Shot Show: RCBS 7 station Pro Chucker Progressive

[GW Staar]

No typos there, Peter Eick! You finally got your wish.

Oh and BTW, If you can't swing the 7 station model you can also get it in 5 stations, and upgrade with a kit to the 7 station another year.

 

[Reinz]

Looking at the post on AR15, I see it has a bullet feeder, but not a case feeder?

That seems a little backwards.

Unless, they just couldn't pull it off for the show.

 

[GW Staar]

Looking at the post on AR15, I see it has a bullet feeder, but not a case feeder?

That seems a little backwards.

Unless, they just couldn't pull it off for the show.

That's what I'm guessing. Look at the picture below.....see all those holes in the casting? Their existence and placement above case placement on the shell plate say to me there is a case feeder hiding somewhere.



Backwards? Not in my experience. Having both on my Pro 2000, I would give up the case feeder long before I would the bullet feeder.....I don't ever catch my fingers placing a case....has happened more than once guiding a bullet into a seater. For rifle that's another matter....the case feeder is good, the bullet feeder (and finger pinching) isn't a problem since I love the top-feeding Gold Medal Seaters.

That said...I'm betting the the final version of the case feeder design didn't make the show.......they already had a bullet feeder.

 

[Walkalong]

I see it has a bullet feeder, but not a case feeder?

That would be perfect for me.

And it looks like the seating would take place right where I could see the powder charge in the case. Excellent.

 

[GW Staar]

I finally found a picture of the 5 station version of the Pro Chucker. Looks identical except for the shell plate, tool head and powder measure.

You can see the zerks they added to these presses......not a bad idea.....they started that on the Summit Press.

 

[LiveLife]

Any idea how much they will sell for?

 

[GW Staar]

The Pro Chucker 5 lists at $778, Natchez already (prematurely as in no stock) list it at $705. At R&R Arms it is listed at $615. That's a 100 different. Found another at $613. Midway and Grafs will probably be somewhere between.

As far as the Pro Chucker 7 goes...list price is $1100, Natchez is $994. Lower listings at R&R and others aren't there yet so who knows.

 

[Mr.Revolverguy]

I would love to see one in person looks nice. But I still do not think I would purchase one over the Hornady LnL I have now. Seems like it would be a tough decision by Hornady or save a little more and buy Dillon. Whew glad I have my progressives already hat to be in that predicament.

 

[higgite]

I like the location of the bullet feed or seating station, as the case may be, up front so you can easily see right down into the case. The Pro 2000 isn't bad for seeing powder in the case once you get used to it, but this looks even better. I think I'll hang on to my Pro 2000 for awhile, though.

I'd say you can bet the farm that there is a case feeder in the works.The bolt hole pattern on the case feed side of the press (GWS' post #3) mirrors the bolt hole pattern on the other side for the primer feed activating bracket or whatever you call that almost L shaped flat bar.
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Sorry about the size of the image. It's from another forum. If one of the moderators can reduce it, please do so.

 

[GW Staar]

I would love to see one in person looks nice. But I still do not think I would purchase one over the Hornady LnL I have now. Seems like it would be a tough decision by Hornady or save a little more and buy Dillon. Whew glad I have my progressives already hat to be in that predicament.

I hear ya, but if you were just starting out....and you could buy a 5 station press upgradable to a 7 station press with a $350 kit in a few years....wouldn't that perk you just a little?

That would be like purchasing a Dillon 650, using it for a few years, then upgrading it to a 1050 without having to buy another $1000 plus press.

RCBS did that sorta thing with the Pro 2000. You could buy the cheaper manual advance press, (like having a 5 station Dillon 550), then upgrading with a $100 kit later to the Auto Advance version. In effect moving from a 550 class press to a 650 class press for $100. I'm glad they still think that way!

I like the location of the bullet feed or seating station, as the case may be, up front so you can easily see right down into the case.

Yes, that's a huge improvement....that's why I went to a big video screen in my face to use with my Pro 2000. Great picture of the primer side.......too bad they went back to "pipe bombs". APS is gone.....I knew that was coming, but I don't have to like it. Now we will start seeing pictures of blown up tubes, holes in ceilings and mangled hands, previously unheard of on RCBS progressives. APS was superior in every way....although the numbers are growing of reloaders who have discovered this, it just wasn't accepted as such fast enough. It's a shame. If Dillon had invented it, all progressives would have APS....such is the power of blue blinders. It reminds me of people who refused to buy automobiles when they first came out. I'm betting that APS will resurrect in the near future with an even better product that no one can turn their nose up at. I'm amazed that Dillon has been able to prevent law suits just by free "no questions" replacing of the mangled parts.

 

[FMJBT]

You will also be able to upgrade from the pro 5 to the pro 7. The conversion kit is around $350. I've seen the kit already posted on Natchez.

I asked him about the case feeder, and yeah that's that the holes are there for. They are finishing up a design that should be due out in summer.

The only thing that I can't fully remember is if they are coming out with an automatic one. He did speak of a manual tube fed style one being in the works, but if We wanted an automatic one, to just buy a red or blue case feeder.

 

[higgite]

GWS,

It's almost worth buying you a new Pro Chucker just to see what mods you would come up with. Notice I said 'almost'.

 

[GW Staar]

GWS,

It's almost worth buying you a new Pro Chucker just to see what mods you would come up with. Notice I said 'almost'.

Hahahahaha! How about if I give you free copies of everything I come up with?

One guy asked me how come I didn't market and sell my ideas! My answer? Because as soon as they make it to market RCBS will make them obsolete. If this years Shot Show doesn't illustrate that truth, I don't know what would.

I putter because its fun.....and that's what old farts do.

Looking at the new design, I don't see any way of modding it to accept APS. What goes in (strips) must come out. I was hoping for an APS optional kit. But I don't see a possibility of that......at least for now.

Thanks for the picture again. That makes it very clear what the intentions are. APS is going bye.

 

[Walkalong]

RCBS may have finally something to win me over, but I would like to see one in person, and do want to know if it will use the primer strips.

 

[GW Staar]

If you look at the picture Higgite provided a few posts up, you'll notice that the primers feed directly into the station along the back support, and aren't in a position to pass through. Like I said, strips that go in have to come out somewhere. I don't see a possibility for that, being that the back support of the casting is wedge shaped, that would aim a primer strip straight at the ram. So I'm betting APS is not going to happen here.

I would like to see one in person too. I could kick myself for not get tickets to the show.....

One thing that does intrigue me is the method of attaching the die plates! Lock n Load has a new meaning. Now if they have a similar improvement below, where the shell plate isn't rocking like everybody elses, maybe there will be a higher definition for progressive loaded asymmetrical ammunition.

I'm happy that RCBS is serious about the progressive market. That can only improve the market every where. Dillon designs are getting old and certainly have room for improvement....maybe this will jolt them into action too. Everybody wins.

 

[FMJBT]

They got rid of the aps strips. Same basic design as the Hornady, but better.

The show wasn't as great this year as previous ones.

 

[Mr.Revolverguy]

FMJBT from your standpoint what makes it better then the Hornady?

 

[FMJBT]

Driving home in California traffic, so please excuse any typographical errors or incomplete sentences.


The primer seating plug is a bit more adjustable than the Hornady. The return spring goes to the right and over the chute, instead of the back like Hornady. The guide is a steel piece that's attached to the frame, unlike the bar of the Hornady.

There was one more thing about the way the shell plate sits that makes it more serviceable when powder is spilt, but it's escaping my memory at the moment.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I like the way they've improved, over the Hornady, the camming bar for the primmer shuttle, but I don't like how they've placed the return spring on top of the assembly.

That shell plate just looks weird.

What really makes me envious are the changeable heads, reminds me of an improved Lee, and the ability to upgrade to a 7-station machine

 

[FMJBT]

Stealing the OP's picture from AR 15

What I also like is how there is about a 2 inch steel rod at the base of the press, that acts as a locator pin for the shell plate. I circled in blue.

The way the shell plate rotates is a little, unobtrusive clip by the roughly 4th station. Pointed to by the orange arrow.


The press doesn't jerk like a Stock 650 does. It rotates smooth. I do also like how it has an ejector wire, like the old Hornady presses.

 

[FMJBT]

Hope this helps.

According to one site

Pro Chucker 5 will be $537.29
And
Pro chucker 7 will be $758.99

 

[GW Staar]

So does the plate rotate all the way per stroke or 1/2 up and 1/2 down like the Hornady?

 

[FMJBT]

No, it does not. But it is not a jerky movement like the dillon.

I'm planning on getting rid my
Hornady asap for this.

The one thing I forgot to mention was that with the 7, you're going to have to buy a tool head and powder measurer assembly together (think dillon quick change) . They will not offer them seperately for the time being.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Did you happen to notice if it does a half rotation on the up stroke and another half on the down stroke like the Hornady LNL?

Funny you should mention the ejection wire, because that is something I really don't like...Dillon has it on their 650 also and I found it very irritating

 

[FMJBT]

While I haven't had terribly too many cases sticking with the Hornady sub plate, it does get annoying when it does. My colleague who loads 30 carbine all the time on it get suck cases much more frequently.