Petrol & Powder
08-28-2020, 08:48 AM
I was curious about the RCBS Rebel, to the point I purchased one.
Here are some initial impressions:
1. It is a stout press ! This is a substantial piece of equipment. I don't know if RCBS is contemplating the replacement of the current Rock Chucker (I hope not) but if this is the replacement, it looks like it is more than strong enough to fill that role.
2. This is not an entry level press. This is a very strong, simple, O-frame, cast iron press with steel link arms and heavy construction.
3. There is no provision for on-press priming. There is a hollow ram with a port in the rear to allow spent primers to fall through.
4. The frame opening is not off-set. The opening of the "O" frame is set at 90 degrees to the front of the bench. The handle is offset and can be mounted on the left or the right of the toggle. The rear vertical section of the "O" frame is very thick and is over 2.5" deep, measured front to rear. The front vertical section of the "O" frame is roughly 3/4" thick.
5. There is a removeable threaded steel bushing for the dies. (Accepts Standard 7/8" dies)
6. The ram is roughly 1" in diameter (0.995" ) and the frame is equipped with a Zerk fitting to lubricate the bore the ram travels in. The bore that the ram travels in is roughly 3.25" long.
7. The opening in the frame is a little over 4.5" and the travel of the ram is approximately 4.25". The useable portion of those limits is probably slightly less but it is still fairly large.
8.The ram is attached to the toggle via a large steel pin. That pin is removable and is retained by a set screw in the bottom of the ram. Owners of a Dillon 550 will be familiar with that setup. The linkage attaches to the toggle via a large removable steel pin that is secured by a locknut on one side. The upper pivots for the linkage are large steel pins that thread into the frame. Those pins have Allen head sockets to allow for their removal. The link arms are steel and .375" thick. The entire linkage is heavily constructed and easily disassembled for cleaning and lubricating, if needed.
9. The handle is roughly 13.5 " long from the tip of the ball to the top of the toggle when installed. The shaft of the handle is roughly 3/4" in diameter (0.748" on my example). The handle has two parallel flats machined on the lower section of the shaft so that a 9/16" open end wrench can be used to tighten the handle. That's a very nice feature that I wish other manufacturers would incorporate in their handles.
10. I'm not sure what material the toggle is made of but I suspect it is cast steel and not cast iron. It is a substantial part and the stops that limit the upward travel of the ram are incorporated into the toggle. The ram does not appear to "cam over" at the top of the stoke and appears to stop at top dead center.
If you're looking for a strong, no frills, large single stage press - The Rebel may be a very good candidate.
For fans of the Rockchucker - the Rebel is best described as "Son of Rockchucker".
Here are some initial impressions:
1. It is a stout press ! This is a substantial piece of equipment. I don't know if RCBS is contemplating the replacement of the current Rock Chucker (I hope not) but if this is the replacement, it looks like it is more than strong enough to fill that role.
2. This is not an entry level press. This is a very strong, simple, O-frame, cast iron press with steel link arms and heavy construction.
3. There is no provision for on-press priming. There is a hollow ram with a port in the rear to allow spent primers to fall through.
4. The frame opening is not off-set. The opening of the "O" frame is set at 90 degrees to the front of the bench. The handle is offset and can be mounted on the left or the right of the toggle. The rear vertical section of the "O" frame is very thick and is over 2.5" deep, measured front to rear. The front vertical section of the "O" frame is roughly 3/4" thick.
5. There is a removeable threaded steel bushing for the dies. (Accepts Standard 7/8" dies)
6. The ram is roughly 1" in diameter (0.995" ) and the frame is equipped with a Zerk fitting to lubricate the bore the ram travels in. The bore that the ram travels in is roughly 3.25" long.
7. The opening in the frame is a little over 4.5" and the travel of the ram is approximately 4.25". The useable portion of those limits is probably slightly less but it is still fairly large.
8.The ram is attached to the toggle via a large steel pin. That pin is removable and is retained by a set screw in the bottom of the ram. Owners of a Dillon 550 will be familiar with that setup. The linkage attaches to the toggle via a large removable steel pin that is secured by a locknut on one side. The upper pivots for the linkage are large steel pins that thread into the frame. Those pins have Allen head sockets to allow for their removal. The link arms are steel and .375" thick. The entire linkage is heavily constructed and easily disassembled for cleaning and lubricating, if needed.
9. The handle is roughly 13.5 " long from the tip of the ball to the top of the toggle when installed. The shaft of the handle is roughly 3/4" in diameter (0.748" on my example). The handle has two parallel flats machined on the lower section of the shaft so that a 9/16" open end wrench can be used to tighten the handle. That's a very nice feature that I wish other manufacturers would incorporate in their handles.
10. I'm not sure what material the toggle is made of but I suspect it is cast steel and not cast iron. It is a substantial part and the stops that limit the upward travel of the ram are incorporated into the toggle. The ram does not appear to "cam over" at the top of the stoke and appears to stop at top dead center.
If you're looking for a strong, no frills, large single stage press - The Rebel may be a very good candidate.
For fans of the Rockchucker - the Rebel is best described as "Son of Rockchucker".