RCBS comes through again!

mcshot · July 20, 2001, 10:58 AM

A quick call to RCBS (Mondays very busy) cured two problems I encountered. first, I lost the "tenths" plate on my 5-10 scale and had a cracked expander plug on a 300 Win. Mag sizing dye. Without question the cheery rep took my name and address and said the parts were in the mail. No wonder my reloading bench is mostly green. Great products and super service.
mac

capbuster · July 21, 2001, 12:25 AM

I think RCBS has the reputation for going the extra mile for their customers. Thursday while at the gun club, two of my shooting buddies and myself related stories about the great customer service that this company has rendered to us all. My story went back almost 26 years when they helped me with a problem I was having with my new 30-06 dies. I was a much younger shooter and they treated me right then and they havent change over the years.

ArmySon · July 21, 2001, 01:03 AM

If you think about it, Hornady, Dillon and RCBS all have great customer service. They're 3 of the major players in our reloading world. That should tell the rest of the gun industry something!

Never dealt with Redding (nothing ever broke!) or Lee (never bought anything!).

Cal4D4 · July 21, 2001, 01:53 AM

Bought a Hornady progressive press. Crashed the ejector wire into a Redding profile crimp die. Ordered a new ejector wire from customer service - n/c - and no delivery. Re ordered 10 days later by phone and later that Friday night added by fax a primer punch and the primer slide it destroyed. Supposedly in the mail Monday.

grunewaj · July 21, 2001, 09:15 PM

Cal4D4,
Yours is the first sad story I've heard about Hornady service. I bent my ejector wire and they sent me a new one right a way. Then I was talking to them about crimp dies in #5 (or something) and said I'd like to experiment with bending one different ways, could you send me a couple more. No problem, they came in a few days. I haven't gotten around to fooling with it yet because I just don't use them (I might start when I start reloading .40 since I got a Hornady crimp die) so I have three in my box and one on my press. If you need one and they don't send you yours, let me know and I'll send you one of mine!
Good luck,
Jim

Cal4D4 · July 22, 2001, 02:46 AM

Hey Jim..

Thanks for the generous offer. I ordered Hornady dies and shellplate in 10mm from lockstock and barrel and want to give that a full shot at success. Customer service at Big Red is certainly friendly and I am sure they will eventually come thru. Primer punch hung up out of the little bushing it sits in and when I brought the ram up the primer slider assy broke at the axis of the little follower wheel. The hard edge of the primer punch bit into the beveled but softer material of the primer slider underside and sproing! I admit I was trying to set a Dillonesque pace and got bit. Have reloaded a few hundred .44's and a few hundred .357 rounds and am now just figuring out how to speed up a bit. Need to auto eject to achieve any speed and ejection chucks the occasional round well over the little red catch bin. If they send parts I will get the bugs sorted out. I am very curious about comparative reloading ergonomics of the different presses. Even a low 150-200 rounds per hour leaves me with alot of loaded ammo around. 1/8" wood dowel from Ace for $.20 makes the primer stack feed much smoother and I mark it for the last primer. I need to watch a Dilloner at full pace to compare technique. For pistol, maybe a shorter press lever or bent one could shave a few seconds off my cycle time. Slower loading on an autoindex type press is pleasant activity but doesn't give you any bragging rights.

Tell me, how do you peek into the charged .357 case to see the 5 grains of Red Dot at the bottom or do you just avoid powders that could KB on a double charge?

Regards, Norm

handgunhunting · July 22, 2001, 11:36 AM

I bent the expanding ball rod in a rcbs 223 sizing die. I called RCBS they told em they would send out a new one along with a few decapping pins. About 2 weeks went by and nothing so I called RCBS back and they resent out the stuff. A long story made short. I moved out of the house and my brother moved in about 2 years later. After about a year after he lived in the house I got a package from rcbs, It was the long lost die parts They where lost for almost 4 years in the mail.

grunewaj · July 22, 2001, 01:53 PM

Cal4D4,
See, my trick is not to load .357! I've been loading .45 ACP and maybe today I might do some .40. See how easy that is?

I also got my dowels (I got 3/16" for large primers and 1/8" for small. That seems like it will work well.

As for ejecting, I suspect that you need to cut some of the corner off the trailing side of the shell slot in the shell plate. I think the shell will still stay put and it should eject better and with less force because the ejector won't be pushing the shell against the edge of the slot. I suggested that to Hornady (via email) and haven't heard back. I'm really not surprised. I haven't tried it either. I'm just not rich enough to chance ruining a $20 shell plate.

I'm curious about the claims made by Dillon about how fast the 550 can go. Maybe some day I can watch someone. Anyway, I feel like you. It's pretty easy and pleasant the speed I'm going. I'm sure I'll get faster as I get better, but since I'm new at this, I'm probably going faster than I ought to anyway.

Take care,
Jim

July 20, 2001, 10:58 AM	#1
mcshot Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 1999 Location: Over da bridge, Mi Posts: 755	RCBS comes through again! A quick call to RCBS (Mondays very busy) cured two problems I encountered. first, I lost the "tenths" plate on my 5-10 scale and had a cracked expander plug on a 300 Win. Mag sizing dye. Without question the cheery rep took my name and address and said the parts were in the mail. No wonder my reloading bench is mostly green. Great products and super service. mac __________________ "In my opinion, anyone pushing through anti-gun legislation is a bloody traitor and should be sent up for treason" N.H. Stuart

July 21, 2001, 12:25 AM	#2
capbuster Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 1999 Location: Bessemer,Alabama Posts: 298	I think RCBS has the reputation for going the extra mile for their customers. Thursday while at the gun club, two of my shooting buddies and myself related stories about the great customer service that this company has rendered to us all. My story went back almost 26 years when they helped me with a problem I was having with my new 30-06 dies. I was a much younger shooter and they treated me right then and they havent change over the years. __________________ cliff

July 21, 2001, 01:03 AM	#3
ArmySon Staff Alumnus Join Date: April 14, 2000 Posts: 2,926	If you think about it, Hornady, Dillon and RCBS all have great customer service. They're 3 of the major players in our reloading world. That should tell the rest of the gun industry something! Never dealt with Redding (nothing ever broke!) or Lee (never bought anything!). __________________ Your friends will forgive your mistakes. Your enemies will kill you for it.

July 21, 2001, 01:53 AM	#4
Cal4D4 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2001 Location: southern california Posts: 679	Customer service Hornady Bought a Hornady progressive press. Crashed the ejector wire into a Redding profile crimp die. Ordered a new ejector wire from customer service - n/c - and no delivery. Re ordered 10 days later by phone and later that Friday night added by fax a primer punch and the primer slide it destroyed. Supposedly in the mail Monday.

July 22, 2001, 02:46 AM	#6
Cal4D4 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2001 Location: southern california Posts: 679	Hornady stuff Hey Jim.. Thanks for the generous offer. I ordered Hornady dies and shellplate in 10mm from lockstock and barrel and want to give that a full shot at success. Customer service at Big Red is certainly friendly and I am sure they will eventually come thru. Primer punch hung up out of the little bushing it sits in and when I brought the ram up the primer slider assy broke at the axis of the little follower wheel. The hard edge of the primer punch bit into the beveled but softer material of the primer slider underside and sproing! I admit I was trying to set a Dillonesque pace and got bit. Have reloaded a few hundred .44's and a few hundred .357 rounds and am now just figuring out how to speed up a bit. Need to auto eject to achieve any speed and ejection chucks the occasional round well over the little red catch bin. If they send parts I will get the bugs sorted out. I am very curious about comparative reloading ergonomics of the different presses. Even a low 150-200 rounds per hour leaves me with alot of loaded ammo around. 1/8" wood dowel from Ace for $.20 makes the primer stack feed much smoother and I mark it for the last primer. I need to watch a Dilloner at full pace to compare technique. For pistol, maybe a shorter press lever or bent one could shave a few seconds off my cycle time. Slower loading on an autoindex type press is pleasant activity but doesn't give you any bragging rights. Tell me, how do you peek into the charged .357 case to see the 5 grains of Red Dot at the bottom or do you just avoid powders that could KB on a double charge? Regards, Norm

July 21, 2001, 09:15 PM	#5
grunewaj Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2001 Location: North Carolina Posts: 133	Cal4D4, Yours is the first sad story I've heard about Hornady service. I bent my ejector wire and they sent me a new one right a way. Then I was talking to them about crimp dies in #5 (or something) and said I'd like to experiment with bending one different ways, could you send me a couple more. No problem, they came in a few days. I haven't gotten around to fooling with it yet because I just don't use them (I might start when I start reloading .40 since I got a Hornady crimp die) so I have three in my box and one on my press. If you need one and they don't send you yours, let me know and I'll send you one of mine! Good luck, Jim

July 22, 2001, 11:36 AM	#7
handgunhunting Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2000 Location: Maryland Posts: 267	I bent the expanding ball rod in a rcbs 223 sizing die. I called RCBS they told em they would send out a new one along with a few decapping pins. About 2 weeks went by and nothing so I called RCBS back and they resent out the stuff. A long story made short. I moved out of the house and my brother moved in about 2 years later. After about a year after he lived in the house I got a package from rcbs, It was the long lost die parts They where lost for almost 4 years in the mail. __________________ e-mail: handgunhunting@aol.com

July 22, 2001, 01:53 PM	#8
grunewaj Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2001 Location: North Carolina Posts: 133	Cal4D4, See, my trick is not to load .357! I've been loading .45 ACP and maybe today I might do some .40. See how easy that is? I also got my dowels (I got 3/16" for large primers and 1/8" for small. That seems like it will work well. As for ejecting, I suspect that you need to cut some of the corner off the trailing side of the shell slot in the shell plate. I think the shell will still stay put and it should eject better and with less force because the ejector won't be pushing the shell against the edge of the slot. I suggested that to Hornady (via email) and haven't heard back. I'm really not surprised. I haven't tried it either. I'm just not rich enough to chance ruining a $20 shell plate. I'm curious about the claims made by Dillon about how fast the 550 can go. Maybe some day I can watch someone. Anyway, I feel like you. It's pretty easy and pleasant the speed I'm going. I'm sure I'll get faster as I get better, but since I'm new at this, I'm probably going faster than I ought to anyway. Take care, Jim