New To Reloading

xLPlushy · August 26, 2012, 09:36 PM

Howdy,

Got a call from my dad earlier today, and he told me that he found an old single stage press for sale. We went to check it out and the guy who has it for sale didn't know anything about it as he got it in a storage auction. From what I can tell, it's an old RCBS press. Not sure how old it is, but it's pretty rusty.

A few questions I have for y'all.
Will such an old press accept modern dies(Lee, Lyman, RCBS, Redding, etc)?
What would be a reasonable price to pay for a press that appears to be older than myself(21)?
Should I hold out for a new "kit" such as an RCBS rock chucker or Hornady lock n load?

I know there's more that I will need(case trimmer/pilots/collets, tumbler or sonic cleaner, case prep tools, dies, etc.) but this can get me started in at least depriming all the brass that I have and get me to resize cases for what I have dies for already since I have my uncle loading rifle cartridges for me.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

wncchester · August 26, 2012, 10:13 PM

"Not sure how old it is, but it's pretty rusty."

The age doesn't matter but the rust may and we have no way to know about that. If it's light surface rust and a rub with steel wool and oil can remove it, fine, pay the guy $20 for it; you should be able to buy good used press with no rust for $40 or so. If has flake rust and the lever and ram are locked up fergit it unless he'll give you $5 to take it.

Common dies will work fine in it.

wncchester · August 26, 2012, 10:20 PM

"Not sure how old it is, but it's pretty rusty."

The age doesn't matter, the newest of my five presses are older than you, but the rust may matter and we have no way to know about that.

If it's light surface rust and a rub with steel wool and a light oil can remove it, fine, pay the guy $20 for it because you should be able to buy a good used press with no rust for $40 or so. If has flake rust and the lever and ram are locked up fergit it unless he'll give you $5 to take it.

Common dies and shell holders will work fine in it.

Lost Sheep · August 26, 2012, 11:29 PM

Even terrible looking presses can be refurbished, but as been stated before, it it is too badly gone, you may be out of luck with that particular press.

However, RCBS has an excellent warranty, and they may repair the old one, give you a new one or give you a good trade-in.

If the linkage is tight, moves freely (or even binds a little, but could be freed up by cleaning the rust out) and the ram does not wobble in its guide hole, I would give $20 quick as a flash if it is cast iron. If it is aluminum, it may not be as strong, but the frame will not have rusted, though the ram might have.

Thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=439810
http://www.Thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=439810
(edit: I just checked the link to the thread above and see that the pictures are no longer there, but the posts are pretty descriptive.)

I think you have a good deal. RCBS RockChuckers are are receiving bids on ebay for well over $40 in fair, but fully functional condition. I don't know what they are finally selling for.

Go to the RCBS web site and ebay and get pictures of different models and figure out what it is. Also ask if there was anything else in the storage unit. RCBS presses used to come with a priming arm (with seating posts for large and small primers) and tubes for feeding the primers. These parts would make the press much more useful. Other accessories would be worth a lot, too. Dies, a scale, powder measure, etc.

You may have found a treasure if you are lucky. But you will have to educate yourself fast.

Pictures would help us help you in that endeavor.

Lost Sheep

xLPlushy · August 27, 2012, 10:25 AM

There's a picture of it. Forgot I snapped it on my phone until a few moments ago. In the box there were 5 reloaders boxes, some empty some with 38spl brass. There was a case holder in the press but no die. They may have been elsewhere in the box or nonexistent. I only got to check it out briefly since I was on my way to the rifle range to do a bit of load testing in my 7mm mag.

I will certainly see if there may be more to it than what's in the box, and check eBay and the RCBS site to see if I can figure out what model it is.

Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

jimkim · August 27, 2012, 03:53 PM

Get it! Get it now! Get it right now! Do not hesitate! Get it! Could be one(not actual one) in the link.

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?p=597748

xLPlushy · August 27, 2012, 04:56 PM

I think it is an "A2" press, from what I saw online. I have the guy holding it for me until the weekend while I do research on it. He is a good friend of my dads so I can trust it will still be there Saturday.

It looks extremely similar to those from the link to the other forum. Same oroville calif bold stamped on the press.

Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

xLPlushy · September 9, 2012, 01:11 PM

So Dad sprung on the deal for me. It is indeed a 2A. It seems that the ram is seized up. It came with 4 MTM case boxes, 2 of which were filled with empty .38 Special brass and another had about 25 or so empty cases and 25 loaded cases. It also came with an old powder thrower.

Is there a way that I can free up the ram somehow?

Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

Gaz_in_NZ · September 10, 2012, 12:40 AM

Why oh why don't people strip down and grease or oil mechanical things BEFORE putting them in storage for any length of time to protect them???

I read the article to the link on "thefirearmsforum.com", the guy had to re-bore and replace at least 2 sets of bearings, sandblast it, etc. Not everyone has that kind of time to spend or that type of equipment to work on these things to that level... I think I'd rather just buy a working one if I wanted that particular model so very bad.

Best of luck with it...
Cheers
G

jimkim · September 10, 2012, 01:39 AM

First, call RCBS tell them about it. 1-800-533-5000
To loosen it up, I'd remove all the parts I could and try soaking it in diesel fuel. Maybe you can find something useful in one of these links.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...CBS+Ram+rusted
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=73035

hooligan1 · September 10, 2012, 05:38 AM

Spray it down with PEN penetrating spray it'll loosen up like butter.

xLPlushy · September 16, 2012, 12:38 PM

Thanks for the tips guys. Did not get to do anything with it since my last post. Work has been crazy for the past few weeks and I've been busy with racing and getting range time.
Jimkim, thanks for the links. I found them helpful. I hope I can start to break it down later today or this week after work.

Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

xLPlushy · September 24, 2012, 07:55 PM

Got the press bolted to a workbench last night, and gave it some WD40 and and let it soak a bit, and it glides smooth as silk. So I cleaned it up as best as I could, and lubed it up good. Now it's time for dies and accessories, and some lessons from my uncle.

Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

xLPlushy · September 25, 2012, 10:19 PM

Stopped by cabelas tonight, picked up a Lee universal decapping die, a few lyman case prep tools, new shell holders, and a set of carbide 9mm dies.
Still have a lot to get, but I'm getting there.
Now I can deprime the 2,000 or so cases I have and fully prep them for loading. To get started I'm only going to be loading for 9mm until I become more experienced, then I'll load for all of the other calibers I shoot regularly.

How often do you guys recommend trimming cases? Every time they're loaded? When they reach max length? Every other loading?

Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

shoot1forme · September 25, 2012, 11:59 PM

Straight wall pistol cases I've found usually won't need trimming during their lifetime. The 9mm is no exception to this rule. I separate cases into similar headstamps and load as the manuals say. IMHO the Lee 4 die factory crimp set in 9mm is the best bargain I've found. Just be cautious when loading for the 9mm so as not to get any bullet "set back." That cartridge works normally at very high pressures and it takes very little excess bullet seating depth to develop unsafe pressures. I've heard tell that a mere .030 of excess bullet seating depth can double the pressure....not good!

xLPlushy · September 28, 2012, 11:34 AM

Thanks. I don't have a complete set up yet. I decapped some .40 brass and some 9mm. Then I cleaned and sized about 200 9mm cases. Took me about 3 hours to decap 100 .40 cases, and to size and decap the 200 or so 9mm cases. My feet were getting angry with me so I had to stop. Now that they're sized and decapped, it's time to take them to my uncle to tumble them in walnut media, trim if needed, and have him guide me thru the loading process.

Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

XxBulletBendeRxX · September 28, 2012, 12:55 PM

Like others have said, most pistol cases dont need to be trimmed. I did trim my 9mm and 45 acp cases when I first started buy quickly learned it was not necessary. But was good practice as you can never be to careful. As far as choosing 9mm or .40 SW to start with they are both high preasure calibers so Please be careful with your charge in relation to your bullet weight and Over all Length.(o.a.l) As mentioned above, even the most minor bullet setback in 9mm and 40 SW, your preasures can spike very quickly. At least you have a mentor, your uncle to help you. I did not, all I had was the internet, and a lot of reading. A side note: I personnally started with the 45 acp as it is a low preasure cartridge. Good luck and enjoy your new hobby, its quite the feeling shooting that first round that you made yourself.... Take care, And be safe... B.B.

xLPlushy · September 28, 2012, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxBulletBendeRxX

A side note: I personnally started with the 45 acp as it is a low preasure cartridge. Good luck and enjoy your new hobby, its quite the feeling shooting that first round that you made yourself.... Take care, And be safe... B.B.

The reason I chose to start on 9mm is that's what's I shoot most because factory ammo is cheap, and I carry a 9mm S&W shield daily. So I like to keep my skills fresh with my carry gun. I will not be loading for .40S&W for a while. I was just decapping cases, mostly steel cases for scrap purposes, using a lee universal decapping die.
I will get dies for .45acp in time. I don't shoot .45 too often because of the cost of factory ammo and I recently had a few hiccups with my .45 Beretta PX4 using Winchester and Federal factory ammo, so I'm leery on hand loading for it.

As for that first round I make on my own, well that's gonna get saved as a little memento of my learning experiences.

Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

August 26, 2012, 09:36 PM	#1
xLPlushy Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2012 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 160	New To Reloading Howdy, Got a call from my dad earlier today, and he told me that he found an old single stage press for sale. We went to check it out and the guy who has it for sale didn't know anything about it as he got it in a storage auction. From what I can tell, it's an old RCBS press. Not sure how old it is, but it's pretty rusty. A few questions I have for y'all. Will such an old press accept modern dies(Lee, Lyman, RCBS, Redding, etc)? What would be a reasonable price to pay for a press that appears to be older than myself(21)? Should I hold out for a new "kit" such as an RCBS rock chucker or Hornady lock n load? I know there's more that I will need(case trimmer/pilots/collets, tumbler or sonic cleaner, case prep tools, dies, etc.) but this can get me started in at least depriming all the brass that I have and get me to resize cases for what I have dies for already since I have my uncle loading rifle cartridges for me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

August 27, 2012, 03:53 PM	#6
jimkim Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2008 Location: middle GA Posts: 326	Get it! Get it now! Get it right now! Do not hesitate! Get it! Could be one(not actual one) in the link. http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?p=597748 __________________ Jan. 4, 2007 gasoline $2.10 gal....HMMM? Last edited by jimkim; August 27, 2012 at 04:04 PM.

September 10, 2012, 01:39 AM	#10
jimkim Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2008 Location: middle GA Posts: 326	First, call RCBS tell them about it. 1-800-533-5000 To loosen it up, I'd remove all the parts I could and try soaking it in diesel fuel. Maybe you can find something useful in one of these links. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...CBS+Ram+rusted http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=73035 __________________ Jan. 4, 2007 gasoline $2.10 gal....HMMM?

September 10, 2012, 05:38 AM	#11
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,585	Spray it down with PEN penetrating spray it'll loosen up like butter. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

September 25, 2012, 11:59 PM	#15
shoot1forme Junior Member Join Date: July 4, 2011 Location: Northern Left Coast Posts: 12	Case trimming Straight wall pistol cases I've found usually won't need trimming during their lifetime. The 9mm is no exception to this rule. I separate cases into similar headstamps and load as the manuals say. IMHO the Lee 4 die factory crimp set in 9mm is the best bargain I've found. Just be cautious when loading for the 9mm so as not to get any bullet "set back." That cartridge works normally at very high pressures and it takes very little excess bullet seating depth to develop unsafe pressures. I've heard tell that a mere .030 of excess bullet seating depth can double the pressure....not good!

August 26, 2012, 10:13 PM	#2
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	"Not sure how old it is, but it's pretty rusty." The age doesn't matter but the rust may and we have no way to know about that. If it's light surface rust and a rub with steel wool and oil can remove it, fine, pay the guy $20 for it; you should be able to buy good used press with no rust for $40 or so. If has flake rust and the lever and ram are locked up fergit it unless he'll give you $5 to take it. Common dies will work fine in it.

August 26, 2012, 10:20 PM	#3
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	"Not sure how old it is, but it's pretty rusty." The age doesn't matter, the newest of my five presses are older than you, but the rust may matter and we have no way to know about that. If it's light surface rust and a rub with steel wool and a light oil can remove it, fine, pay the guy $20 for it because you should be able to buy a good used press with no rust for $40 or so. If has flake rust and the lever and ram are locked up fergit it unless he'll give you $5 to take it. Common dies and shell holders will work fine in it.

August 26, 2012, 11:29 PM	#4
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Even terrible looking presses can be refurbished, but as been stated before, it it is too badly gone, you may be out of luck with that particular press. However, RCBS has an excellent warranty, and they may repair the old one, give you a new one or give you a good trade-in. If the linkage is tight, moves freely (or even binds a little, but could be freed up by cleaning the rust out) and the ram does not wobble in its guide hole, I would give $20 quick as a flash if it is cast iron. If it is aluminum, it may not be as strong, but the frame will not have rusted, though the ram might have. Thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=439810 http://www.Thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=439810 (edit: I just checked the link to the thread above and see that the pictures are no longer there, but the posts are pretty descriptive.) I think you have a good deal. RCBS RockChuckers are are receiving bids on ebay for well over $40 in fair, but fully functional condition. I don't know what they are finally selling for. Go to the RCBS web site and ebay and get pictures of different models and figure out what it is. Also ask if there was anything else in the storage unit. RCBS presses used to come with a priming arm (with seating posts for large and small primers) and tubes for feeding the primers. These parts would make the press much more useful. Other accessories would be worth a lot, too. Dies, a scale, powder measure, etc. You may have found a treasure if you are lucky. But you will have to educate yourself fast. Pictures would help us help you in that endeavor. Lost Sheep

August 27, 2012, 10:25 AM	#5
xLPlushy Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2012 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 160	There's a picture of it. Forgot I snapped it on my phone until a few moments ago. In the box there were 5 reloaders boxes, some empty some with 38spl brass. There was a case holder in the press but no die. They may have been elsewhere in the box or nonexistent. I only got to check it out briefly since I was on my way to the rifle range to do a bit of load testing in my 7mm mag. I will certainly see if there may be more to it than what's in the box, and check eBay and the RCBS site to see if I can figure out what model it is. Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

August 27, 2012, 04:56 PM	#7
xLPlushy Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2012 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 160	I think it is an "A2" press, from what I saw online. I have the guy holding it for me until the weekend while I do research on it. He is a good friend of my dads so I can trust it will still be there Saturday. It looks extremely similar to those from the link to the other forum. Same oroville calif bold stamped on the press. Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

September 9, 2012, 01:11 PM	#8
xLPlushy Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2012 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 160	So Dad sprung on the deal for me. It is indeed a 2A. It seems that the ram is seized up. It came with 4 MTM case boxes, 2 of which were filled with empty .38 Special brass and another had about 25 or so empty cases and 25 loaded cases. It also came with an old powder thrower. Is there a way that I can free up the ram somehow? Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

September 10, 2012, 12:40 AM	#9
Gaz_in_NZ Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2012 Location: 40 miles North of Wellington, NZ Posts: 196	Why oh why don't people strip down and grease or oil mechanical things BEFORE putting them in storage for any length of time to protect them??? I read the article to the link on "thefirearmsforum.com", the guy had to re-bore and replace at least 2 sets of bearings, sandblast it, etc. Not everyone has that kind of time to spend or that type of equipment to work on these things to that level... I think I'd rather just buy a working one if I wanted that particular model so very bad. Best of luck with it... Cheers G

September 16, 2012, 12:38 PM	#12
xLPlushy Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2012 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 160	Thanks for the tips guys. Did not get to do anything with it since my last post. Work has been crazy for the past few weeks and I've been busy with racing and getting range time. Jimkim, thanks for the links. I found them helpful. I hope I can start to break it down later today or this week after work. Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

September 24, 2012, 07:55 PM	#13
xLPlushy Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2012 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 160	Got the press bolted to a workbench last night, and gave it some WD40 and and let it soak a bit, and it glides smooth as silk. So I cleaned it up as best as I could, and lubed it up good. Now it's time for dies and accessories, and some lessons from my uncle. Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

September 25, 2012, 10:19 PM	#14
xLPlushy Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2012 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 160	Stopped by cabelas tonight, picked up a Lee universal decapping die, a few lyman case prep tools, new shell holders, and a set of carbide 9mm dies. Still have a lot to get, but I'm getting there. Now I can deprime the 2,000 or so cases I have and fully prep them for loading. To get started I'm only going to be loading for 9mm until I become more experienced, then I'll load for all of the other calibers I shoot regularly. How often do you guys recommend trimming cases? Every time they're loaded? When they reach max length? Every other loading? Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

September 28, 2012, 11:34 AM	#16
xLPlushy Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2012 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 160	Thanks. I don't have a complete set up yet. I decapped some .40 brass and some 9mm. Then I cleaned and sized about 200 9mm cases. Took me about 3 hours to decap 100 .40 cases, and to size and decap the 200 or so 9mm cases. My feet were getting angry with me so I had to stop. Now that they're sized and decapped, it's time to take them to my uncle to tumble them in walnut media, trim if needed, and have him guide me thru the loading process. Tapatalked via my highly abused iPhone

September 28, 2012, 12:55 PM	#17
XxBulletBendeRxX Junior Member Join Date: February 7, 2012 Location: Way out West, The Wild We Posts: 11	Like others have said, most pistol cases dont need to be trimmed. I did trim my 9mm and 45 acp cases when I first started buy quickly learned it was not necessary. But was good practice as you can never be to careful. As far as choosing 9mm or .40 SW to start with they are both high preasure calibers so Please be careful with your charge in relation to your bullet weight and Over all Length.(o.a.l) As mentioned above, even the most minor bullet setback in 9mm and 40 SW, your preasures can spike very quickly. At least you have a mentor, your uncle to help you. I did not, all I had was the internet, and a lot of reading. A side note: I personnally started with the 45 acp as it is a low preasure cartridge. Good luck and enjoy your new hobby, its quite the feeling shooting that first round that you made yourself.... Take care, And be safe... B.B.

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