RCBS green machine progressive press

[laurencen]

anyone here use or have used the RCBS green machine progressive reloading press, its one that I would like to add to my collection but rarely come up for sale, how well do they work and were they discontinued because they had issues or just not the typical press

thanks

 

[sahara]

I have two of them, one that I bought new in the box over 20 years ago, and one I picked up on grEedBay. I have loaded thousands upon thousands of 38 spl. and 357 mag. rounds with them and feel that I can offer some insight.
They are amazing machines that load a ton of ammo fast. But they are not for everyone, and in fact I think MOST people would not like them. Simply put, if you are not above average at making complex machines work, and if you don't have a feel and ear for machinery, don't get one. I'm serious. Once set up well they operate perfectly for a long time. Then at some point you WILL feel a change in the machine. It could be very subtle. STOP IMMEDIATELY and investigate as you are about to bend or break something. If you are one of those people who overcome resistance by pushing harder this is not the reloader for you. Parts are impossible to get from RCBS so you'll need to monitor greEdbay for parts and parts machines.
In any case, I love mine. If you get one and don't like it sell it to me cheap. If I can offer any advise please don't hesitate to ask. Just don't ask for parts.

 

[laurencen]

I have two of them, one that I bought new in the box over 20 years ago, and one I picked up on grEedBay. I have loaded thousands upon thousands of 38 spl. and 357 mag. rounds with them and feel that I can offer some insight.
They are amazing machines that load a ton of ammo fast. But they are not for everyone, and in fact I think MOST people would not like them. Simply put, if you are not above average at making complex machines work, and if you don't have a feel and ear for machinery, don't get one. I'm serious. Once set up well they operate perfectly for a long time. Then at some point you WILL feel a change in the machine. It could be very subtle. STOP IMMEDIATELY and investigate as you are about to bend or break something. If you are one of those people who overcome resistance by pushing harder this is not the reloader for you. Parts are impossible to get from RCBS so you'll need to monitor greEdbay for parts and parts machines.
In any case, I love mine. If you get one and don't like it sell it to me cheap. If I can offer any advise please don't hesitate to ask. Just don't ask for parts.

no issues with fixing or making the odd part, have a machine shop and cnc machines, to me they are a neat press, be used for 45acp, the one you got off of E bay, out of the USA? any issues crossing the border, they come up anywhere from 350 to 500 in the USA, the killer is the shipping, all I have seen are shipped Global thro E bay and add a extra 100 dollars, on US dollars thats a pricey item.

whats a typical question to ask a seller to get a idea of condition or is there a certain picture I should be asking for

thanks

 

[laurencen]

hi, so I got a couple of these green machines, one 45acp the other 44mag, been playing with the 45 and this is what I found, keep in mind usual seller stuff works great and no issues, thus far I have loaded maybe 5 or 6 hundred rounds, it has primer feed issued 1 in 25 where no primer is lifted, had a few bent parts in the bullet seating, I straightened the parts, made a seating die for round nose one in it was flat and the brass 1 in 50 deforms on the case mouth folding.

tried using a drop tube instead of the original primer feed, bit better but hard to tell if empty, not great at counting the primers in the tube.

can not get consistent bullet seating, 50% are 1.240 but some are as big as 1.29 and a few 1.22, any ideas, I have gone as far as using a dial to see and not figured whats changing

want to figure this out better before I try the second one

Laurence