RCBS Green Machine: Enthusiast Forum

[mrbigsteel]

For those who own a Green Machine and call yourself an "enthusiast" rather than an "un-enthusiast", I've started a forum to collect and consolidate information about the machine and to share tips/tricks:

https://greenmachinereloading.com

[OS OK]

This is a great idea . . . back when I got mine, RCBS had a limited selection of parts & were willing to help you get a Green Machine back in running condition although finding video examples of it's operation to watch so I could familiarize myself with how it should work was difficult.
There were no 'tips-n-tricks' or examples of 'hacks' or 'modifications' to be had unless I stumbled across one by accident...this is a great idea!

Thanks Ryan


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

This is 'Granny'... long may she live to serve my needs in .38 Special wad cutter ammo.


https://i.imgur.com/CxczBaj.jpg?1

[dverna]

Great idea. I purchased one new and it is the worst reloader I have ever owned. But back then there was no internet.

I believe they can be made to work, but it is not easy. Good luck!!!

BTW, gave up on mine. Most people who get them to work, prime off the machine. The GM primer system was designed by a moron. I looked at putting a Dillon primer tube with blast shield on mine but decided it was not worth the effort. Sold it on Ebay over a decade ago.

I saw one for $150 a while back and thought about trying again but there was no practical reason to do it except for satisfaction. I load .38 on a Dillon 1050.

[mrbigsteel]

Great idea. I purchased one new and it is the worst reloader I have ever owned. But back then there was no internet.
I saw one for $150 a while back and thought about trying again but there was no practical reason to do it except for satisfaction. I load .38 on a Dillon 1050.

There is probably a good reason these things failed commercially, and the primer systems are known to be troublesome. You have to want to tinker.

For whatever reason, these machines seem to have a revived following lately. Selling for $300+ on Ebay. If anybody has one collecting dust, it may be time to get yours out of mothballs and convert it to cash.

[onelight]

I think this is a great idea !

[Land Owner]

..and here I thought this thread was about "all things" green. I've been purchasing RCBS for over 30-years. I didn't even know that RCBS had a "Green Machine". I thought all RCBS equipment was referred to as "green" and the "machine" part of this title was just "poetic license".

How much there is still to learn Grasshopper.

[W.R.Buchanan]

This was a C&H Auto Champ made by RCBS. It is a Linear Transfer Machine as opposed to Rotary Transfer Machines like Dillons.

They were designed to be set up for one cartridge and once set up and running right you didn't mess with them !!!

I had a C&H Auto Champ and got it to run after messing with it for along time. It made good ammo, in my case .45 ACP. but it was finicky. I got a Dillon SQD and it was so much easier to use it was pathetic.

Randy

[22cf45]

I have 3 C-H Auto Champs and love them. Trouble free and just keep on ticking. I'm a bullseye shooter so I shoot a lot of 45 acp. I've loaded in excess of 100,000 on one of my machines. If you have one and it is the one that has little fingers to feed the primer, that is trouble waiting to happen. I converted mine back to the primer feed on the previous model and away went all the problems. Other than that, I'm good to go.
Phil

[mrbigsteel]

I would love to see an Auto Champ running in detail, if anyone is motivated to make a video. I believe there is only one YouTube video out there of it, and it's old and a bit grainy.

[skeettx]

I signed up and I have a Green Machine and a C-H AutoChamp

[green mountain boy]

i bought a green machine brand new when they came out. it was expensive and i really could not afford it. after several months of tinkering with it i had only around a double handful of loaded ammo. i sent it back to rcbs, they sent it back a couple weeks later and said " you over lubed it its fine now" so i set it up again and it still would not produce ammo without jamming. i sold it on consignment at my gun store, and took a loss. i hated that machine !!

[Pressman]

I have to admit I have one that I never unpacked from the box. I got it 5 years agos and never could see a good reason to do so. Maybe sometime this winter.

[dverna]

I have to admit I have one that I never unpacked from the box. I got it 5 years agos and never could see a good reason to do so. Maybe sometime this winter.

The bad news...MN has a long winter....the good news...winter comes every year...

My advice, ditch the Little Dandy rotating powder feeder thingy and replace with a case activated powder drop. One thing I never tried was a small vibrator...like the ones you find on the Ponsness or Spolar machines to help with primer feeding. One the little sex toy thingys might work too...at least if you give up on the GM, it is not a total waste of money...LOL. It would have been the only way to get a happy ending with the GM I had.

Good luck.

[Lloyd Smale]

Great idea. I purchased one new and it is the worst reloader I have ever owned. But back then there was no internet.

I believe they can be made to work, but it is not easy. Good luck!!!

BTW, gave up on mine. Most people who get them to work, prime off the machine. The GM primer system was designed by a moron. I looked at putting a Dillon primer tube with blast shield on mine but decided it was not worth the effort. Sold it on Ebay over a decade ago.

I saw one for $150 a while back and thought about trying again but there was no practical reason to do it except for satisfaction. I load .38 on a Dillon 1050.

yup i bought one used years ago and kept it for about 2 months of nightmares and sold it. If you get enthused about them it doesnt take much to get you excited. In theroy they made sense but not in practice. it always boggled my mind that as good as rcbs is they never came out with a decent progressive. Just failed attemps.

[Taterhead]

yup i bought one used years ago and kept it for about 2 months of nightmares and sold it. If you get enthused about them it doesnt take much to get you excited. In theroy they made sense but not in practice. it always boggled my mind that as good as rcbs is they never came out with a decent progressive. Just failed attemps.

I think there is one notable exception. I find the Pro 2000 with auto-index to be terrific.

[Taterhead]

I am not a Green Machine owner, but the site looks great!

[Lloyd Smale]

I think there is one notable exception. I find the Pro 2000 with auto-index to be terrific.

never tried one

[rockrat]

I think I loaded about 500 rounds thru mine before it went TU. Still have it, why I don't know.

[Wild Bill 7]

I have two GM’s. One for 45 acp and 38 special. Bought them 20 years or so ago. Yes the can be a challenge and if you get a good rhythm they run just fine. Both of mine have at least 15,000 rounds through them. When I bought them the primer system had a copper tube instead of the primer tray. Load primer tubes and away I go. I do deprime and clean pockets first to keep the crud out which helps make them run a lot better. I also don’t use the seater system that came with them, instead I place the boolit in the case before seating. That is how I got them and it works just fine. If you keep them clean and a little oil in the moving parts they will make lots of excellent products for you.

[fecmech]

I have two Auto-Champs, A Mark III(40 yrs) and a 5A(15years). Reloaded well over 100k on these machines. Trouble free once set up. Only downside is you have to reach around the primer feed on the MarkII to set the bullet on the case. That was eliminated on the 5A when they put the feed on the upper platten. I load .38spl,.357 mag,.45acp,9mm and .380 on my machines.

[oldhenry]

For those who own a Green Machine and call yourself an "enthusiast" rather than an "un-enthusiast", I've started a forum to collect and consolidate information about the machine and to share tips/tricks:

https://greenmachinereloading.com

Tips/tricks:
1. Remove the "Little Dandy" powder measure & use it as a hand operated devise in conjunction with a SS or turret press.
2. Attempt to find a "mark" (preferably someone from another town.....far away).
3. Unload the GM on that mark (do not provide them with any contact information). Try to get $100.00 for it, but don't haggle.
4. Failing with 2/3: it makes a fair anchor for a suitable size/weight craft.
5. Shy away from any RCBS progressive loading devise that they introduce in the future.
6. If you have emotional problems after dealing with the GM experience, consult "Dr. Dillon" (his treatment has a 100% cure rate).

[ascast]

Great idea- I had one, never got it to really run right. This was after they stopped supporting it. Down the road it went. I liked the linear concept, but frankly got more ammo in less from my Lee Pro100.

[oldhenry]

The mystery behind the GM is the reviews that it received in the gun magazines.

During that period I was shooting IHMSA & having the time of my life. I was hungry for any information on that particular area of the shooting sport. The IHMSA printed a news paper of sorts, "The Silhouette" (maybe they still do?) listing scores, upcoming events & tips. To be fair they never endorsed the GM: however, they ran an article by a very well respected competitor regarding the GM. Everything in the article was positive. There was no mention of priming problems: in fact, the unique priming system was mentioned only for it's safety.

That article did it for me & I ordered one: bad mistake.