Single Stage Metallic Press Discussion

[Charlie Horse]

Bought an RCBS in the late 70's, which I still use religiously.
Acquired a Dillon progressive for my earth-knurling 38 and 45 loads.
Recently bought a neglected Lee SS press as a portable to use in front of the tv or to take along for a rainy day pass-time when I go out camping. It's mounted on a hunk of 2x6.

[15meter]

Oh, this made be laugh. Yea, the older ones send spent primers all over the place. Need to place a bucket under those presses. But still won't give up the RCBS JR3...

45_Colt

I get 99%+ capture of primers by simply slipping a fast food restaurant plastic straw into the priming arm groove on the ram. It's held in by friction and channels the primers down into the spent primer tray.

I drop more live primers via fat fingered handling then spent primers during depriming.

This works on my Rockchucker, circa 1983. Think I did it on the Lyman T-Mag.

[racepres]

I get 99%+ capture of primers by simply slipping a fast food restaurant plastic straw into the priming arm groove on the ram. It's held in by friction and channels the primers down into the spent primer tray.

I drop more live primers via fat fingered handling then spent primers during depriming.

This works on my Rockchucker, circa 1983. Think I did it on the Lyman T-Mag.

Something I gotta try... There is a pretty good mess of spent primers under my Pres(s) sometimes... makes it tough if you should Fumble a Live one!!! I love my Hand Primer, an would Not be without the Lee Auto Prime for the small C press...
Great tip tho...again, gotta try that

[uscra112]

I get 99%+ capture of primers by simply slipping a fast food restaurant plastic straw into the priming arm groove on the ram. It's held in by friction and channels the primers down into the spent primer .

I did that with a bit of brass tubing, but your soda straw is better! Mine won't pass large primers reliably.

[HWooldridge]

I throw a scrap piece of pile carpet under the reloading table then roll it up after a session and dump any spent ones in the trash. Never failed to catch the strays that bounce out of the tray.

[uscra112]

The soda straw idea for the RCBS Junior works so well that my white plastic catch tray is only 2" across. Permanently fixed, I empty it with a vacuum cleaner. Could be a little bigger - about one in 20 still escapes.

[Harter66]

I have a bunch of presses also .
Dad's Pacific Multi Power 'C' in Hornady Red has recently been put to work as a portable small batch deal . The cam over is too long and lets the ram down about .100 .
I have several older Lyman and Pacific presses with the same issue so that's not the worst bug to have .

I have a Partner that is actually a pretty good press RCBs says it's design life is 50,000 rounds and as far as on press priming goes it's probably one of the better arms . It is a light duty press and any sort of say 06-7×57 type forming is hard on it .

There is an RC and an RCII on my bench and they are the workhorses of my bench for everything except heavy forming. That falls to another tank . I don't know what the back off is over the cam over but it ain't much more than enough to hold the press in cam .
We must also remember that the RC and it's later models were designed to be swage presses for 22 cal bullets and are somewhat over built for daily reloading duties .

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned primer catching.
I gave up on that years ago. I have a 15 gallon trash can that sits under the press with side deflectors and catches about 99% .

The last which except that it lacks any priming tools unless I screw in the ram prime , which resides in the very worn Partner , is the Big Max . It has a full open face and the A4 has the Ambi handle deal . The leverage is I guess about 50% more than the RC . All kidding aside , I screw in a 6.5×50 Japanese die in with a cam bump . I stick a 243 case in the shell holder and run it up far enough to start into the cam pop it out lube the body and run it all the way up with about 25# on the lever and pull the case out . Now the 243 case has a .455 head and is decapped . I still have to fix the bottom .100 bulge but it's sure easy to move the rest of the head . It's an obscene overkill for 380,9mm, 45 ACP and the likes of 30-30 . It's nice to have a sledge hammer when you need it . Also it has a hollow ram that acts as a primer trap so a 5gallon bucket catches everything.
It has a fatter ram than the others making the hollow ram a natural win .

[Reg]

Herters Super Model 3. Going strong since 1962!

[salpal48]

I have been Loading since the late 1960's. At that time you purchased whatever the local gun shop was selling. living in New York, most sold only Lyman equipment . They were close in Conn. Also You had Herters catalog
Never new about Lachmiller, pacific, RCBS and many others. In todays market all that is over.

[GWS]

I started with a Rock Chucker and modded it to kick cases and catch primers. I used the soda straw trick, but added a ramp and a tube in the bottom of the catch tray.



As nice as it works, the Lee APP can do it better.....because its the only single press with a case feeder.

[45_Colt]

Some good ideas in this thread, case kickers, straws, trash cans and even magnets for shell holders. Good stuff.

45_Colt

[414gates]

The biggest innovations in today's single stage presses must surely be

1. enclosed automatic primer disposal, where your used primers fall directly into a tube of some kind instead of all over the place
2. incorporated die bushing system, such as the Hornady or Lee

My latest was an orange Lyman crusher with broken off linkage stops in the base. I covered the unsightly jagged edges with epoxy - non load bearing now, and I used a few washers and some epoxy for a hard stop, fitted it with a Lee Ram Prime, giving me a precision primer seating press.

[Budzilla 19]

RCBS Rockchucker till about 3 years ago! Then I put a new MEC metallic in its place on the bench.
RC got cleaned up, stored. Not retired, just taking a break from duty for a minute! Progressives are all Dillon.

This new MEC is smooth,strong, and got lots of strength for all duties. I like it so far.
Just my .02

[Chena]

I have an old Rock Chucker I bought second hand in 1994. It has loaded thousands of rounds for me without a hitch. Everything from .223 to 12 gauge. The Lee hand press also does the job if you are not in a hurry.

[1I-Jack]

My mod to my RCBS because I didn't like the bicycle handle grip

[oley55]

As I posted, I have BOTH the Forster and the MEC Marksman. I'm a tad abashed in voicing that the MEC Marksman has, without any doubt, become my #1 favourite press. As Big Wes (post #35) wrote, it is "top shelf" and then some. And...it costs less than the Co-Ax. I bought the C0-Ax to reduce concentricity/runout loading .221 Remington Fireball for my XP100. It surely did this! I bought the accessory shorter handle for it which makes loading (for me) easier. BUT, I've learned that the MEC produces ammo every bit as good -- with smoother action; less bench footprint; and, as stated, came to my door at a lower price.
While I'm not about to give up my co-ax -- if I could rewind the videotape of life to before I had either -- frankly, I'd just have gone with the MEC.
(Just me... some folks love only Budweiser... others have same sentiment for Miller's )
geo

Thought long and hard about both of them. The MEC had just hit the market and reviews were nearly non-existent so I opted for the CO-AX. I love my CO-AX but wonder if I should have bought the MEC. I have a nice RCBS A2 and a Rock Chucker, so there is no reasonable justification for getting a MEC, but I still wonder..........

[45_Colt]

My mod to my RCBS because I didn't like the bicycle handle grip

That too is a great mod. The Dillon already has the ball, then toss a clean white sock over it and it's the cats meow.

Have some pipe insulation foam over the JR bicycle handle. Still looking for a decently priced ball for it.

45_Colt

[C.F.Plinker]

That too is a great mod. The Dillon already has the ball, then toss a clean white sock over it and it's the cats meow.

Have some pipe insulation foam over the JR bicycle handle. Still looking for a decently priced ball for it.

45_Colt

The 2" wood balls are just under $4.00 at Hobby Lobby.

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Ho...--2%22/p/20804

[45_Colt]

The 2" wood balls are just under $4.00 at Hobby Lobby.

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Ho...--2%22/p/20804

Have a store just down the street. Didn't even think of them. IIRC, a 2" ball is just about right.

45_Colt

[414gates]

Thought long and hard about both of them... but I still wonder..........

That's more than enough reason to get one, in my opinion.