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Exactly.

Because of what I do, I have two benches with several presses on each. Not all of them were bought new.

On my portable bench, I've got a Lee 2001 press (O press), a Lee C press and a Redding Boss.

On my workshop bench, I've got a Rockchucker, a Boss, a Corbin Series II and two RCEco Walnut Hill presses. The Corbin and RCEco were purchased to make bullets, but are precision reloading presses as well. Very close tolerances.

Each has its purpose. Despite the fact that I do not need any other presses, I still keep an eye out at gun shows for presses and associated equipment. To encourage others to reload, I have given away lots of gear over the years. Why not? When it's cheap, spread the love.

Pass on the skills of reloading and don't buy into paying huge bux for 20 cartridges because they have Sierra or Barnes bullets on top. They end up better shooters with superior components.

Give a man some cartridges and he shoots for a day. Teach a man to reload and he shoots for a lifetime.


Safe Shooting!
Steve Redgwell
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I have one press - RCBS since 1969 still works OK. Don't know how you can wear it out since the dies go before and align everything. I have replaced RCBS reloading dies but never the press.


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The dies do not align everything. Before you tighten down the lock ring, there is some play in the die because of the size of the threads.

It's important to raise and keep the shell holder tight against the case when tightening the lock ring. This reduces the case/die misalignment.

Additionally, as the linkage wears, the ram will move out of alignment. The linkage and frame can also wear and not be square with the die.


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Steve Redgwell
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Some presses definitely will wear out and even have a fairly well defined lifespan. A traditional Star Universal will show wear on the yes aluminum base in a few hundred thousand cartridges loaded.

Kept clean and free of primer dust - which is by intent and design abrasive - and lubricated I'd surely expect most any single stage machine to outlast any single shooter. That said if not kept clean and lubricated I'd figure there might well be a reason to buy a new press and take better care of it. The question really amounts to whether your particular press is worn and I can't see it from here let alone cycle it a few times under load.

I have a Harrell's 4 station aluminum turret and an aluminum Meachem Anywhere press and rumor has it constant switching steel dies in aluminum threads will eventually create play (maybe helped by an O-ring under the setscrew locking ring?) I don't in fact switch a lot on those two so it's a moot point for me. It's been written that a steel or iron head or a bushing Rockchucker and others style will last almost forever and the bushing can be replaced as necessary.

Hornady makes an aluminum frame progressive with zerks and again I plan to keep mine clean being careful not to over pressue the grease and hydraulic the zerks loose. Hollywood has made some aluminum frame presses and mine is still going strong but little used so says nothing.

I haven't actually noticed any serious wear beyond cosmetic on any of my own presses. Certainly I could still be loading happily on the Rockchucker that was my first press and I expect to leave my Coax - which I lube as carefully as any firearm with attention to pins and rods and spring loaded shell holder Brian Enos Slideglyde is the right color as is Mobil 1 grease - and T7 and the whole lot of them today in first rate ready to load shape when I die.

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One of my Rockchuckers developed a problem. The slot in the ram where the shell holder fits got messed up somehow, and the shell holder wouldn't slide in. A call to RCBS CS and they sent a new ram that I was able to install. The new ram wasn't quite as long as the original. Another call and they had me send the press to them. They fixed it.

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I have been reloading since some time in the mid to late '50s. My first press was an ECHO (E.C. Herkner). Only reason I changed from it was because it used shell holders that threaded on to the ram. When they could no longer be purchased I got an RCBS. (The man who bought the ECHO press from me used it for many years for the calibres for which there were shell holders and reported no problems.)

I've had a couple of more presses since but usually the change was made simply because I wanted to try something different. My second to last one I gave to my S-I-L and it is still going strong.

The cast presses seem to be built like anvils and should last as long!

Jim

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I have a Dillon press that just plain broke. Other than that I've had Herters, RCBS, and Lee. I don't see how I could never wear one out.

Steve.


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Originally Posted by Everyday Hunter
I have a Dillon press that just plain broke. Other than that I've had Herters, RCBS, and Lee. I don't see how I could never wear one out.

Steve.

I guess Dillon has more parts and gizmos than simple "O" type presses. I have a 550B with 10 tool heads, all set up for different stuff. I don't do much rifle loading with the Dillon, just .300 Whisper. All the others are pistol rounds.

Dillon has great CS and their techs are very helpful and friendly. I've had a few Dillon "service calls" from time to time. Those guys will keep you up and running... smile

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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
Yeah, a quality press will last a long time with reasonable care. I must have loaded at least 30,000 rounds on my T7, and it's still as tight as when it arrived, almost a decade ago.


Id' think the one taht my buddy thinks he sprung, rockchucker, probably had at least 200,000 rounds through it by that time as a rough wild guess...

Regardless I'd say at that point you got your money's worth.

I know here, 20,000 rounds a year for many years was average for us


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It was a thread like this one years ago that prompted me to take a well used, inexpensive, Lee single stage aluminum 'C' press with a sloppy ram into a dedicated depriming station. Dang if it did not make an appreciable difference in how much cleaner the other presses on the bench remain. Perhaps the sacrificial Lee 'C' may keep the other presses from wearing out. Don't know since none were any worse for wear despite a few decades of less clean handloading practices.

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Originally Posted by Everyday Hunter
I have a Dillon press that just plain broke.


"Plain broke" really explains the issue.

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A man of few words wink


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Originally Posted by carbon12
It was a thread like this one years ago that prompted me to take a well used, inexpensive, Lee single stage aluminum 'C' press with a sloppy ram into a dedicated depriming station. Dang if it did not make an appreciable difference in how much cleaner the other presses on the bench remain. Perhaps the sacrificial Lee 'C' may keep the other presses from wearing out. Don't know since none were any worse for wear despite a few decades of less clean handloading practices.


Simple solutions like using another press for depriming can make a huge difference down range or in the field. Well done!

As you noticed, you can keep the grit that falls out of the case and from the primer pocket from entering your dies by making it a separate operation. I would go one step further and suggest that cases should be cleaned before they go near a die, but an inexpensive press and die are a viable alternative.

I use a cheap Lee C press for adding powder to cases and flaring case necks.


Safe Shooting!
Steve Redgwell
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I bought a RCBS Rockchucker Supreme about 4 years ago and load about 4,000 rounds/year now (mostly pistol). About 5 months ago, it started to screech when I lowered the arm; I cleaned and lightly lubed the ram and linkage with silicone spray lube and the screeching has continued. Suggestions?

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Check for an owl nesting in it somewhere? smile


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I've always been a lubrication freak, but the issue has been driven home to me having my office at a logging shop, where I pretend to be "yard manager" and "shop monkey."
Cats, JDs and other heavy whatnots have pins, bushings, rams -- just on a much larger scale, and the sins of inadequate lube are vastly punished by much money, sweat, and swearing.
So the logger punks are all grease freaks. We have, in the past couple of years, seen other machines and been asked to work on them -- that has been a huge lesson for us in:
A: How much neglect a machine can tolerate before it breaks;
and
B: How much it stinks to work on something that was not maintained properly.
C: How one should never be stupid and bend stuff.
So, on my presses, I take some time once a year for a tear down and check, for galling or dryness or whatever. I took my 650 apart and drilled it out for zerks, and monthly I make sure to flush off the ram to get rid of any primer crud -- that stuff is evil.
I even took my cheap little Lee and installed a zerk. The nice thing about slick loaders is you can feel every nasty little thing in the reloading process. If it feels wrong -- trust me, it probably is.
Bottom line -- keep it lubed AND clean and it will go almost forever.


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I used my father's Rock Chuckers up until a 4 years ago when I bought my own- a cheap Lee Challenger, I believe. Have had a few issues with it while trying to size heavy cases like the WSSM, but nothing the Cabela's salesman didn't warn me about. Have loaded close to 10,000 handgun and rifle rounds in a dozen calibers with it, and have had incredible results. The 1st and only 5-shot groups under .25 MOA I've shot were loaded entirely with the Lee. I think it is more cheaply made than the RCBS presses, but for nearly all of my purposes, it works brilliantly. I clean and lube it often, per the instruction manual. I've seen a lot of RTFM problems in my adult life, with both mechanical and electronic devices.


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Yes.
Anything with moving part, potentially abrasive points of contact and or friction will wear out.
The only minimization process that you can apply is cleanliness and lubrication.

I wave worn out presses, scales, powder dribblers, powder throwers and hand held priming tool as well as several inpress version.

I don't wear out as much as a US Resident as the shooting is far less here.
John


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John, just shoot more.

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I Dyna Bore Coated my press and now it goes 400,000 loads between cleanings...


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