When is it time to retire a press ?

powdergun

powdergun

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My lyman press is showing its age. There is a fair bit of play around the ram and around the pins as well. It still works without issue but will all that play effect the quality of the reloads ?

How long have your presses lasted ? ( I've got 25 yrs on mine)

BTW it is a turret press. The bolt holding the turret snapped a few years back so I just retapped the hole and used a 1/2" bolt to hold the turret down.
 
TOScout said:
I think you answered your own question. If it still works without issue, then it shouldn't affect your ammo.
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x2. If the finished rounds are coming out with the bullets seated correctly then you have nothing to worry about. Having a machinist make up new pins and re-bush the press frame to tighten up the ram clearance may approach the cost of a good used press so you'll be no further ahead.
 
powdergun said:
I tend to agree:D I'm thinking of a pretty new rock chucker.
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You may want research your new choice in a press. I have heard some odd things about these Chinese manufactured Rockchuckers. May want to look at a Redding or Lyman, or the top of the heap Forster Co-Ax. FS
 
Fassteel said:
You may want research your new choice in a press. I have heard some odd things about these Chinese manufactured Rockchuckers. May want to look at a Redding or Lyman, or the top of the heap Forster Co-Ax. FS
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Thanks for that info. I was under the impression RCBS made all of their stuff in the US. I've been on a buy North American kick lately and that will definately influence my choice.

So am I correct in saying that Lyman, redding, and Forster are made in North America ?
 
powdergun said:
Thanks for that info. I was under the impression RCBS made all of their stuff in the US. I've been on a buy North American kick lately and that will definately influence my choice.

So am I correct in saying that Lyman, redding, and Forster are made in North America ?
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P G

I have the Forster and it is made in the USA. Not sure about the others. FS
 
The RCBS Rockchucker is cast in China and finished, including all machining in the US. There was an article on RCBS in Handloader magazine a couple of years back. The castings from China come right from the foundry to RCBS in the US.

Take Care

Bob
 
I've got 18 years on my Rockchucker and she still works like a charm.

I do have a new Redding T-7 on order from Mystic Precision though. Just to use as a secondary.
 
Canuck44 said:
The RCBS Rockchucker is cast in China and finished, including all machining in the US. There was an article on RCBS in Handloader magazine a couple of years back. The castings from China come right from the foundry to RCBS in the US.

Take Care

Bob
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Bob there is a piece on You tube showing the amount of runout with current Chinese Rockchuckers.
 
Fassteel said:
Bob there is a piece on You tube showing the amount of runout with current Chinese Rockchuckers.
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I bought mine last year, it doesn't have the "chinese wobble" the videos show. I think it's more a matter of there being some lemons, more than being a very common occcurance. I don't hear about the problem from a lot of different people, just usually the same people, multiple times. Most of whom are referencing the same videos, which leads me to believe it's a fairly isolated problem. I've also heard RCBS replacing at least one press, which had the problem.
I don't check the runouts on my ammo, but I can hold one inch groups, which I'm sure could do even better with someone who knew how to shoot holding the rifle :)redface:).
There are better presses, for sure, but I don't see any reason to write off RCBS. Even if there is a problem, they've got a good reputation of making things right.
 
This issue aboutr Chinese Rocjchuckers ought to be a bit of a none starter. Just because the castings are done in China hardly makes the press made in China. I'll look up the article from Handloader that showed the Rockchuckers being machined and finished in the US.

That aside if you think Chinese don't have qualified engineers over in China then you haven't attended to many math classes in Canadian Universities.

Take Care

Bob
 
I recently met a fella that reloaded 50,000 rds over a period of about 20 years with a Dillon press. He phoned Dillon to see about getting a part for it, but when they heard he'd done 50,000rds on it they sent him a new press- no charge!
 
I also heard about a guy who got a new Dodge truck once his old one hit a million miles......

I say if you can afford it, buy a new press! Choose one whos company has a good Rep. you can't go wrong with Hornady, RCBS or Lyman.

Cheers!
 
zimbu said:
I recently met a fella that reloaded 50,000 rds over a period of about 20 years with a Dillon press. He phoned Dillon to see about getting a part for it, but when they heard he'd done 50,000rds on it they sent him a new press- no charge!
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You sure it wasn't 500,000 rds. Hell 50K just breaks in most Dillon presses. Mine has over 150K. Slavex on this board would do 25K a year in a heart beat.

Take Care

Bob
 
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