RCBS Bullet Feed Die Pistol---------Parts question

[Graybeard96]

Hi,
My first RCBS Bullet Feed Die came with a Steel Body, 1 Steel insert stamped RCBS 38L with tapered ID to guide the Bullet precisely over the white Neopreme inserts, I have had good Luck with this setup which works well if properly adjusted.

I just bought another RCBS Bullet Feed Die from Natchez which only comes with the Steel Body, and 4 Different caliber Neopreme inserts and retaining clips.

My Question:
Where can I buy the Steel inserts to load for .32 / .40/ .44/ . I phoned Natchez but the Fellow on the Phone has no Clue what I am talking about.

Before I contact RCBS directly I thought to bring this up on here.

Thanks in advance for all knowledge based advice.

[GWS]

Sorry I'm so late on this thread.....been away. Obviously, no one else here has experience with these tools... no replies. I'm new on this forum (I don't cast) but I've been participating on three others for many years. I've suddenly appeared here because I was given a shot maker by a friend.....and here is where the knowledge of such things is. I think I can help you with this question.

RCBS makes two versions of the tool:

The first one comes with their electric collator which also comes with all the steel bullet guides (there are four) like your "38L". For this tool, RCBS sells extra feed dies with all the plastic fingers, but without any bullet guides. Purpose?....So you can setup additional die plates (tool heads) on your progressive press. They expect you to use the bullet guides that came with your pistol bullet feeder/collator. This "extra" die without guides is probably the version you most recently bought. No warning comes that you don't get all the bullet guides.

The second version comes with their caliber specific "Tube Pistol Bullet Feeders." It comes with ONE steel bullet guide only for the caliber you bought and only one plastic feed fingers. Last I heard, they wouldn't sell the bullet guides for other calibers alone separately, without buying either another caliber tube feeder, or the expensive electric collator/feeder. You'll find out if you call.

Probably if you lie and say you bought the electric collator/feeder and you lost your guides they might sell or give you guides. But I'm not condoning such. I wouldn't, didn't.....but I did buy that "Universal Feeder Die a couple of years ago and tried to make my own tube bullet guides using telescoping thin-wall clear tubing super glued together. I was much more successful with Hornady Feeder Dies and thin-wall tubing inserts.

I'm a big RCBS fan, with two progressives and two single stage presses, but I couldn't get excited for their pistol bullet feeder/collator.....mainly due to the plastic fingers with rubber "tension bands." I tried the die you have, but I ended up with Hornady's collator/feeder and dies. I rarely use the universal RCBS feeder die I bought to try, finding that the Hornady ones worked better for what I load. (but I admit that I have no idea how much better it might work with "real" bullet guides.) Plus the tension bands died quickly.....and o rings that some advocate as replacements didn't work as well. I have a son in a Orthodontist office and he got me some of the little bands they use for braces......they didn't work well either, so RCBS replacements are the only answer for replacing bands.....not exactly convenient.

[Graybeard96]

Thank you "GWS" for taking the time and your detailed explanation. I somehow suspected it to be like you explained but so far I have not put the question directly to RCBS. Because I am a Hobby Machinist with a Lathe in my "Doghouse Shop" I decided to just machine my own to be able to load for the .40 S&W.
All what is needed is a length of round Bar, Drilling out the center then machining the rest with a small boring Bar. The angle I used to machine the Cone is 1 Degree and works fine.
Btw, because the .40 Bullets don't fit my RCBS Plastic Tubes I just made 2 Tubes up from scrap SS Steel tubing I had laying around which I also cut slots into it so I can see the Bullets.

Btw. My setup is a Piggyback 2 on a Rockchucker, pure joy to work with this Equipment.

Thanks again and Cheers

Next chance I get I will do the same for loading the .44 Bullets

[kmw1954]

I too am using the RCBS Pistol Bullet Feed die. I bought the one specific to the 9mm/380 to try on a new Lee Auto Breech Lock Pro press in the 3rd position.

While setting up and learning this new tool I had one case not align properly with the die and it chipped out the nylon finger so it stopped dropping bullets consistently. Sadly it took 3 calls to RCBS to get the correct replacement part. The first shipment were press primer parts! It seems to me that RCBS CS is not very up to date on replacement parts for this tool. Finally the last call I had the CS rep get the printed directions that come with this tool with the illustrated parts list. Instead of the 2 replacement parts they sent me 4!

So far for what I am doing this tool is working very well. The idea and theory for this was to see if it actually worked on this press and eased the loading process with the intention that if it did at some point doing an upgrade to the Mini Mr. Bullet Feeder.