RCBS Tube Pistol Bullet Feeder

[GWS]

GWS, I believe you have it correct. Another thing that somewhat confuses it is that the instructions referenced in post #21 are the same as those that came with my caliber specific 9mm/etc. feeder. When I say caliber specific, I mean that mine will work on any 9mm or 38 cartridge, except 170 gn or larger. All four sizes are shown at the link below.
http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSe...+bullet+feeder

The paragraph I quoted was from those same instructions....and I found a couple of other paragraphs that are exclusive to the Feeder/Collator product. They really screwed up bad with their half-assed cut and paste operation.

I also found that I had another mistaken idea about the 4th Tube Loader Kit. I didn't realize there was two kits for the small calibers for a reason....one is for light bullets...the other for heavy bullets. I was able to edit that misinformation (last paragraph in post 14) and replaced it with a little insight.

I have asked RCBS to send me the Unit as advertised. Exactly as advertised. They may tell me to jump in a lake.

David, that will be interesting......let us know. RCBS can be pretty magnanimous.....sometimes. Often it depends on your attitude.

Here's a summary of the information I've put together :

1. The original RCBS Pistol Bullet Feeder looks like this:
Part #2 is the guide. THIS part is caliber specific to guide bullet from either the large or small clear tubes (which are coupled to the spring tubing and collator)
Part #4 is the bullet fingers which is also caliber specific.

2. The Universal bullet feeder die that is sold separate from the collator is for pre-populating die heads on a progressive press for caliber changeover speed. RCBS does NOT supply the part #2 guides with this...only with the feeder/collator product. (Most likely to keep people from using their dies without buying the collator...doesn't slow me down much.) It looks like this:


3. The RCBS caliber specific Tube Bullet loaders look like this:

The manual link(same as linked in other posts) show a parts diagram. On the manual's page 4 notice the all important "guide" (only the one specific to the caliber you ordered) is included...and a bushing for the small caliber version only.

4. RCBS tubing comes in two sizes. One fits .38 and smaller, while the other works for .40 and .45. RCBS tubing walls are 1/16" thick.

5. The 36" tubing I buy from Linen's & things is 1/32" walled tubing that comes in 1/16" increments. While not as rigid and strong as the RCBS stuff it works just fine. Because you have to buy either a tube loader for each caliber or the feeder/collator product to get all the bullet feed sleeves, I made my own sleeves with the thin tubing using telescoping smaller sizes super glued into bigger sizes (beveling the top ends of each so bullets will not hang on ridges) until it fits where the factory sleeve does and slides those bullet right in to the fingers straight as an arrow.

I made this homemade sleeve so that a 36" tube just slides into the top of it a little more than an 1". The small caliber one just requires more layers inward, no separate special bushing needed.

Still, I'm not saving much money. If I were starting out today looking for bullet feeders, I'd just buy Tube Feeders for all the calibers. Then couple them with the thin wall tubing to make them longer....and when the bullet level gets to the lower tube...reload...with hardly a slow down. If I ever get an unscratchable itch to by a collator...I can and I'd have dies for each head.

To be sure this "Tube Bullet Feeder" was a defensive move. Allied Armory's $28 Bullet feeder thread was felt around the reloading world! Hornady can't keep their Feeder Dies in stock, yet their collator sales remain on the slow side. RCBS, also with slow collator sales, (the product is just too expensive for most). I have to hand it to RCBS for not letting the grass grow...they aren't dumb.

I wonder why the heck Hornady doesn't start supplying tubes with their dies....that is dumb!

[David Bachelder]

"The tube feeders are cartridge specific for each individual part number. One feeder does not work for all calibers. The unpacking list at the beginning of the instructions clearly illustrates this issue.... We will be more than happy to sell the feeder of your choice based on existing part numbers and their contents......"

Thank you for choosing RCBS
Have a great day
RCBS Tech/LM

Customer Service Hours:
Monday-Thursday 6:30am to 3:30pm

So bottom line .... the tube Pistol Bullet Feeders are caliber specific. I believe the .pdf is misleading and suggested they take another look atthe wording.

What does this mean to you?

USE
"The RCBS Tube Pistol Bullet Feeder has been designed to increase your progressive pistol load rate by ~50% by reducing the manual operation of placing a bullet onto the case mouth. All parts and adapters are included for you to be able to feed .380, 9mm, .38 Spl, .357 Mag, .40 S&W or .45 ACP pistol bullets."

[Arizona Smithshooter]

Here is a photo of my Tube Loader label. It states that it is for .380/9mm/.38-.357 (90-158 GR bullets) The Part Number on the package is 82355. It does a fantastic job in reloading my 9mm and .38spl loads.

[GWS]

What does this mean to you?

It means they should have written new instructions instead of doing a very bad job of cut and paste with the original Pistol Feeder instructions page 3:

USE
The RCBS Bullet Feeder – Pistol Kit has been designed to increase your progressive pistol load rate by ~50% by
reducing the manual operation of placing a bullet onto the case mouth. All parts and adapters are included for you to be
able to feed 9mm, .38 Spl, .357 Mag, .40 S&W and .45 ACP pistol bullets.

We all know it's hard to find good help these days.

If this is a deal breaker for you, get the Hornady dies and follow the instructions HERE.

[David Bachelder]

I have a lot of RCBS equipment, RockChucker, Turret Press, three or four sets of dies and a lot of hand tools. Trimmer, scales, powder measure .... the list goes on and on. I'm not going to ditch the equipment and go to another manufacturer. However it kind of irks me that they can't deliver what is described.

I'll get over it.

[dickttx]

David, from what I have read on this and other forums the universal did not work with lead bullets, also, it was not made as a stand alone unit, but as part of a collator, etc. People simply took the available parts and experimented.
Apparently RCBS decided to package it a little differently (everything needed for one caliber) and sell it as individual, caliber specific sets. Their only error was that they did not rewrite the instructions.
If you look at my other posts and references you will see that I have not had tremendous success with the 38 caliber model, but I am trying to load lead 38 Super bullets ( MBC IDS #6, TCFP.)
When I tried it with jacketed bullets it was 100% successful.
From the standpoint of vast experience (three loadings of 37 cases) I believe that the next time I will have much better success with lead by simply dropping another bullet in the top of the tube when one doesn't drop. We shall see.
Good luck, and if you are loading jacketed bullets I don't think you will have any trouble at all.

[David Bachelder]

I ordered the Universal bullet feeder die. I'm pretty handy and will be able to attach tubing .... I think.

One more question. What size is the opening at the top of the die? If this has been covered please excuse my oversight. Once I know this I can get the right size plastic tubing.

I also want to thank all of those that have contributed to this post.

[GWS]

Die opening: .627"

But if you trust me, you won't have to worry about it. Buy 1-- 5/8" tube. You will use 2 bullet tube sizes. Say you want to have 4 36" bullet tubes of each size. Buy 5 9/16' tubes (one for the adaptor, 4 for .45ACP or .40 S&W.) Buy 1--1/2" tube, and finally buy 4--7/16" tubes (you will not need an extra one of this size.) This is if you use the Lee Thinwall tubing I purchased HERE.

The following pictures demonstrate what worked pretty simple and slick:
(excuse the close up camera lens's fish eye view that made some of the tubing look floppy. These are rigid thin wall tube...straight as arrows.)


ABOVE: This shows all the adaptors and the die and the bullet tubing. the 7/16 and the 1/2 inch tubes were labeled wrong on the left. In both labels "cplr" should have read "stop". Just above the die is the 5/8" tubing that fits the hole in the die nicely if you cut a 2" long slit in one end...then will it slide right in down to the ledge built in to the die. (that ledge also stops RCBS's sleeves). All the tube adaptors shown stop at the same spot.


ABOVE: This picture shows the 5/8" sleeve fully inserted into the die, resting on the ledge mentioned above.


This is a 9/16 tube, with a piece of 5/8" tube super-glued over it, to make both the stop and a sleeve coupler. 9/16" Bullet tubes slide right in. I cut it a little long, glued the coupler on, when dry I slid the part into the 5/8" adapter and ground the tip to match the 5/8" piece (where it rests on the die's inner ledge.) This is the .45 cal setup. Don't forget to change the fingers for the caliber you are loading. That's the only slow part. You will probably buy extra bodies one day.


ABOVE: Now the next piece (the 1/2" tube) is slid in. Notice the two stops in the 5/8" adaptor. This size centers .40 cal into the .40 cal fingers. I'm showing a 9/16" bullet tube ready to slide in. Both .45 and .40 use that size tubing, but the .40 needs the smaller tube inside to center it. Important: bevel the 1/2 tube where the stop is glued on or the bullets will hang up there. I used a case chamfer tool to do it.


ABOVE: Last is the 7/16" tube. I saw no point in making an adaptor/coupler since this size bullet tube centers all of them (.380,9mm,.357,and .38) So I just glued a stop on each bullet tube. This is designed to be used inside all the other sizes. Push in the 5/8" adaptor, then the .45 reducer, then the .40 reducer, then just drop in the 5/8" bullet tubes. Again the stops are glued in so that the bottom is at the same depth into the die as all the rest. Really simple to do if you just put all the parts together outside the die.


ABOVE: This picture shows it with all the sleeves in....ready to do 9mm or .357....assuming you remember to get the right fingers in. Hope this saves you a little time from having to reinvent the wheel.

Note on working with the tubing: I cut all the tubing to size by screwing my vice in a little smaller than the tubing I'm about to cut. Then I just lay it in the groove and use a razor saw. Razor saws are found at hobby stores and have very fine teeth. They cut these tubes like butter. Then I grind them smooth by using my bench grinder (using the side of the wheel). It makes a super smooth edge that you just clean up with your finger nail.

[Arizona Smithshooter]

What a lot of work....I give you credit for your ingenuity!

All I did was open the box I received from RCBS, laid out all of the parts that came with the kit, followed the instructions and assembled the die and was loading 9mm bullets 15 minutes after opening the box. Guess I must be a Simple minded person....

[GWS]

You missed the point of it. The O.P. ordered the Universal, not a caliber specific tube die. The Universal is One die with all the fingers but no sleeves (the sleeves for all calibers only come with the RCBS Feeder/Collator) Only one sized sleeve comes with Tube Feeders like yours.

The Universal is about the same price as your tube die. If you want to load .40 and .45 you will have to pay the money two more times. Which ain't bad and most people will.

Once the O.P. collects the tubes and makes the parts shown, In the same 15 minutes he can load all pistol calibers with the same ease. He will have one more advantage: multiple 36" long tubes. Four tubes of .40 S&W, for example, is 232 bullets @ 58 bullets apiece. Loading those will be a nice project to keep the hands busy during CSI.

Why'd I do all this? That's a good question easily answered. I did all this when I bought my Universal Feed Die....MONTHS BEFORE RCBS showed their new tube dies at January's Shot Show. I had no idea they were coming.

BTW O.P., you will want to collect RCBS's new powder expanders for the Uniflow for each caliber you want to use the bullet feeder for. Life will be much easier. RCBS Powder Expander

[eldorendo]

Looks to me to be about as worthless as the Lee bullet feeder. Unless you're using a bullet feeder with a collator of some kind, then what's the point? What's the difference in feeding bullets one-at-a-time into a feeding tube and just placing them one-at-a-time into a charged case?

[Arizona Smithshooter]

Each of my tubes hold 33 9mm or .38 spl bullets, so all I have to do when loading on my Hornady LnL AP press is insert an empty case onto the shellplate and pull the handle. Eliminates one step and saves pinched fingers. Sped up my loading by a whole bunch.........

[GWS]

by eldorendo:

Looks to me to be about as worthless as the Lee bullet feeder. Unless you're using a bullet feeder with a collator of some kind, then what's the point? What's the difference in feeding bullets one-at-a-time into a feeding tube and just placing them one-at-a-time into a charged case?

Do you have a bullet feeder with a collator? Do you have the funds set aside to get one soon? If you do then nothing in this thread could be of interest to you, unless you have the RCBS one.

I have a Hornady Collator, but lots of folks can't justify the price of one, and most people in that scenario, can feel giddy about being able to load hundreds in long tubes, while watching a ballgame. You see, once they are loaded, they are as fast as loading with a collator.

[eldorendo]

Do you have a bullet feeder with a collator? Do you have the funds set aside to get one soon? If you do then nothing in this thread could be of interest to you, unless you have the RCBS one.

I have a Hornady Collator, but lots of folks can't justify the price of one, and most people in that scenario, can feel giddy about being able to load hundreds in long tubes, while watching a ballgame. You see, once they are loaded, they are as fast as loading with a collator.

I do not, in fact, have a bullet feeder with a collator, but I do, in fact, have a brain and do, in fact, have a lot of experience loading on my 650. At some point, you're going to have to load the tubes, one-bullet-at-a-time. That just doesn't make sense to me. If it does make sense to somebody else, that's certainly fine by me.

I do have a good friend who runs an ammo manufacturing business, and they do use bullet feeders with Dillon 1050s for some of their work. They use commercial presses with bullet feeders for the majority of their production.

Nice pics, though, and good luck to you guys who think you're actually saving some time by pre-loading those tubes!!

[GWS]

I do not, in fact, have a bullet feeder with a collator, but I do, in fact, have a brain and do, in fact, have a lot of experience loading on my 650. At some point, you're going to have to load the tubes, one-bullet-at-a-time. That just doesn't make sense to me. If it does make sense to somebody else, that's certainly fine by me.

I do have a good friend who runs an ammo manufacturing business, and they do use bullet feeders with Dillon 1050s for some of their work. They use commercial presses with bullet feeders for the majority of their production.

Nice pics, though, and good luck to you guys who think you're actually saving some time by pre-loading those tubes!!

Right, and what does your friend's ammo manufacturing business have to do with this thread.

This isn't even my thread, but I really get peeved when a self-proclaimed expert puts down others who don't (or can't) do everything their way. Like I stated a couple of threads up, I DO personally have and use a bulletfeeder/collator and I like it a lot. On the other hand, out of curiosity, and attempting to help out, since I already had the materials (tubing and feed dies), I tested Alliedarmory's $28 Bullet Feeder, and it does indeed make reloading faster and funner than doing without. It's a great idea for those who can't afford a collator. You haven't tried it so you don't know.

All those "nice" pictures I posted, was illustrating my conversion project,to convert the RCBS universal feeder to work with my Hornady Collator. That was a successful project, but at the same time it also works perfectly if you just have a feeder die and buy a few $3.00 tubes.........so...... if you don't see buying an expensive collator in your immediate future...why not buy a feeder die and some tubes, and speed up and fun up your progressive experience.

As I already mentioned, Filling tubes, yes one bullet at a time, is not a time waster when you can do it while watching your favorite sitcom.....that is if you can watch a sitcom. A few people I know can't keep the remote from clicking channels long enough to watch a sitcom....let along fill a bullet tube.

I know you have a brain...how about giving someone else some credit for having some intelligence.

[David Bachelder]

I have noticed there is a big difference in the plastic bullet "fingers" between the Universal Bullet Feeder die kit (not caliber specific) and the Tube Pistol Bullet Feeder die (caliber specific).

I'm in the process of moving right now and won't have my reloading room set up for a few weeks. I'm eager to sit down and start experimenting.

If I can get the thing to feed, I'm quite sure it'll save me time and effort.

OCYMMV