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Thread: Brand new rcbs pro melt pawn shop find.

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Brand new rcbs pro melt pawn shop find.

    What a score! Looks to have never been used, plugged it in and heated right up. The bag of accessories is factory sealed still...even the instructions made that just opened crack. I now see why these first generation smelters work so great, the plunger is flat at the tip and unlike the pro melt II. I already see this furnace being so much better than the current model.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_20240316_104856046_HDR~2.jpg   IMG_20240316_104906433~2.jpg   IMG_20240316_104920458~2.jpg  

  2. #2
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    MrWolf's Avatar
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    Congrats. You got a great deal. We never see anything like that out here.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thank you. I never expected to find any lead pots let alone a pro melt in new condition. We were doing some work a couple blocks away from the shop and as we were driving back to our yard, I asked to stop just to look at whatever shotguns they had. There on the floor through a glass display case I saw it and well, I bought it. Today after work or tomorrow I will be breaking it in.

  4. #4
    Boolit Mold
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    Lucky you! I've been on the lookout for one but don't expect to find a new one.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    Honestly, I had forgotten everything about RCBS. Since I couldn't find one, I'd decided I had everything I could ever need from RCBS and moved on. I have gotten so accustomed to casting using my camp stove and cast iron pot that I never thought I would ever want an electric furnace. It feels good to have one...just hope it lasts as long as long as some of the ones I've read about. Nearly went and spent the money at Harbor Freight...so, so glad I wasn't near a Harbor Freight any day this past week lol

  6. #6
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    DougGuy's Avatar
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    Wow that'a a SCORE! Want to break our hearts and tell us what you got it for? Has to be an insanely good price!
    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    It cost me $300+ tax. Even though they have a sign that states they take offers, me offering $250 was most likely and insult so I kept my mouth shut, threw my bank card down, and tried not to show my excitement.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Go buy a lottery ticket!! I have never found anything close to that in a pawn shop . Good job

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    I am melting a batch of lead in it as I type these words and all looks great!

  10. #10
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    DougGuy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by THE_ANTIDOTE View Post
    It cost me $300+ tax. Even though they have a sign that states they take offers, me offering $250 was most likely and insult so I kept my mouth shut, threw my bank card down, and tried not to show my excitement.
    I love it when finding the impossible jumps right out at you and you have the $ in your pocket! That was a sweet deal!
    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

  11. #11
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Wow. Things like that don't come along very often.

    Whenever I scored a home run and found something like that, my Dad would look at it,
    ohh, & ahhh,,,,, then tell me, "That's too nice for you..... Take it back".
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master

    gwpercle's Avatar
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    So Pretty ... all clean and shiney ... almost a sin to dirty it up !

    Congratulations on an Awesome Score !
    Time to ... Melt some lead and Make Boolits !
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  13. #13
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    congrats brother. Don't worry about how much you did or didn't pay for it and be satisfied (as all of us are with you) that you bought a piece of equipment that can liberate you from the supply chain of un-obtainable boolits. As long as there is a scrap yard selling lead, you will never be a slave to the supply chain!!
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy Nick Quick's Avatar
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    I bought one just like that a while back. Brand spanking new in it's original box. They are indeed unicorns nowadays.
    I saw one brand new on ebay sold for over 800$ plus tax plus shipping. Is getting crazy with the prices but knowing that a first gen Pro Melt average life span is 25 years even 1000$ is worth no headache and flawless performance.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    An electric casting pot is so much more comfortable than a cast iron pot on top of a camp stove it isn't even funny. I believe the old style RCBS Promelt is the cream of the crop, at least with bottom pours.

    You done good.

    Robert

  16. #16
    Boolit Master


    Walter Laich's Avatar
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    now's the time to start looking at accessories
    https://www.opennrg.com/shop/p/rcbs-...lt-upgrade-kit

    I also converted mine to "pull down to pour" easier on my twice operated-on shoulder
    I run my PID prob in from the front center so I didn't have to modify the lid

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/157294...7667763595628/
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    RVN/Cambodia War Games, 2nd Place

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    A friend wanted me to buy his customer's Littleton shotmaker so I could keep his store in birdshot. He said the fella wanted $400 for it which was the going price for new at the time. I started to say "NO" but figured it couldn't hurt to look. The "NO" could come later. I got to the address which was a back road in the woods. Fella had a workshop out back and the first room had a 55 gal drum and 2 30's and he pops the tops to show me the shot he had made. He shot skeet and all 3 drums were full of some of the nicest #8 shot I've ever seen. As he put the lids on with the seals and clamps he said he figured he had enough to last a lifetime.

    We went to the next room with his woodwork tools for making cabinets.At the roll-up door was his shot setup. He had a metal stand with a copper catch basin for the shot as it dripped from the shelf under the drippers and the whole setup with circulation pump and and shot catch basin with screen baskets. Obviously setup for volume production.

    On top of the stand was a 7 dripper Littleton with a RCBS Pro-Melt bolted to the top. He'd taken the Pro-Melt base off and bolted it directly to top so he could keep lead flowing. He said he hadn't found the base it was sold as is. I didn't say anything cuz I was a bit dumbfounded. I was figuring the price was going up and hadn't brought enough money and would have to leave the casting apparatus and Pro-Melt behind. He says I need to take the 250lbs of COWW ingots with it too. I handed him the $400 and lifted the stand with everything attached and carried it quickly to my truck. Second trip took care of the lead. The lady at RCBS wouldn't hear of me paying for the replacement base.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    What you paid for the entire rig is the equal of about 8 22# bags of the economy shot at BPI. Ya' done well, brother.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy Arkansas Paul's Avatar
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    Until reading this thread I had no idea that the 1st gen RCBS pots were so desirable.
    You learn something new every day.
    When visiting antique shops and pawn shops I'll be on the lookout from now on. Though I'll never find a brand spanking new one like that though.
    Life is a series of bullseyes and backstraps - Ted Nugent

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    I apologize for the late response...been doctoring up one of our breeder bulls. Well, I broke it in...kinda wish I had kept it all new. It is everything I have read/heard about it...them. Only took about 35-40 minutes to get a pot of lead melted and into bullets. I foresee that I will run out of lead pretty quick. It's difficult to want to stop casting being that the lead flows so smoothly. Not once did the lead freeze on me which was one of my worries. That flat end on the plunger sure makes a world of a difference from the tapered pro melt II's. I usually am not this fortunate or lucky. I'm usually the guy that ends up losing out because I am dollars too short and minutes too late. I end up settling for the fixer uppers missing that one or two parts to make it work...just to find out said parts have been/are discontinued. Even when I got this one home and unboxed it...I was already fearing that I had made a bad decision since I didn't see a lid for it like the one on the Pro Melt II's. I must have looked at the image on the box about 4-5 times before I realized...it doesn't come with a lid. If this lasts me a good 5 years at least...I will be so grateful.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check