RCBS rock chucker

[alicevirgin]

Just made a switch to a rock chucker supreme press from a lee classic Turret press and wow what a difference!
It has a much smoother and more powerful action, and the clamming action is incredible. Just something I had to share

[ThomR]

An old friend of mine has an RCBS rock chucker. Those are really nice reloading presses, especially for larger rifle cases.

[Shawlerbrook]

Yes, A workhorse on many benches for decades. When I started back in the late 60’s it was the one to have.

[Murphy]

My first bench mounted press was a Rock Chucker in the late 70's. I can't recall a time since then that I didn't have one. I currently have two.

While there are other O frame presses out there that equal the Rock Chucker, I can't see giving mine up. They have always done what I expected of them.

Congratulations and enjoy yours.

Murphy

[fast ronnie]

Great press, but I DON'T prime on mine.

[lightman]

I've had one since the 70's. Its been cycled 10's of thousands of times. Still tight and smooth. I don't prime on it anymore but it did a good job, back when I did. I have the occasional spent primer escape but a piece of cardboard in the back of the primer tray helps. Its not as a big deal that some make it out to be. I don't mind a primer on the floor in the gun room but it could cause issues if you load in another room in the house.

[alicevirgin]

Is there a reason you don't prime on your presses?

[Smoke4320]

Like lightman I bought mine around 1977-78. Many many 1000's of rds .. Still works great today
got a Dillon 650 with all the bells and whistles still use the chucker 90% of the time

[largom]

Is there a reason you don't prime on your presses?

Too easy to crush the primer!

[Scorpion8]

The Rock Chucker has been my primary single stage for almost 20 years now. I use a hand primer off-press to seat my primers, but only because it is more of a "production mode" than one-by-one using the press.

[Jack Stanley]

Is there a reason you don't prime on your presses?

I don't decap cases on the press because of primer debris , priming isn't so bad if I'm careful .

Jack

[lightman]

Is there a reason you don't prime on your presses?

I prefer to use a hand primer because I can do it while relaxing in the recliner and it lets me be around the family. I was always satisfied with the job that the press did priming.

[Carrier]

Yup my Rock Chucker is a great press but the spent primer catcher sucks. Why RCB didn’t or won’t make a decent one is beyond me.

[EDG]

My Rockchucker was my second press. My first press spit primers onto the floor and was not very good for priming.
I switched to hand depriming and hand priming. Since I got the RC in 1971 I have never had one primer in the floor or had a poorly seated primer.

[engineer401]

My first press was RCII. It was mistake to let it go when I bought a 550. I finally bought a Coax so it worked out. In retrospect, I should have kept it.

[fast ronnie]

There are a couple of reasons I don't prime on the rockchucker.
I gave up doing that way years ago.

First, it is slow.
Second, you don't have a very good feel.
Third. it is kind of in the way the way I have my presses set up.

I de-prime, then stainless tumble so that I get the primer pockets as well as the rest of the case clean before cases go in my dies.

I use an RCBS automatic bench primer. it is fast, has a good feel to it, and I look at every primer before seating it. The only exception to the bench primer is loading on my Dillon square deal. Even then, when doing .44 mags, they get primed on the bench primer. For some reason, I have a high primer every now and then with the .44's on the Dillon. Doesn't seem to happen with the others that I load on the Square Deal, only the .44's

[Taterhead]

Of the 5 different single stage presses that I've owned, the RC IV is my go-to. I like the ergonomics and feel of the press, a lot. alicevirgin, it is not surprising to me that you're finding great success with yours too.

I agree totally that the spent priming catch is, meh. Doesn't bother me a bit. Once in a while, I run a tactical broom and dustpan around and under the loading bench. Takes care of those few rascally primers that try to escape.

I don't prime on mine. I prime almost exclusively using APS on the Pro 2000. Once in a while I'll use a hand primer for small tasks. There are better single stage presses for those that prefer to prime on a single stager.

[LAH]

I like the rock chucker myself. I don't Prime with it anymore but I used to and had no problem when I did.

[alicevirgin]

My first press was RCII. It was mistake to let it go when I bought a 550. I finally bought a Coax so it worked out. In retrospect, I should have kept it.

I almost bought a coax. In the end I decided on the rc very pleased with it. Maybe one of these days I'll try out the coax.

[alicevirgin]

I do find it a bit in the way to prime using the rc compared to the lee Turret. That just means I need a bench primer or hand primer now hehe.

[starnbar]

I prime off press too it is way too easy to crush primers on the rcbs ask me how I know that.

[JWT]

I've had one since the 70's. Its been cycled 10's of thousands of times. Still tight and smooth. I don't prime on it anymore but it did a good job, back when I did. I have the occasional spent primer escape but a piece of cardboard in the back of the primer tray helps. Its not as a big deal that some make it out to be. I don't mind a primer on the floor in the gun room but it could cause issues if you load in another room in the house.

I prefer the feedback I get with a hand primer.

[photomicftn]

My dad got me a Rockchucker for my birthday when I was a teen, but I still used his Pacific C press to prime because it had a better feel. Today the Pacific has a universal decapper die, and I prime using a hand tool.

[Wayne Smith]

Best feel for priming on the press by far is the TrueLine Jr. I know, not an option for most.

[LAH]

Don't want to stray too far from topic here but after using the RC for a short period of time I had no problem feeling the primer touch home. The Pacific C press is mentioned above. That is what I prime with now only I prime on top the press.

As for hand priming I tried this but because of the amount of ammo I load it simply exhausts my hand.

[Big Tom]

I have been using my RC IV for almost 20 years now and still think it is one of the best single stage presses (with some tuning like replacing the primer catcher). I use it for all my rifle loads, for pistol rounds, when I just need to mass produce, I have a progressive (LEE :oops:)


Just made a switch to a rock chucker supreme press from a lee classic Turret press and wow what a difference!
It has a much smoother and more powerful action, and the clamming action is incredible. Just something I had to share

[Thin Man]

I used the same RCBS Junior press for over 30 years before I added in a Rock Chucker. Yes, there is a significant difference between even these two presses. Just for old time's sake I kept the Junior and may find room to bolt it onto the bench for the occasional small chore. I like keeping old friends close to me.

[redhawk0]

I don't prime with mine...but I do deprime. To keep the primers from flying all over the place and bouncing out of that "stupid" cup...I cut down a large diameter drinking straw in the slot (priming slot) This keeps the primers dropping at a slower rate and not allowing them to bounce. I use McDonald's straws because they are the right size diameter.

redhawk

[Bayou52]

My first press in 1978 was a RC. My press today is the same RC. Multiple tens of thousands of rounds in those decades. That RC is as tight and smooth now as it was then!

Used to prime on the RC but no longer. I hand prime using the old RCBS Posi-Prime - my absolute favorite...

[gmsharps]

I have a rockchucker I bought new in 1972 and still have it. It has survived multiple moves and looks a bit on the worn side but I guess I am too. I use a RCBS bench mounted primer tool because I like the feel.

gmsharps

[Mal Paso]

Too toasted to rebuild but couldn't throw it out. Yard Art

[Remmy4477]

My dad bought a RC back in 71 and all the goodys they made for it back then.
I use it full time when reloading as my dad did.
I have 3 of them now and one with a piggyback system.
Good presses!

[Dan Cash]

A Rockchucker was the second press I owned, the first being a Herters. The Rockchucker was ok but now resides in a storage cubby hole under a bench and the Herters still serves as a bullet sizing press, inverted and permanently mounted. For single stage work, a Co-Ax gets my nod in conjunction with the Bonanza / Co-Ax bench priming tool. Otherwise, one of the 2 Dillon 550s or the Redding T7 do the job. Other than the Dillons, the T7 has the very best on press priming system I have ever found.

[Clark]

My rockchucker was my first press 20 years ago. I broke it with a Lee collet neck toggling over at top dead center. RCBS sent me a new press.
I used it two days ago.
I like the co-ax presses better for fixed location.
I like the partner presses better for mobile reloading.
But the rock chucker still gets used a little.

[LAH]

Too toasted to rebuild but couldn't throw it out. Yard Art

Love it.

[alicevirgin]

Too toasted to rebuild but couldn't throw it out. Yard Art

Haha that is amazing.

[TNsailorman]

Like Bayou, l prime off press with the RCBS posi-prime tool. It is the best hand primer I have used. I also have a few of the old Lee threaded style hand prime tools and consider them second only to the RCBS tool. I haven’t primed on a pres in over 16 years. James