I was sizing some 460's this morning, I already did the 45 Colts and 454's I shot yesterday. I went to pull down on the 3rd 460 casing and darn if the handle came off. I snapped the threaded portion off in the press. This is a RCBS Summit about 3 years old, the handle looks to be made from cast steel. I got the stub with the threads out, it screwed out easily with fingers. I already have the handle in my work bag, and will call RCBS on Monday and see if I can get a new long handle, if not I will work on identifying the threads and see what I can do to repair the handle. I already ordered a short handle from Midway I should get it early next week.

I think this helps me make a decision on whether I get a lathe, mill or combo setup next year. I am leaning towards making a handle out of cold rolled steel.

If you weren't using carbide dies - any chance the lube was missed?

Congratulations. You are the first person I ever heard of actually breaking one.

I have broke them on on 3 or 4 presses. When I broke one on a Rock Chucker Supreme, I put the straight handle from the Dillon 450/550 on it. The Dillon is the only press I ever bought new. It has a "No BS Warranty" so it is covered. That is easy for them to do, their breakage is minor compared to their total numbers!

505 Gibbs, is kind of right, the stress from forming cases (and sizing is mild forming) is extream! The is a CH-4D press that is made for forming, it weighs around 80 pounds. It is only a "C" press, but it is a very capital "C"!
I think Corbin's monster bullet forming press is 55 or 60 pounds. I over built my own hydraulic forming press. I doubled the thickness on everything, doubled the nuts/bolts at the stress points, and used a 20 Ton jack instead of 5 Ton. The press has never failed, but I have blown out some forming dies (just the 7/8-14 size, the 1 1/4 & 1 1/2 dies come through with flying colors!)

Ivan

A few months ago, RCBS went to limited COVID hours and were a little bit harder to get a hold of. I do not know if that still holds true.

Once you reach them, they will take care of you. I have never had anything but stellar customer support from RCBS.

All the dies I have except my 50 Beowulf (which are Lee) are either carbide or nitride. I have only used the Lee dies once for 32 cases, it took me awhile to clean up the One Shot off the cases, loading block and sizing die.

Calling dibs on your primers!

If I ever break my Herter's Model 3 press, I'm in trouble. I don't think their warrantee will still cover it.

I will be surprised if RCBS doesn't send you a new one for free. Let us know how it turns out.

The new short handle has shiped from Midway and I should have Tuesday. I guess all I can do tomorrow is trim some 45's and 454's, going to be a long cold boring day.

I would make a handle out of a broomstick before giving up the primers, they don't take up much space in the safe.

The wait is very long now for RCBS Tech support. Called them several times finally hung up..

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HA!

...oh, at least 10 characters...ok...HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!

These folks offer aftermarket handles in the event the factory is Covid/unable. They make good stuff.
Standard height roller levers. – Inline Fabrication

Sounds like your press is securely mounted!

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I vote for a material flaw. I have two Rock Chuckers that are 30 plus years old and never broke anything on them. Load everything from 32 S&W up to 45-90 and 577 Snider without any problems. Reform 50 Alaskan to 45-75 as well. Likely a flaw in the steel rod used. I agree that they will simply send you a new one. They might want the old one back for inspection??

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Wow that stinks. Wonder if it was made on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon. Hope you get it figured out!

[QUOTE=STORM2;140977750]These folks offer aftermarket handles in the event the factory is Covid/unable. They make good stuff.

Yes to that! I replaced my press handle with one of their ergonomic roller handles. Sure makes reloading a lot smoother and easier!

I book marked that page for the rollor handles. I am a industrial mechanic, so the press is firmly mounted but the bench will move when working the 460's and 50's.

I would take the broken handle down to our local Mom and Pop owned Feed, Seed , Hunting , Fishing , everything you need , including toilet paper , supply store .
One of the guys will look at it ... get the proper sized steel rod , cut it to length and thread the end , all while you are getting bird seed for the warblers, Cost $2.00 ... look around and you can probably find a handle ... a ball or bicycle handle ...they sell most everything ... even chickens , turkeys and guinea fowl ...live , if you need some more laying hens or guinea fowl .
I love old stores like this ... I hope big box doesn't put them all out of business !
Gary

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The Summit is a beast! I have one of the early ones in red white and blue, I know when they went back to green they made a few improvements/changes

I replaced a rock chucker with this press and absolutely love it, I can only imagine how much you must have to use it to break it

My 1886 Winchester (38/56) hand loader has never broken in 138 Years.

You know it's supposed to pull DOWN, right?

I broke the handle on a Lyman C press exactly like you did - snapped off right at the threads. The next day on my lunch break, I took the broken parts to a local machine shop to be rethreaded. Before I could explain what I needed done, the machinists said “From a Lyman C press, right?” Apparently. It wasn’t the first one he had seen!

Yep, the sooner you get that shop complete, the sooner you'll want to break more stuff.

Is the handle just a round rod and short threaded on one end?
If so, take the piece of threaded end that broke off that you fished out of the press linkage down to HomeDepot and match it to a standard bolt.
Probably a 1/2" or 9/16' standard thread.
Buy the longest bolt available with that thread on the end.
Hacksaw the hex head off the bolt and screw the bolt into the place. Then slide a piece of pipe/tubing (HomeDepot) of whatever length you desire over the bolt shaft as a handle extension.

Cheaper than buying a lathe.
..Or just wait for the replacement to come from the mfg'r.

The press is fixed, for the record the end that threads into the press is 7/16 -20 (NF). I screwed the ball off, put the rod in one of the lathes at work, drilled a 25/64 hole about 1/2 deep and threaded it with a plug then finished it off with a bottom tap. Took a stainless steel grade 5 bolt and screwed it in the handle with a little blue loctite the cut the bolt head off just shy of the length of the piece that broke off. Cleaned up the threads with a die, and now it is screwed into and seated in the press waiting for me to start sizing some 460's.

The hardest part was having our apprentice show this journeyman how to start the lathe, I prefer to stay away from rotating machinery, especially stuff that will throw a grown man around like a rag doll.

Glad you are fixed! I still would consider a tad of lube on those massive shells, carbide or not. I've used graphite to very good effect.

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Good fix ... ATTABOY !

Try using lube on them 460,s even though carbide dies say it's not needed ... lube sure makes life a lot easier .
Gary

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