Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles How many presses have you broken?

I've been using a Rockchucker II for a long time now. I don't see it ever going tits up. Even after I'm long gone..

If you think breaking a press is common, mention that you like Swarovski scopes and every sort of breakdown with Swarovski shows up on the board. I have 8 presses and many more Swarovski scopes and no failures, but it seems that I have better luck than the average guy with their scopes. I haven't heard of as many problems with Simmons scopes...

Beauties, now show us all your rifles with the old Zeiss Diavaris....

I'm still using my grandfathers old RCBS press. Not sure how old it is but I'm 51 and always remember him using that press! I can't imagine how anyone could break it.

My first and only press is a Hornady Pacific 007. After many thousands of strokes I think I detect a tiny bit of looseness in the linkage. I don't think a normal human being could actually break any major parts on it though.

Something went haywire with my RCBS IV yesterday. I thought I broke or bent something. After a breakdown and cleaning, I realized that somehow the two big lock nuts at one of the pivot points got tighter. Not sure how, but I took them off, lubed the pivot, put them back on just snug and the press is like butter again.

Broken .. none I take care of my stuff, wore out IMO 2. 1 a 007 and a RC . I'mm calling wore out when the ram is up and there is noticable play in the ram. I load a lot, the last 10 years or so I've averaged about 10,000 rounds a a year and 3 barrels.

The original RCBS presses were made for swagging bullets. It would take an incredible degree of stupidity to break one just reloading.

I destroyed a Dillon RL50B. my fault, they either rebuilt or replaced it for free, just had to pay to ship it back.

It couldn't be your fault. Having read the Internets for close to 20 years (wow, it has been a long time!) reloaders are incapable of breaking any press. It's always the maker's fault.

If I'm lying, then Dillon, Lee, RCBS etc. would not ship parts or make free repairs.

It's all on the Internets for us to see!

I did bust a pin on my very first (LEE) press. Lee replaced it at no cost and told me what I did wrong. I still have two Lee's and one RCBS press.

I broke an old Herter's cast iron press when I dropped it on a concrete floor during a move. A corner broke off across a mounting screw hole. I still use it now and again for nostalgia reasons as it was my first press circa 1968.

As an aside, a lot of guys joked that the old Herter's press would make a good boat anchor. Well, one of my dad's buddies did in fact use one as such for his little dinghy.

My Dad threatened to use his broke RCBS "A" for a boat anchor, but never followed thru.

Well. I have broken a Lee press. I was forming 307 Winchester cases from 444 Marlin using a Redding form die and Imperial size wax.
I have formed many cases for the 307 and 356 Winchester using the Lee hand press with no difficulty. I don’t know why the press failed. I e-mailed Lee and they did not seem to be interested. I did not purshase a Lee press to replace it.
I have my father Pacific C press he purchased in the 1950’s and I have a Lyman Tru-Line Jr from the same era. These presses have been in continuous use.

Only thing I ever broke was the threaded end of the handle on my Lyman Spartan, twice. Simply re threaded it and put it back to work. The second time I decided I was down on leverage and bought a Rockchucker, lube em and use em.-Muddy

I have 5 presses on my bench 3 Forster CO-AX press since the early 80's and never broke anything on them, also two Ponsness warren Metallic II presses since the mid 80's without breaking anything

None and I have owned most of them including Lee

Necksizing 308 cases on my Lee challenger press, while pushing down with force at the top of the stroke, the wooden ball handle came off and I jammed the end of the metal rod into my forearm and about bashed my forehead on the top of the press. Those wooden balls are just barely glued on, a little gorilla glue and its been good, but a heads up for those of you using these presses...

Most presses available in the U.S. over the last 50 years would be hard to wear out, much less break them.......

I bought a Rockchucker in the 80's. Used it a lot and I'm sure it will outlast me.