Shooting my RCBS Turret Press

[Funshooter45]

I wanna see the pictures of what it looked like after he shot the press

 

[Jesse Heywood]

How can you gripe and complain about a product when you refuse to let the manufacturer make it right?

It started with one small fix. Then another, and another. By then my thought was that if I send it back and get another, it probably wouldn't be any better.

I have had several dealings with their service department since I bought this press. They are usually very helpful. They will send you replacement parts whenever you call, no questions asked. But all the customer service in the world doesn't make up for poor manufacturing quality.

 

[CraigC]

So, let me get this straight, you assume that every example of a product that has been in production for quite a few years, about which there is zero online presence of complaints, which comes from a very reputable company with an excellent reputation for customer service, with which you have had good experience, is garbage??? I think it's an understatement to say that your conclusion is a bit of a stretch.

 

[UniversalFrost]

can't please everybody.

gues rcbs is only 99.99% perfect and not 100% anymore..

 

[BADUNAME37]

Make that 99.9999999% good with only 0.0000001% bad.

 

[Flatbush Harry]

For those following this thread, I noted that I had just gotten an RCBS Turret press and found some parts missing from the box. RCBS Customer service was totally responsive and professional and sent me the missing parts by USPS that day...I had them in two days.

The press works well in all particulars so far (I use the RCBS Universal Hand Primer as I like the feel it gives me for correct seating)...it feels like it has slightly greater leverage than my Lyman T-Mag II. Primer catcher works perfectly, operates smoothly, indexes accurately. My only design issue would be that the pin that rotates the turret ought to have a spring-loaded ball in it to lock it in more securely so that it does back out while operating. That's easy enough to deal with...I take it out when not using it and put it in a cup hanging from the pegboard behind my bench.

One feature I like a lot is the ability to mount the press on the accessory base plate. While I have two base plates on my bench (the Husky $199 home workbench I got from Home Depot) (so as too keep my trimmer and press and powder dispenser mounted), if I want to mount other tools, the accessory base plates are very convenient. I've bought the green Kool-Aid; the orange one is less responsive and some of their stuff (like the 1200 Powder Dispenser) are not well-designed nor especially functional, in contrast to RCBS.

FH

 

[JSimpson65]

Another one-time dissatisfied RCBS customer here, so they aren't perfect. I bought one of their progressives about a year ago that had multiple issues (primer feed, auto-indexing, jams, etc). I took off early from work more than once because the tech support dept. has such short hours, still no resolution, and was faced with sending it back to to multiple problems, possibly at my shipping cost, or just returning it altogether. I ended up returning it to Midway and bought a blue one instead. Blue one worked from day one and never gave any problems.

I have no doubt that RCBS would have eventually made it right, but I just wasn't willing to spend any more time on their defective product, or to wait around and see how long, and a what cost to me, it would take to make things right.

I'm sure my experiences are rare, but they do happen. FYI, I couldn't be happier with the Rockchucker on the other side of the bench.

 

[LAH]

I have a RC press & it's 100%. Most their dies have done good work & part are always free. Bullet Mould? I could go on & on but I won't. No one or no company is perfect & RCBS is no different.

 

[oneounceload]

Been using a Jr. press for 30 years and The Grand for several months - ANY part is replaced for free, forever, no questions asked. If you got a bad one all around, call RCBS - they will either send you the parts or have you send it in to make it right.

And when you find that manufacturer that walks on water and never makes a mistake, please let us know who it is and what they make - NO one is perfect - the difference is some companies will make it right - RCBS is one of those companies

 

[DM~]

Obviously, this thread was started just to generate some controversy.... BUT, if i bought that press new, and was as unhappy with the workmanship as you are, i would have called RCBS, telling them what i found, and asked for my $$ back. I'll bet you they would have taken it back and gave you a full refund. Problem over!

DM

 

[B!ngoFuelUSN]

After all the work it does pretty good. I have not sent this to RCBS. Initially I was going to, but decided that since I got it working I didn't want them to replace it with another piece of junk.

I have dealt with RCBS on some things. They replaced my powder hopper when it got foggy. They sent me another primer catcher, but the replacement wasn't much better than the original. After 3 attempts at replacing the shell holder spring that broke they sent a new ram that had the correct spring on it.

I have worked enough in manufacturing and design that most of the issues came from farming out the work. One manufacturing shortcut after another, then throw the parts in a box leads me to believe that this stuff now comes from China. Some things were labeled from there. The turret rings were made in USA, that I know. And the dies are still made here, which are my preference.

I have cranked out about 4,000 rounds in the last year. Most have been for testing powder and bullet combinations, so they were in small batches or 10 or 20. My plan is to keep the press for loading .32-20, but to get a good progressive. If I can scrape up enough money, my favorite color will probably be blue.

I know I'm restarting an old thread but could use some help...
I was able to purchase a RC Turret Press (a small upgrade from my RC single stage) at a very attractive price recently. It was during a holiday sale at PSA.
Upon opening the box, I found the black primer tube cover to be heavily coated in rust and the shell holder retaining spring/clip to be improperly installed making it difficult to impossible to install a shell holder. In trying to re-seat the retaining clip it broke.
So I called RC and despite a long wait, they were very helpful and sent out the two parts. Now I'm struggling to replace the retaining spring. They sent two and I've already broken one during the install. It seems that it has to be installed with the bent end fully protruding through the old in the shell holder plate and then snapped in place. But I can't seem to get that done.
Any tips? I'd hate to have to ask them to send me a new ram with it pre-installed. I just want to start using it.
Thanks,
B

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I've forgotten how you do it. I just took mine off to try and broke it. RCBS should be able to tell you how to install it. Now I need to call get another. I need to make a list first. When I broke my first they sent me a couple that were too big. Then they sent me one on a ram, which fit my ram, too.

Your primer tube is blued steel. Treat just like a gun. Either oilt the surface every year or wax it. I bought a jar of Renaissance wax for that kind of stuff. Wax my dies too.

Sounds like you got a press that was returned to the retailer and wasn't sent back to RCBS.

 

[Rule3]

Hey! That is 5 years of my life I want back after reading this whole thing!

First negative post I ever saw on RCBS,

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Has it been that long? Must have been 4 years since I called RCBS last. Now I'm out of business after breaking a spring trying to help! :banghead: It has been a good press after working out all the problems. At the time during the panic of 08 I felt lucky to have bought one. Didn't want to return it and risk being without for a few weeks.

 

[WestKentucky]

I'm constantly hearing about how good the green guys customer service is. They must have hired Jake from State Farm.

 

[32_d3gr33s]

I had the same press for a year. Had a couple of the same problems. The cheap primer catcher and the hole through the ram that caught stray primers. other than that, it was a wonderful press. ended up selling it just to but a progressive. Funny side note, i somehow lost the retaining clip. used a bent paperclip for a little while. Called rcbs and got 2 new ones when I decided to sell. broke 1 trying to put it in. just sent the other one with the press and hoped the new owner would be able to figure it out.

 

[FROGO207]

Some years ago I purchased a used RCBS Turret press at an auction. The press only came with the primer feeder and cost me IIRC $50.00. Since I only prime off press and use off press case charging as well this was just the deal I wanted. I understand that ALL brands of presses are somewhat complicated depending on how many and what operations they are designed to do and need a bit of fiddling with them to get them up and running. Some users even have problems with setting up single stage presses. Some brands are more user friendly in that department than others. I have had zero problems with mine BUT I am not using all the added stuff either.