015 image of my bench below, which I should have posted in the OP, I already have more than one press and already use the Pat Marlin "Rock Dock" System. My Mentor's older RC is stand mounted and independent from my bench. As "stand alone" the RC is the more reasonable "loaner" to my neighbor until he has gotten the bug and buys his own or offers to buy mine.

I started with Lee Loaders 25 years ago. I bought hunting property too on which my mentor and I spent 10's of thousands of hours in pursuit of game, planting food plots for wildlife, and accurizing our weapons. I bought my own RC press in year three of my reloading hobby. What a ride! I am happy that it has not come to an end.

I have his cherished guns, which I had occasion to shoot. I shall not soon part with those. His press, meh, not so attached.

[Three44s]

Oh, from that spread the RC from your mentor as a loaner makes sense given what you already own and your thoughts on his press.

With the givens your deceased mentor would be glad that his RC spent some time in the hands of a new generation rather than collecting dust.

The Lee classic single stage hardly takes a back seat to a RC and it was your choice before your situation was turned upside down by losing your dear friend and hunting partner.

May your new alliances be enjoyable!

Three44s

[onelight]

Ok very nice , looks like I need your equipment advice much more than you need mine.

[3006guns]

First of all, I feel your pain. I too befriended a "mentor" who was an advanced reloader and shooter of anything that would chamber a cartridge. He was an amazing individual, having served in Italy during WWII and was with the CIA during the fifties "banana republic" revolutions in Central America. I learned more from him than my previous thirty years of experience EVER taught me. After his passing, I inherited or bought the bulk of his estate. I will always cherish his memory.

I'd be tempted to give your younger friend the Lee and keep the Rock Chucker. Although you purchased the Lee and enjoy it, there's something about having and using a well seasoned and trusted partner on the bench. It's like having your deceased friend at your side once again. Besides, if you ever decide that surrendering the Lee was a mistake, you can buy another..........but you'll never be able to buy the history of that RCBS press.

[JBinMN]

I'd loan or let him use either one.

If this is the path for him, he'll buy his own stuff.

I would not offer to sell him anything until he is more experienced and can decide what press will suit his wants and needs the best.

Ditto on the above.


Many times I have seen someone get into a hobby or the like & then it goes by the wayside as different things happen. Children are born, moves made to where one cannot do the hobby, etc..

Perhaps after some time the feller(s) will be seen to keep on with doing reloading/handloading, but one of the many "paths of life" sometimes make folks change their "priorities in life", downsize, whatever, & they , like it or not, just have to stop doing one thing & start another.

Maybe just wait for a time. Should be no hurry. You can always decide to sell or give later on after you see a continued interest that goes beyond just the fun of it, or whatever reason the other feller(s) said was the reason why they want to reload.


One more thing to consider.... If you give or sell one of yours, then you will not likely touch on the "pros & cons" of certain types of presses that you might have with the feller(s), if they just start out on the one you sell or give. then the one(s) who get your press(s) may not want to get another press so as not to offend you by wanting something a bit different. Holding them back from their own "adventures", and doing what they want, rather than following exactly "in your steps".


( I dunno if I said that last part well enough , but I do know what I am trying to say. )


It is "your" decision, I am pretty sure you will feel good about passing things on, some time, and hopefully have no regrets about doing it. Hate to hear ya gave or sold the press & they decided it was not for them to reload anymore & the press gets sold to another, or even worse, trashed.

G'Luck! whatever ya decide to do!

[Land Owner]

Only once in all of my gun dealings, which I speculate have been more than most, have I been screwed by an individual - a Gun Smith, TWICE, on the same repair. I took him a shotgun with a broken part AND an out of battery fired shotgun shell with its "ballooned" copper hull (got a picture of it). I asked him to repair the shotgun AND to give me back the fired shotgun shell - to both of which he agreed. He NEITHER fixed the shotgun, though I paid just to get it back and to get far away from him, nor did he gave me back my shotgun shell, saying that "someone cleaned my bench and threw it away." Sorry ***. He's out of business now, or moved somewhere else to take advantage of others. If I had to, I could find his name and post it prominently on the DEADBEAT Forum.

EVERYONE else in shooting and reloading has bent over backward to forward my experience. There are tremendous people we meet in this hobby. I salute each of you for responding.

I know what you are saying JBinMN. I will show him the press choices I have, the world of other choices for a price, and let him go forth after that. I know of no better way to teach the foundations of reloading than one-at-a-time on a Rock Chucker, though for three years I made excellent ammunition with Lee Loaders in 30-30, 270, 45 ACP, and 45 Colt calibers. I started out on the ground floor in my reloading and now am the CEO and President (in my own little world)!

Since I know he fancies the 30-06. I will use my 270 as a base. It is a necked down 30-06 parent case.

[robg]

Teach him with your kit ,then help him get the kit he needs and prefers. I'd keep your mentors kit as he gifted it to you.

[JBinMN]

Land-Owner,

I agree that most of the time, learning with a single stage & getting "very familiar" with each stage of reloading is usually the best way for some one to learn reloading, and this has been discussed here in the forum before, and I participated, so I will not go into that further here. IMO, You, as an experienced reloader & maybe even the one you are helping(mentoring) will know/recognize when it is time to move on to more advanced presses. "Getting the basics down", is well worth the time, and having you there to answer , if not all, most of the questions about each reloading stage, will be extremely valuable to the one learning in the future.

Also, the addition of your knowing from previous reloading methods & equipment trials & errors, what might suit the new reloader to save them the time & costs of doing such trial & error themselves. Which not only saves them time & $$, but the frustration that often comes with knowing one just did something that "cost them", and now have to deal with what occurred, instead of just learning from others first.

Like was said before in the other discussion, most "Learn to Walk, before they Run.", and then some are able to even move on to be "Stars" on the track, but most just get to the "Run" point & that is good enough for most folks to get them thru life.

{ Side note - I have really enjoyed this tune below for some time & it came to me when typing, so I will include it for those who would like to check it out. Some folks will remember it & others will hear it for the first time, but I think it is worth sharing anyway, even though it is not exactly necessary to the post. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq7hgzna3E }

BTW, I was interrupted during my earlier posting when I was quoting earlier posts and adding my thoughts, so I just hit the post button without reading the rest of the posts first & if I repeated something that someone else had already said, and did not mention or quote them, then it was just an oversight & not meant to lessen the others thoughts & input.


Once again, G'Luck! & I wish you & your neighbors the best in your reloading ( and handloading) adventures!

[lightman]

Personally I would teach him on my equipment. I would let him use as many different presses as you have to help him make the decision on what to purchase. But I would keep my stuff and my friends stuff.

I have to commend you on taking the time to mentor this young person. And congratulations on getting some neighbors that you are comfortable with. Also I'm sorry for the loss of your long time friend.

[kevin c]

Not to be a wet towel, but as far as cherished tools to be passed on, I think it's best to be sure the intended recipient appreciates him or herself what the item is, how it's used, and actually has a need for it. In that case, every use recalls and honors the giver/original user.

Momentos of a person, place, time or event have meaning to those with first hand memory. I think there is much less meaning or value to recipients who weren't there.

In either case, if the recipient can't use the tool or doesn't appreciate what the momento represents, it becomes clutter, to be put in a box on a back shelf and eventually disposed of. I've been to too many estate sales and second hand stores to think otherwise.

Short version to the OP is, make sure whatever you consider giving has use and meaning to your new reloading friend, not just to you.

[Drew P]

What you’d like to happen is for the green press to go to a new reloaded who will love and cherish it forever and use it a lot for many years. But what is likely to happen is it will get used once and out on a shelf forever. Since you can’t be sure of which outcome will befall it, you need to keep it on your bench in working order, as your buddy would’ve appreciated.
Having said that, the lee CC is a superior press imo.