Rock Chucker Supreme - no more primer catchers

[Johnny_V]

Hi Guys,

To those of you that might have a lathe and mill available, I have come up with a final cure for the Rock Chucker Supreme depriming problem. This fix will not cost you a cent and cures the problem once and for all. The primers will now exit the press through the bottom of the ram and go directly into a trash container. No longer will you have to deal with the primer residue messing up the top of the press, and since the primers exit the press below the ram housing, no more residue in the bore housing either.

Here is a YouTube link to a video on how it works (https://youtu.be/3myRaFCMBNY)

Here is a PDF file giving instructions on how to make the modification.238163

[DanishM1Garand]

Nice.

[troyboy]

You have to wonder why RCBS didn't do this to begin with. Seems like this could be done to all models of the RC.

[salpal48]

That is a Great video. Rcbs Should have done that. I know i don't have the Tools or I guess the talent to do such a Conversion
But interesting

[BigAlofPa.]

My turret press they go through the ram. But i don't decap with it lol. My O shape lee press i deacap with it does the same thing as the RCBS. I have a small dust pan and brush i use to clean off the debris.

[Johnny_V]

You have to wonder why RCBS didn't do this to begin with. Seems like this could be done to all models of the RC.

I talked with the folks at RCBS and they told me that drilling deep holes was the reason why they don't do it. I told them I had no problem and I was using manual machinery. I guess their CNC isn't all it's cracked up to be

[44magLeo]

Very Clever. I can't watch videos, to slow an internet connection. So maybe the primers are directed into a container of some sort. If not I might try to build something that would.
Perhaps you could turn this mod into a service for those out there with out a lathe.
Leo

[Johnny_V]

Very Clever. I can't watch videos, to slow an internet connection. So maybe the primers are directed into a container of some sort. If not I might try to build something that would.
Perhaps you could turn this mod into a service for those out there with out a lathe.
Leo

The spent primers go directly into a trash can below the bench - nothing fancy to hook up or hose to attach, primers go straight down and exit out the back of the ram.

Between my cost for the service and round trip shipping, I believe it would be rather pricey for most.

[onelight]

Great job !
I wish all presses were made that way..

[Livin_cincy]

Lee & Redding have had the Hollow Ram for spent primers for years.
RCBS simply needs to confess their design is bad, do a paradigm shift, change the press and then offer replacement rams at a reasonable price.

[Hick]

+1 on a well done mod-- but I'm glad RCBS doesn't do that. I don't have the space below the bench for both my feet and a trash container, and I'm happy with how mine works.

[onelight]

I can’t remember what press it was but I have seen one that had a little bucket type rig that hung on the linkage under the press and caught the primers as came out of the ram

[Johnny_V]

I can’t remember what press it was but I have seen one that had a little bucket type rig that hung on the linkage under the press and caught the primers as came out of the ram

Most likely it was the Forster Co-Ax press (https://www.forsterproducts.com/product-category/case-sizing-lubricating/co-ax-reloading-press/)

[sparky45]

Excellent mod; I have a PM Lathe but I don't have a Mill. Question: I have 2 Rock Crushers (not the supreme); would this mod also work for those Rams?

[EDG]

The RCBS A4 Big Max has a hollow ram with a bottle to catch the primers.
The RCBS A2 is even older than the Rockchucker and has a drilled ram with a primer port hole angled out the back.

238208



When I got my Rockchucker in 1971 or so I was already fed up with primer bouncing out of the primer catcher of my first C press. Instead of a primer catcher I just knocked all my primers out with a Lee hand tool in a separate operation.
The benefits of using a hand punch are:
1. I never bend or break a decapping pin or stem
2. I never adjust a decapping pin or stem
3. I do not have primer ash anywhere around my press
4. Berdan cases cause no damage

A. I simply decap all my brass and store it unti I want to go to the next operation.
B. Then I clean it and FL size it. It is stored again or continues to trimming and deburring then stored.
C. Next operation is priming then storing again
C. Next is charging- at this point I am committed to completing the ammo.
D. Bullets are seated.

All the storage is nothing more than inventory management. I store the cases in the least cost condition.
I do not like to have tons of loaded ammo on hand. That is just money tied up in ammo that might not be shot for a long time. I also do not store primed brass in large quantities. I do not want 10K large rifle primers in inventory. Today that would be about $300 in primers sitting around doing nothing.

Storing FL sized and prepped brass works well. No money is added to the cost of my brass but it is ready for reloading with minimal time and effort left. Simply prime, charge and seat.

I see a lot of loaders that complain about how much time they have to spend loading and some that even say they hate reloading. I wonder how many of these folks might enjoy it more if they space out the operations a bit. I never start and stop a lot of brass all in one sitting. It might be spaced out over a day, a few days, a week or even longer. Reloading is much less tiresome when the operations are spaced out.

[onelight]

238207
Most likely it was the Forster Co-Ax press (https://www.forsterproducts.com/product-category/case-sizing-lubricating/co-ax-reloading-press/)
That looks like a clean setup but this is what I was thinking of , it appears that a mount on the linkage of the press that would swing when operating the press could be designed to be in position to catch the primer... just a thought

[pertnear]

GREAT MOD! I hope RCBS is watching! :smile:

I'm so RCBS dedicated that I bleed green, but I finally got fed-up & dumped my RC supreme because of the primer dump handling.

BTW: I bought a Mec Marksman.

[Johnny_V]

Excellent mod; I have a PM Lathe but I don't have a Mill. Question: I have 2 Rock Crushers (not the supreme); would this mod also work for those Rams?

This fix would work for the earlier Rock Chuckers, but you would have to mill a small slot in the back of the casting as the stroke is too short and primer residue would make its way into the ram bore.

[sparky45]

Thanks for the info.

[OS OK]

I let this little cheapo Lee Chineeee knock-off do all the dirty work, even put a tube in it to drop the spent's into the trash can below.

https://i.imgur.com/ilkrD4o.jpg

However, your ingenious, well done fix is a problem that RCBS should'a resolved years ago!

[Johnny_V]

I let this little cheapo Lee Chineeee knock-off do all the dirty work, even put a tube in it to drop the spent's into the trash can below.

https://i.imgur.com/ilkrD4o.jpg

However, your ingenious, well done fix is a problem that RCBS should'a resolved years ago!

Good fix on your Chi-Com press. You're absolutely right, RCBS should've addressed this problem years ago, instead they opted to lose business over a simple thing like spent primers.