Rcbs ammo master press worth?

[cheese1566]

Today I was at the local gunshop\gunsmith. I walked out with two RCBS Lockout dies for $10!!
He also had a used RCBS Ammo-master progressive stashed under some shelves. I didn't take it out and look at it yet to see what type (I or II). From what I see, I could not find a tag and do not know if it is complete...
I don't believe RCBS makes them anymore from the looks of the website and parts books.

How much were these new? and What would this press be worth now if I were to make an offer to him?

I already have a Hornady Projector and an RCBS Rockchucker...
Anybody have any experience with this press. I would leave it dedicated to one caliber...

[Catshooter]

The last ones I saw went for 'tween $200 - $250 used. New IIRC they were ~$300. It is about the most versitle press around, ya know. It'll load progressive and single station, from .25 ACP to .50 BMG. That it'll full length size a .50 is an indication of it's strength. It does have a very long stroke, of course, needed to deal with the BMG.

One sits on my bench. Best press in the world as far as I can tell.

If it isn't complete offer him less. Then call RCBS and order the parts you need, they'll be free and they won't even let you pay for shipping. Ask me how I know! My Ammo Master was NIB, but I bought a Piggyback and it wasn't.

If I was going to use it for one caliber only, I would want it to be a rifle to utilize the long stroke. The Piggyback's stroke is enough shorter that I can load 400 45 autos on it in the same time it takes to load 300 on the Master.

Hope this helps some. The press isn't perfect, but then none are. I've made about half a dozen modifacations to mine.


Cat

[Bullshop]

I recently offered one with about a dozen shell plates for $450.00
It didnt sell and I am glad. It is set up now and back in production cranking out 223's.
BIC/BS

[dromia]

I've been running an Ammomaster progressive for over 14 years now with no problem.

If I could get my hands on another one I wouldn't think twice about buying it, they are fine presses.

I just never understood why RCBS dropped them

[cheese1566]

I heard somewhere (unofficial of course), that RCBS got too many service calls from upset customers about not being able to get it set up and tuned properly. Not the machines or engineer's faults.

On any progressive machine, numerous actions are being done at once and proper initial set up does take some time and manipulation.

This is how I got my Projector 17 years ago. The guy fiddled with the adjustments so much he got frustrated and sold it for almost nothing. Careful reading and adjusting got up and working in no time. Since then just regular cleaning and lubricating...

[No_1]

I have one that was given to me because it was left in the givers shed for a number of years. I cleaned it up, downloaded the manual from the RCBS website and made a call to order the missing / damaged parts. Just like the previous post indicated, parts were free. I got it running but found it would not "clock" correctly on some strokes. Discovered the rachet assembly located in the middle of the tool head that the "twisted rod" ran thru was bad. Another call got 2 sent for free and after changing it out things were sweet. Found I did not like using the RCBS powder measure unit so I changed it out for a Dillon measure unit and it functions without a hitch.

+1 on the long stroke. This thing would be better served as a rifle cartridge loader just because of that but I have it currently set up for 45 acp and find the auto index feature makes it a tad faster than the dillon 550B. Parts to convert it to a single stage are still available from RCBS and those will be included in my next order just so I can have them on hand.

IMHO it is worth ~$250-$350 depending condition and amount of stuff that comes with it. Shell plates are about $29 each so keep that in mind.

Robert

[cheese1566]

I went back in and pulled it out from underneath the shelving. They shook there head and didn't know where it came from or a price. Finally, the owner came back from lunch and thought an oldtimer brought it in for consigment. As it turned out, the guy bought it at an auction and only wanted one thing in a pallet type purchase. He brought it in to get anything for it. They called him and he didn't care about a price, he actually forgot about it.

I offered $25 and I walked out the door with it....quickly!!!

It is in great shape but needs all the powder and primer assemblies. It has a #27 shellplate and has one little rusty spot on the bottom linkage you cannot see. The bluing is superb and the paint looks fresh.

I plan on figuring out what I need and a call to RCBS. Even if I need to purchase some parts (which it sounds like I won't, I hope!) I will still be out ahead.

I plan on stripping it down and giving a good cleaning, lubing, and tune.

Maybe I should play the lottery...

[mikenbarb]

Now thats a sweet deal!

[Bullshop]

Give ya $50.00

[cheese1566]

Nooooooo thanks !!

But I would take some shellplates off your hands...Looking for some for 9mm, 357/38, 45acp, 223, and 30-06.


Any trouble with the long handle? I was already thinking of having the local machine shop cut and thread the ends to shorten it. If I want it longer, I can screw it back together to the original length. At this point I really only plan to do pistol calibers.

[cheese1566]

Holy smokes!!!!

You guys were right about RCBS. I called a few times but finally got a hold of a person. I liked that there was no phone automation, just a live person when the call was answered.
He asked what I needed and I told him that I needed a lot of parts to get the press going. He told me no problem and the process was to use a credit card. I didn't refute as I only had $25 into it. He mentioned I could get some parts from MidwayUSA and Grafs, such as shell holders and primer tubes. I told him it was a long list...he suggested that I send it to him. I already had printed the parts diagram and highlighted what was missing. I scanned it and emailed it to him with some other die parts that I needed. The next day he emailed me back and wanted to know what adress to ship them to at no charge!!

All I can say is WOW!!! NO more buying of any other brand is all I can say. (Although kudos to Hornady; they sent me a free part for the Projector, but some others parts are no longer available, like fragile primer tubes...)

[Reloader06]

Gotta love it. That is one of the big reasons I buy and use RCBS!

Matt

[Catshooter]

Yep cheese, that's customer service. Can't hardly recognise it, can ya? Can you imagiene if MicroSoft or Dell had customer service like that? Or GM?

My bench is home only to green machines, and that's why.

Enjoy your machine.


Cat

[Four Fingers of Death]

I picked one up on the weekend. My friend had just had a bit of a windfall and bought a Dillon650 complete with case feeder. Hewanted $AU250 for the Ammomaster complete with six shellplates and a bunch of spares, etc. He was starting to hesitate when he realised that he wouldn't have a powder measure if he sold the press. I said he could keep the powder thrower and I would give him $200. He was worried that I would need the uniflow to work properly with the press. I ended up swapping him a Redding powder measure (cost me $10 some years back) and a credit of $200 which he has put towards a rifle he wants to buy off me.

He gave me the manual and pointed to a US phone number written on the back and told me that if I needed anything for it to give RCBS a ring and they would send it out with a nominal postage fee. I live in Australia, thats pretty good service as far as I see it!

I am doing some work on the room where I will be installling it, so I set it up when I'm finished there.

Good looking old press. All I need are a shellplate for the 44Mag/44Special.

I have a new LnL still in the box waiting for the newer EZject plate and the linkage for the powder measure. The LnL press was cheap because it was old stock, but it has cost me a small fortune as it came with absolutely nothing apart from three bushings.

I will see how the Ammomaster goes before unpacking the LnL, it might be going on flea bay.

[gandydancer]

I have a RCBS press purchased years ago to load 50 cal as a single stage (not by me) I believe it was called a ammo master is this the same press you all are talking about here?? GD

[gandydancer]

I picked one up on the weekend. My friend had just had a bit of a windfall and bought a Dillon650 complete with case feeder. Hewanted $AU250 for the Ammomaster complete with six shellplates and a bunch of spares, etc. He was starting to hesitate when he realised that he wouldn't have a powder measure if he sold the press. I said he could keep the powder thrower and I would give him $200. He was worried that I would need the uniflow to work properly with the press. I ended up swapping him a Redding powder measure (cost me $10 some years back) and a credit of $200 which he has put towards a rifle he wants to buy off me.

He gave me the manual and pointed to a US phone number written on the back and told me that if I needed anything for it to give RCBS a ring and they would send it out with a nominal postage fee. I live in Australia, thats pretty good service as far as I see it!

I am doing some work on the room where I will be installling it, so I set it up when I'm finished there.

Good looking old press. All I need are a shellplate for the 44Mag/44Special.

I have a new LnL still in the box waiting for the newer EZject plate and the linkage for the powder measure. The LnL press was cheap because it was old stock, but it has cost me a small fortune as it came with absolutely nothing apart from three bushings.

I will see how the Ammomaster goes before unpacking the LnL, it might be going on flea bay.
who is Tim the old jungle fighter??

[Catshooter]

gandy,

It is, and it isn't.

The Ammomaster is either huge single stage or a five station progressive. They sold them both ways. You could also buy a kit to convert one to the other, don't know if that's true anymore.


Cat

[Four Fingers of Death]

who is Tim the old jungle fighter??

My Dad. He was an infantryman in WW2 in New Guinea, Borne, etc. His regiment in league with another Aussie regiment inflicted the first land defeat the Japanese had suferred in over 400 year
s. He will be 91 in a few weeks.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Update:

Wandered into the local gunshop this morning, lo and behold! There were two shellplates gathering dust on the pegboard with all of the other RCBS stuff! A #4 and a #18. The 18 is the 44Special/44Magnum plate that I was looking for, the 4 is 375H&H, etc. I don't need to reload my 300WM, 338WM and my 375H&H on a progressive, but it is probably worth the five-ten minutes or so to swap out the plate, screw in the dies and adjust the powder measure, because every pull of the handle after that is a fully loaded round. Who needs a powder cop when you can see the level in the measure drop by 1/2" everytime???? LOL!

Anyway a bit of haggling and I walked out with the two plates cheaper than I could have imported them for anyway. If I had to pay full price I wouldn't have bothered with the #4, but I am glad I have it now. Should be fun watching those big ol' 375H&H loaded rounds coming off the press.