Is Richard Still Alive?

[Sarg]

I spoke with him in March sometime about a set of dies I had on order from the previous year. He said that they should be ready in about a week or two at the most. After about a month; I contacted him again and he said "shortly". Here it is July and I just don't have the heart to keep contacting him.

Sarg

[ANeat]

Sorry Sarg but it seems like your experience is the same as everyones.

Hate to say it but I had the same old song and dance as you, "it will be going out next week" a couple times over several months.

I finally e-mailed him and said that if my stuff had not shipped to just cancel my order and he shipped it that day

[rbt50]

yes i waited for 1 1/2 years for some dies and finally canceled.i guess i will reorder from dave corbin will pay a little more but should get them with in 6 months i hope.

[calaloo]

I hear the more you contact Richard the slower he gets. The last dies I ordered from Dave took about 14 months. Its a shame that swaging is serviced by outfits like this. I would like to have a new set of dies for my "S" press but at my age I think hard about buying green bananas.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Here is an relevant anecdote (and a very true story):

My Best friend runs a Auto Body shop, He has no employees.
He quotes prices that are less than half of the competetion,
so He has plenty of business, but he works slow.
over the years when I'd want him to paint a car for me, I'd ask
when should I bring it in ? he said in 2 weeks. well 2 weeks go
by and I bring it to him, He saids he's too busy, bring it back
in a couple more weeks. Over and over and over, it could go on for a year.
I figured he didn't want to work on my junk.

As the years went on, I learned he did this with many customers.
But his pricing is so reasonable, most of his customers put up with it.
He is very good at what he does, but is miserable that he doesn't
make much money for his work,
but for whatever reason, he just feels he shouldn't charge anymore.

I've known him 30 years now and the problem is, he is a poor
businessman. If you have the demand, you need to raise the price.
when you raise the price, you get more money for your work.
then you'd probably be less miserable and more motivated
to complete jobs is less time than if you are miserable and
mulling around instead of working at something you really enjoy.

I don't know Richard Corbin (funny thing, my friend's name is Richard).
from the many stories I read on many different threads,
I'd guess these two Richards are one in the same.
Jon

[Smokin7mm]

Richard is a one man show. His only employee is himself. I visit Richard once a year when I go to southern Oregon for the West Coast Championship Silhouette tournament. I ordered my last set that I picked up this June around the first of the year. He makes his dies in calibers runs now instead of one off orders and tries to keep some in stock. If you are ordering something special I guess it would have to be fit in with a specific caliber lot but that I can not say. I have never had a problem with Richards times but I usually dont bug him about it. I time my orders around my trip so I can just go in and pick them up.
Bret

[ANeat]

I understand the one man shop and getting backed up, thats fine. If it takes a year tell me. Dont tell me its shipping next week and then 3 months later still nothing. That I have a problem with.

My original order was placed in April, he said probably 6 months, I contacted him in November to see what the status was so the "couple more weeks" replies started.

If I recall the following Feb my card was charged, and started getting the "going out next week" replies and i finally got the stuff in April of the next year.

[BT Sniper]

I sure feel better about only taking a month or two to fill an order when it came in. Still did not feel good about making anyone wait. Can't imigine making anyone wait longer. Stories like this show me the importance of good business practice.

Hope all goes well for you guys.

BT

[seppos]

I could say that Richard is definitely live and kickin..;)
Mailman almost fed my dogs with his butt when bringing the pakages in..
http://i459.photobucket.com/albums/qq319/seppos_photos/setti.jpg
http://i459.photobucket.com/albums/qq319/seppos_photos/mallit.jpg

The meals of my Sako TRG 42 .338 LM are secured in future..;)

S

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

seppos,
SWEET !
Jon

[Daywalker]

One day my dreams will be answered :) Awsome rig man!

[seppos]

Aparently Santa Richie dropped also the BT punch to the set..
I ordered the set with RBT punch, but he was a bit carryed away with it and also made some extras for it.
If I understood it correctly, he made a bigger set of these dies.
He might still have some left, if anybody is interested.
It is possible to make bullets from around 200 grs to 300 grs with the set.
Maybe even lighter and heavyer..
I wonder how long would the 9mm case be if it happens to drop thru .338 hole..;)

S

[seppos]

Well skip the previous.. I almost made the standard male mistake of not reading the manuals first.. the punch that makes the boattail is actually a pre forming punch for the RBT.

S

[AbitNutz]

I would sure like to have one of RCE's Walnut Hill presses. However, I never see them in stock or for sale.

[rbt50]

just talk to dave corbin, i am going to order a set of 6.5 rbt uld dies for next year.he said they are about 18 months behind so i should get them by next fall.

[Radio Flyer]

This would be a good time to mention that if a good die maker out there was willing to make only a few calibers - the popular calibers - it would take pressure off of the work the Corbin brothers do...

I have known them for a long time, like many of you, I learned a long time ago that if I wanted something I ordered what was in stock or I buckled down for a long, long, time...

I someone were willing to make let's say only .223 and .308 in 6s and 8s flat-based dies of the M or S type - with limited runs of RBBT and other items of high demand they could dominate the rifle die business. A simple press that can take M and S dies to round out the product line and build a process that uses more unskilled labor and It could be a possibility... If I had only developed the skills myself I have thought about this for years.

[BT Sniper]

Seppos,


Let us know how those .338 pills shoot. I have a 338 EDGE that I shoot the 300 grain SMKs with and really look foward to making my own for it some day.

You know I am quite often approached about offering some sample bullets for others to try out. Never really had the chance to be on the other end of the deal, untill now :) Should you happen to make a few extra I would be very interested in atleast holding a couple. You up for a trade?

BT

[BT Sniper]

Are those copper tubing jackets? J4s? More info when you can please.

Thanks

[seppos]

Those pills in the pic are the samples that Richard put in to the pakage.
He mentioned that he is using George Costellos jackets and suggested me to buy them too.
The problem is the fact that the transport costs are so high to here.
As they are very thick I came up to an idea to test if it is possible to use tubing jackets or better yet.. To make the jackets here.
I go know that Lapua has them, but I seriously doupt if they will be interested to sell them.
Friend of mine has a punch press, and that propably could be used if one make right tooling for it..
But that has to wait for now.
I will start with lightweight test bullets.
I went thru my stash of miscellaneous cases and noticed that I have few .32 S&W cases there..
I could send some samples from different models when I have them ready and tested..

I will keep you guys updated in this project..

One thing more:
The origin of the design comes from this picture in my memory. When 8.6X70 came to the public knowledge, I saw a pic about the cartridge.. The bullet looked very much like the Lapua:s D-46 in the caliber .30.
It is a old proven consept dated back before the second world war.
I desided that it is the time to go back to the basics, and test the design in .338
Richard made it possible, and I am very crateful from it..

S

[Bollocks]

FWIW, I tried to purchase jackets from Lapua and daughter businesses but they were not interested. Tried Prvi too and they also refused.

I'm in Europe.

BTW, nice tools!

[seppos]

Yes.
That is the common problem.. Companys does not want a competition despite the fact that the custom bullet makers are not competing with the big companys in any way.
If they would support the custom makers, that would only create interaction bitween the makers and factorys and maybe leade to real progress in the developement of the projectiles..
Now the companys pay huge amount of money to develope they products by they own when it would be so easy to get that done by the tinkerers..;)
If one could develope a good product with the wider markets then the production could be turned to the factory and everyone would actually benefit more in the end..
But this is the situation now and one just have to live by it..;)

S

PS. I called a friend of mine.. Maybe the situation is not so bad after all..:-P

[seppos]

I did not had the mental toughness to hold my mind..
Just made a quick temporary stand and used couple of buckshots for cores and 32 S&W case for jacket..
Too flexible stand to press the bullet with the required force, but still..
System will work after some fine tuning.

http://i459.photobucket.com/albums/qq319/seppos_photos/002-2.jpg

S

[MIBULLETS]

seppos, did you aneal that case before you put it in the swage die? If not, anealling it will make it much easier on you and the press.

[seppos]

Yes.. I do know that but as I said.. My hands where quicker than thoughts..;)
Even the swaging of the core gave some problems when the support of the press was too flexible.
But still.. everything looks good so far: System works and friend of mine is kicking some boxes in some distant warehouses to find some bullet jackets..
Nowdays it is not so easy any more due to the fact that the companys does not keep so big stock of components.. They run big runs of products with tight schedule and dont do surplus to fill the storage space.
But now he knows that I have this need for jackets.. Maybe one day I will get some to work with.

S