I've had a RC for 40+ years and have loaded thousands in that time. I got a Summit on a whim and grew to dislike it very soon. Sold it for $100. Keeping the RC. Can't go wrong with one.
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RCBS Single Stage
- Thread starter cmj8591
- Start date
flintsghost
Member
RCBS press
I have used an A2 for nearly 50 years and not long ago picked another one up for a very reasonable price. It's a spare and just lays there under my stairs in waiting. Probably won't ever wear out my first one since unlike the presses after '68 it's made of steel not cast iron. Back in the day the A series was steel as were most (not all) of the Hollywood senior presses. You can't go wrong with them steel or cast iron. I have a Senior Turret made of steel and love that one too.
I have used an A2 for nearly 50 years and not long ago picked another one up for a very reasonable price. It's a spare and just lays there under my stairs in waiting. Probably won't ever wear out my first one since unlike the presses after '68 it's made of steel not cast iron. Back in the day the A series was steel as were most (not all) of the Hollywood senior presses. You can't go wrong with them steel or cast iron. I have a Senior Turret made of steel and love that one too.
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rockquarry
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I read somewhere recently (not on the Internet, I think it was in one of the old GUN DIGEST publications) about the A2 press. RCBS founder Fred Huntington said he could no longer market the A2 at a competitive price because it was too expensive to build.
I doubt this means the RockChucker is an inadequate press, but it's cheaper to build than the A2. I've never owned an A2, but from all I've read about it since I began handloading in the mid-'60s, it's a press you'll never outgrow.
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I use an older Rockchucker for most of my rifle loading. I use a Lee 4 Hole Classic Turret press for most of my handgun ammo loading. I am very happy with both and will not be changing any time soon.
If you want an upgrade take the suggestion above about calling RCBS and I'm fairly sure they will refurbish or replace your press.
If you really want to buy a new press take a look at the Redding T7 Turret press. It's a single stage press with 7 dies set up and ready to use. It is very solid, I did use one at a friend's house.
If you want an upgrade take the suggestion above about calling RCBS and I'm fairly sure they will refurbish or replace your press.
If you really want to buy a new press take a look at the Redding T7 Turret press. It's a single stage press with 7 dies set up and ready to use. It is very solid, I did use one at a friend's house.
Ah the memories. 
Back in 1980 I was ready to purchase my first handgun ever.
Went to a small gunshop in Mississippi and told the owner that I had no idea what kind of handgun I wanted to buy...oops.
Walked out of there with a Ruger Blackhawk .41 Magnum and all kinds of RCBS equipment including this press and instructions to learn reloading steps from the provided Lyman reloading manual.
Have never used another press since and after a zillion rounds made and a few drops of oil on the pivot points this thing still runs like new.
Back in 1980 I was ready to purchase my first handgun ever.
Went to a small gunshop in Mississippi and told the owner that I had no idea what kind of handgun I wanted to buy...oops.
Walked out of there with a Ruger Blackhawk .41 Magnum and all kinds of RCBS equipment including this press and instructions to learn reloading steps from the provided Lyman reloading manual.
Have never used another press since and after a zillion rounds made and a few drops of oil on the pivot points this thing still runs like new.
OP
cmj8591
Member
What didn't you like about it?
Had RCs in the past but sold 'em all as I have 3 or 4 A2s...as well as 2 T-7s. I recently bought a Summit at a pawn shop for cheap. Had one of those partner presses. Base broke off. Never thought about contacting RCBS. Bet the guy I sold it to got in touch with 'em. I do MOST of my loading on Dillons
Mike in Reedley
Member
A little bit of play in the ram/shellholder is a good thing. It allows the case to float some and center itself in the die. I’ve always preferred Lee shellholders, as they have looser tolerances than RCBS. I have a Forester Co-Ax press and it has a floating shellholder plate.
Have you seen a decrease in accuracy from ammo recently loaded on the RC? I have tested several sets of dies in my old RC press using an RCBS case concentric gauge and found very little run out. I did find an RCBS .25-06 FL die that was out of round and explained why none of the .25-06 rifles I had owned shot reloads very well.
Have you seen a decrease in accuracy from ammo recently loaded on the RC? I have tested several sets of dies in my old RC press using an RCBS case concentric gauge and found very little run out. I did find an RCBS .25-06 FL die that was out of round and explained why none of the .25-06 rifles I had owned shot reloads very well.
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I inherited my father's Rock Chucker. I am not sure but, I believe he got in sometime in the early 70's. I am still reloading everything on it. Don't see the need to get a multi stage reloading press but, I never thought I would be casting bullets. Who knows?!?!
Chubbs103
US Veteran
That is only partly true. Some of their presses are still made in the U.S.
The Summit is one of the presses still made here (according to their website).
OP
cmj8591
Member
No, I really haven't noticed a drop off in accuracy. I load for a couple of very accurate rifles and spend a lot of time on prepping the brass, turning necks and things like that. I don't get a lot of runout. I actually thought about getting an arbor press at one point but never took the plunge. It's funny that with all the time and money invested in bushing dies, I keep going back to a $10 Lee collet sizer. I run with about .002 of tension on my 223 target loadings and that seems to be working well. I think the wear on my old press has more effect on my head than it does on my load quality. Using a piece of sloppy equipment to make something accurate just goes against conventional wisdom but doesn't seem to be making a practical difference.
Mike in Reedley
Member
I blueprint all my brass and use only Lapua brass in my target rifles. Unless you’re loading for a custom tight chamber, the blueprinting is probably unnecessary, but it sure makes me feel better. The most accurate rifle I own at this point is a Cooper model 21 in .223. On good days it keeps five shots under 3/10ths, which is nowhere near benchrest standards, but pretty good for me. I’ve been using Forester Co-Ax press and their Benchrest dies for 20 years. I’m a big fan of them.
rockquarry
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Is blueprinting brass a step beyond routine brass preparation?
Mike in Reedley
Member
To me, blueprinting brass means;
Resize, uniform primer pockets, uniform/chamfer flash holes, trim to length & de-burr, uniform caseneck thickness, then sort by weight.
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Well, my RC is a very old one. Let me explain, I gave my original to a young friend of my son's when I mentored him on reloading. I gave it to him because I bought a new-old stock Chucker from a small local shot who was selling off equipment brought to him from a widow.
This press is a very light pail green, not the current dark green RCBS now uses. It isn't glossy either, it looks like powder. I wrote RCBS because I never saw that color and type of paint on their presses before. I was told it was a very old press from the late late 50s or early 60s. I was very happy to hear that because I know that press will outlast me and maybe another generation because those pressed are super solid.
I load most of my rifle ammo on it but for my 5.56mm/.223 ammo.
This press is a very light pail green, not the current dark green RCBS now uses. It isn't glossy either, it looks like powder. I wrote RCBS because I never saw that color and type of paint on their presses before. I was told it was a very old press from the late late 50s or early 60s. I was very happy to hear that because I know that press will outlast me and maybe another generation because those pressed are super solid.
I load most of my rifle ammo on it but for my 5.56mm/.223 ammo.
OP
cmj8591
Member
It is way beyond the normal brass prep that you would use for a handgun. The purpose is to make the brass case as uniform from round to round as possible and to make the case fit as closely as it can to a specific chamber. It really doesn't have a purpose beyond very precise bench rest or long range shooting. In fact the variations in most off the shelf guns are enough to make any improvement in accuracy that you would get un measurable.
TexasViking
Member
If you don't want to invest quite as much in a S. Stage as the Co-Ax types. I'll bring up a rarely mentioned feature that some have and some don't. Some may not even know what it is, or believe it's irrelevant. I'm talking about Top-Dead-Center and is a feature of all REDDING S. Stage and Turret presses. The Boss is great and pretty affordable, and the Big Boss is pretty much what the name implies, except that it has a removable die bushing that the Boss doesn't have.
Top-Dead-Center is a mechanical stop accomplished by a heavy horizontal steel pin that the ram arms come into contact with on every pull, thereby stopping ram travel at the same point every time. And that is verifiable. Using good/uniform bullets you can maintain an OACL tolerance of +/- .001", if you're into uniformity like I am. I have the Boss and the Big Boss is capable of loading the big magnum rifle rounds, but not the .50 BMG. Oddly enough, some LEE presses like the Classic Turret have a pretty decent form of T-D-C and on your Dillon's you'll see nobs on either side of its base and not quite as capable of precision compared to what REDDING does.
Top-Dead-Center is a mechanical stop accomplished by a heavy horizontal steel pin that the ram arms come into contact with on every pull, thereby stopping ram travel at the same point every time. And that is verifiable. Using good/uniform bullets you can maintain an OACL tolerance of +/- .001", if you're into uniformity like I am. I have the Boss and the Big Boss is capable of loading the big magnum rifle rounds, but not the .50 BMG. Oddly enough, some LEE presses like the Classic Turret have a pretty decent form of T-D-C and on your Dillon's you'll see nobs on either side of its base and not quite as capable of precision compared to what REDDING does.
Valmet
Member
I’ve been using my RCBS Rock chucker since 1999 and while I don’t reload like I used to (largely due to cost and time), I love it.
