RCBS Rebel press

[Taterhead]

It's about $20-odd dollars or so more at Midway than Natchez sells the rockchucker supreme.

The Rebel is cast Iron, if the rockchucker is Alum. that might be the main difference.

The Rock Chucker IV (Supreme) is certainly NOT aluminum. It's frame and linkages are iron. I've had two of them and still have 1. A magnet will hold fast to the frame and linkages.

[1hole]

I think RCBS is aiming that press at their bench rest shooters,

I think that's great info; I've never heard that any brand's serious competitive BR shooters routinely hand load on any threaded die presses because they don't normally use threaded dies.

.... their wildcat reloaders, case forming operations.

Don't know why wildcatters and other reformers would require something all that massive to reform cases. I've reformed a lot of 1941-42 .30-06 cases with an old (light weight) Lyman Spar-T press with the six hole turret locked down. I mean, tasks like forming .22-250; it wasn't simple to do because of the single toggle lever leverage but it was doable, even on a very old press that small.

How much good is grease on a ram? I don't know. I often read comments about how long RCBS cast iron presses last but I've never heard of anyone wearing out any brand of iron press if it's simply oiled once or twice a year. Seems what causes most ram wear is the abrasive spent primer grit that accumulates on them; I doubt any zerk fitting is going to be much help with that and a layer of grease might actually be worse than oil.

My old RC II is so bad about primer grit that I finally gave up and bought a little Lee Reloader press and dedicated it to depriming with a Lee Universal Depriming die; that combo works great!

IMHO, anyone loading the volumes required to wear out a single stage press of any kind really needs a progressive press. And the best of them are cast aluminum with no grease fittings; may there be a message in that??

[GWS]

I think that's great info; I've never heard that any brand's serious competitive BR shooters routinely hand load on any threaded die presses because they don't normally use threaded dies.



Don't know why wildcatters and other reformers would require something all that massive to reform cases. I've reformed a lot of 1941-42 .30-06 cases with an old (light weight) Lyman Spar-T press with the six hole turret locked down. I mean, tasks like forming .22-250; it wasn't simple to do because of the single toggle lever leverage but it was doable, even on a very old press that small.

How much good is grease on a ram? I don't know. I often read comments about how long RCBS cast iron presses last but I've never heard of anyone wearing out any brand of iron press if it's simply oiled once or twice a year. Seems what causes most ram wear is the abrasive spent primer grit that accumulates on them; I doubt any zerk fitting is going to be much help with that and a layer of grease might actually be worse than oil.

My old RC II is so bad about primer grit that I finally gave up and bought a little Lee Reloader press and dedicated it to depriming with a Lee Universal Depriming die; that combo works great!

IMHO, anyone loading the volumes required to wear out a single stage press of any kind really needs a progressive press. And the best of them are cast aluminum with no grease fittings; may there be a message in that??

There must have been a benchrest shooter or two, who looked into the RCBS Summit Press, because soon after it hit the market, RCBS came out with a conversion kit to allow the use Arbor Press dies in it.



But I haven't seen anything for the new press or even a peep about benchrest concerning it. So I doubt that. No new "benchrest" dies. screw or otherwise from RCBS either.

I think they just decided to upgrade the R.C. to something heavier and simpler. No priming, spent primer problems finally history, and a bigger opening to handle even the big rifle cases.....except .50 cal. Few people prime on a single press anymore.....fewer than used to, prime on a progressive these days either. I betting the R.C. will phase out.

[1hole]

The Summit is basically an arbor press and therefore could be pressed into that service but I can't imagine anyone buying one with intent to use it that way. A conventional BR arbor press is usually smaller, a lot lighter, far more user friendly and much less costly.

[GWS]

The Summit is basically an arbor press and therefore could be pressed into that service but I can't imagine anyone buying one with intent to use it that way. A conventional BR arbor press is usually smaller, a lot lighter, far more user friendly and much less costly.

Certainly not me. I have a Summit and it's great for what I use it for next to my Rock Chucker and progressives. But I will never be patient enough to be interested in benchrest, so I never bought the kit.

However, the only thing it has in common with an arbor press is where the handle hinges. It's way more useful..... By your definition, a Forester Bonanza is also "basically" an arbor press? I would define the Summit as a "smaller, a lot lighter, far more user friendly (OK, conventional) and much less costly" ......than a Bonanza.

[1hole]

There must have been a benchrest shooter or two, who looked into the RCBS Summit Press, because soon after it hit the market, RCBS came out with a conversion kit to allow the use Arbor Press dies in it.

You may be right but I think interest in the Summit press will fade and it will eventually be tossed in the RCBS interesting surplus devices corner along with their A series, the JR series, the Partner, the Green Machine, etc.

I suspect the buyers of the Summit's "BR" kit are mostly newer guys with delusions of grandeur. Loading BR ammo involves a lot more than an arbor press but a lot of people think if they just had the right equipment their ammo would automatically be better; that's not so, but ...

I betting the R.C. will phase out.

Maybe, but I'll take your bet. I believe moderate size compound linkage single stage "O" frame presses will still rule the reloading market long after the newer gimmick presses have passed away. (There is never going to be a large market for reloading big ol' .50 BMG ammo!)

[GWS]

And you may be right, but lets not confuse the "different strokes" Summit with the new Rebel. The Rebel is only 4 lbs heavier than the R.C., so it still fits the the "moderate size 'O' press" description IMO. The new Hornady big guy is 8 lbs heavier. And the new Rebel opens wider but it does NOT do .50 BMG. It's not that big, so talking about that caliber is a moot point.

As for the Summit, there is a way it could last a long time ......and I suggested such to an RCBS engineer I know. Simple....just redesign the base to handle upside-down dies, a shuttle, and a case/bullet feeder, like the Lee APP! Then we could have a "processing press" that's heavy duty enough to do what the APP does, only better and last forever. For what it's worth, is has a zerk too.

[1hole]

And you may be right, but lets not confuse the "different strokes" Summit with the new Rebel

Oops. I shouldn't write when I'm sleepy.

Whatever the weight or bulk, a proper BR arbor press is not only small and light, it can usually be used at a range while it's sitting loose on a shooting bench top. I wouldn't want to do much of that with either a Summit OR a Rebel and that is my point.

[Guardian]

I don’t think anyone mentioned the positive stops on the cam. I personally prefer my presses to cam over. Not saying the positive stop is bad in practice, just not my preference and it’s definitely a difference from the RC on my bench.

[GWS]

I don’t think anyone mentioned the positive stops on the cam. I personally prefer my presses to cam over. Not saying the positive stop is bad in practice, just not my preference and it’s definitely a difference from the RC on my bench.

So do you have one that you tested for that? Or where did you get that information? I hadn't heard anything about cam over or not on the Rebel. Is it in the specs somewhere? Very curious.

[Guardian]

So do you have one that you tested for that? Or where did you get that information? I hadn't heard anything about cam over or not on the Rebel. Is it in the specs somewhere? Very curious.

Look at a photo of the press. I looked at the RCBS website. https://www.rcbs.com/presses/single-...s/16-9353.html
See those ears off the side of the knuckle that will line up with the linkages? Those are positive stops.