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Thread: Corbin Brothers businesses

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy

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    Corbin Brothers businesses

    I've been reading the swaging threads for quite some time and have learned a lot from you gentlemen. so i will say; thank you.

    From reading the posts and replies, I can't help but get bad vibes from the bad service these guys(companies) give. Is it just me or does anyone else feel this way? I've read countless posts of guys not being able to get in touch with them, or waiting months and months for something ordered. Scrolling through Corbins web site (Dave) I am impressed with the products available but, I am totally reluctant to order anything, even the simplest thing.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master Tatume's Avatar
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    Can't say I disagree. I tried to do business with one of the brothers and found him hard to talk with. The other was friendly, but his web site was confusing. I ended up not buying from either.

    On the other hand, BTSniper on this forum has been very accommodating. I've purchased dies to swage three different caliber bullets, and also his auto-ejector for the RCBS Rock Chucker press. I've had nothing but success with his equipment, and nothing to say but praise for the man and his business.

    Take care, Tom

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    all of the custom die makers have long backorder lists, its what happens when you are a one off shop. there is only one of the corbin brothers still in business and if its in stock it ships quick. you can order from corbin or btsniper with no worries about getting taken, it may take awhile for a custom die but you will get it.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy Valornor's Avatar
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    I’ve worked with Dave and Richard , and while I don’t agree with everything either of these guys do, I haven’t ever had a bad experience.

    These guys are machinists and engineers, as with most engineers/machinists, customer service isn’t always their forte. However the products they provide are quality.

    I’ll order from Dave or Richard again without hesitation. Depending on what you are ordering there may be a lead time, but that is just the nature of custom manufacturing.

    I haven’t done business with BT Sniper yet, but I plan to. I’ve had a few conversations with him, and he’s just fine to talk to.

    In the age of Amazon Prime 1 day or 3 day shipping, we forget that not every product can fit in that instant shipping model. Swage dies take time, it is the nature of the product and the business.


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  5. #5
    Boolit Master



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    Have done business with Corbins (Dave) since back in 1988/89. Yes there is a wait; but I still have each and every product I have bought from him. Found him to be knowledgable, good at what he does; and he will warn a customer if what they want to do is problematic - and make alternative recommendations.

    Have done business with BT Sniper several times and same as above.
    Mustang

    "In the beginning... the patriot is a scarce man, and brave and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Ozark mike's Avatar
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    Kind of like tom @ accurate custom work isnt like buying chinesium stuff at the get it now store
    Those who would trade freedom for safety deserves neither and will lose both

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ozark mike View Post
    Kind of like tom @ accurate custom work isnt like buying chinesium stuff at the get it now store
    Actually Tom is like that, difference is it’s high quality. Give him a brand new design and you will have it in a few days time. I’m amazed at how fast he can turn out a mold. But he’s the only mold manufacturer like this. You will wait w/ any of the others. Either for them to replenish stock or for a group buy to come to an end. W/ swaging tools the wait time is always long unless it’s in stock

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy

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    I've done business with BT sniper also. I am totally satisfied with his products and support. He was not part of this original post. I know it takes awhile to make custom dies and the like. I would never expect for instant gratification like amazon.
    If the companies have such huge backlogs, why aren't there more of them in the business? or, why hasn't RCBS or some other reloading die manufacturer start or resume making them?

  9. #9
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    It's a very small niche business, and hard to make a living at. The dies are time consuming to make, and sometimes get messed up in the tempering stage. C-H discontinued their swaging dies due to this issue, and they were the last source of reasonably priced off the shelf swaging dies.

    I've been told that custom die making is kind of like farming. For every successful farmer, there's a wife who has a good job in town.......

    Hope this helps.

    Fred
    After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. - William S. Burroughs.

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    FWIW, Dave claims to be making the equipment for ALL the BIG NAME bullet Mfr's. If any other shop is making such claims, i haven't heard of them. I cant speak for that, but i'm smart enough to know when I put in an order i'm not the bread n butter of his business and it might take time until my order works its way up the list.

    OK, so after thinking. I got CH4D, are they in there too ? But they are not "Overnight" either.
    Good Judgment comes from Experience, Experience comes from Bad Judgment !

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    Dealt with Dave Corbin for years and invested in multiple caliber H-dies. Sent numerous emails to him over the years and he always readily responded back to me with very lengthy responses. He does offer some good discounts usually at year end if you can wait. This is a custom line of work and if something has to be made it will of course take longer to get. With any products you get what you pay for. I've never been disappointed from any of Dave's products.
    I'm only disappointed Richard got out of the Jacket making business his prices were almost half of what Dave charges. Luckily several years ago I purchased about 15K jackets in multiple calibers which will last me quite a long time. If I knew he was closing up shop I would have probably purchased all he had at the time. Richard was not one for answering emails.
    The main reason I went with Dave's products was because of the H-dies. I decided to build my own fully automated hydraulic press only because I have the background and machines to build one. The H-die sets were only several hundred dollars more than the standard dies and their size is quite impressive compared to a standard die.

  12. #12
    Boolit Bub
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    Richard is back at it in limited form. I’ve used both. Richard seems to have more ideas but Dave has the full scale machine shop.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy Valornor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nun2kute View Post
    FWIW, Dave claims to be making the equipment for ALL the BIG NAME bullet Mfr's. If any other shop is making such claims, i haven't heard of them. I cant speak for that, but i'm smart enough to know when I put in an order i'm not the bread n butter of his business and it might take time until my order works its way up the list.

    OK, so after thinking. I got CH4D, are they in there too ? But they are not "Overnight" either.
    Dave does do some support of commercial bullet makers. Especially when it is one off custom or R&D type enterprises. However most of the large bullet makers have their own dedicated machine shops that make dies and punches for their bullet presses.

    Commercial grade dies are almost always carbide, with profiles burned in with EDM.


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  14. #14
    Boolit Man
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    Richard is a smart and good guy IMHO. Glad he got tired of be 'retired' and is doing limited work.
    Just wish he would mentor someone because the knowledge will be gone when he is gone.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valornor View Post
    Dave does do some support of commercial bullet makers. Especially when it is one off custom or R&D type enterprises. However most of the large bullet makers have their own dedicated machine shops that make dies and punches for their bullet presses.
    Agreed; I've talked with several of the manufacturers about such things, and a few of the folks I talked with said they do indeed use Dave's Hydropresses for R&D or possibly very limited runs of things that have small markets. Although everyone that I spoke with about it mentioned that they do NOT use dies made by Corbin for either R&D or production. Not to say that some don't, but no-one I spoke with does.
    Nozombies.com Practical Zombie Survival

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  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy Valornor's Avatar
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    I’ve used the hydro press, it’s pretty darn slick. I’d love to get one myself.

    Most the dies we had for it were made in house.


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  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy M.A.D's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valornor View Post
    Dave does do some support of commercial bullet makers. Especially when it is one off custom or R&D type enterprises. However most of the large bullet makers have their own dedicated machine shops that make dies and punches for their bullet presses.

    Commercial grade dies are almost always carbide, with profiles burned in with EDM.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Don't need no stinking EDM to make custom Carbide dies now...... I've made two carbide dies so far this year, About to make three more.... And daym i wish i new this before i tried to make my first carbide die with a EDM... Mind you, the stuff is still evil **** to polish...

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    A while back, I think it was in 2008, A Square decided to get out of the bullet making business. They had an auction to dispose of all their stuff out in Chamberlain, SD. There were 4 hydraulic swage presses, 3 from Dave Corbin and 1 Hydra-Swage from Richard Corbin. I ended up with the Hydra-Swage for $260. Of course I had to drive out to SD to pick it up. So some of the smaller custom bullet makers use equipment from the Corbins.

    Bob
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  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy


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    +1 on the comments about Dave Corbin. Yes, his website it outdated, but he is in it to win it. He has half a dozen tool and die makers employed and they are very good at what they do. I think the wait is more imagined than real. I have bought a lot of stuff off of him, and even custom dies are done in about 6 weeks. I ordered a set up to draw dies on my hydro which was very complicated and he had it done in about 2 months. If you call him he will talk to you as long as you have questions.

    Don't have any experience with Richard. Biggest difference is he is a one man band that sometimes make stuff and sometimes doesn't. Dave is running a large business, and he is there for support and or questions whenever you need him.

    Satisfied customer here of Dave Corbin. Have an S Press, H press and Hydro. Also have his motorized cannelure machine and a lot of custom dies. He is the bomb.com!
    Zbench

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    GONRA's only dealt with Dave Corbin over the decades (CSP-2 hand press, H-dies) and has been very pleased.

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