RS press ?

[ulav8r]

Cleaned up my RS press yesterday that I got at a yard sale about 3 years ago. On top behind the die hole is stamped the number 80. Any idea what it means? The seller said it was less than 5 years old.

[SWANEEDB]

Year of mfg, 1980.

[ulav8r]

Thanks, suspected that was a possibility.

[country gent]

If its a cast frame press then the number could be a identification for the cavity it came from (or the form used to lay up the sand for it). These are cast in a "tree" of parts depending on how many fit in the die or box. Forging also have a number somewhere that designates the forge dies it came from.

[seagiant]

Hi,
I would say, a STAMPED 2 digit number on the unpainted "boss" at the top/die screw in local will be a, year of manufacture.

Numbers cast in,(as was said, cast lot#) on the side-painted/powder coated, not so much!

[gwpercle]

What's an RS press ?

[seagiant]

Hi,
I stole this from a post by PRESSMAN!

Your RS press is an evolution of the Jr series of presses. The Jr2 is the RCBS answer to the need for a smaller and less costly press for handgunners and small caliber rifle reloaders. (there is no Jr or Jr1 press). It is a very good press. The Jr3 is the stronger, reinforced version of the Jr 2. The handle and toggle block would occasionally break on the Jr 2 so it was beefed up. This brings us to the early 1980's and the marketing people are comming up with new ideas. With the introduction of the Jr 2 RCBS had offered a package deal of the press, dies, shellholder and maybesomething else, called the Reloader Special. Eventually the Jr3 became the RS, Relaoder Special sometime around 1980-81. However, it was short lived and soon replaced with a swing arm press called the RS2 around 1983-84. I have some gaps in my catalog collection so dates are approximate as taken from the Handloader's Digest.

The Jr2 name comes from Junior size press and second effort to market such a press. The Model B was the first effort and it flopped because it was WAY too costly to make, besides being a bad design.

Ken