Uranophobic Unicorn
Member
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2019
- Messages
- 13
I picked this press up used back in December. Up until recently I've been only loading 9mm on it. During this time I had a heck of a time trying to sort out sizing issues. About half of my cases, regardless of headstamps, would have setback with just finger pressure. This process saw me go through 4 different sizing dies (2 Lee and 2 Hornady). I thought I was just really unlucky, and kept getting out of spec dies. So I get a Lee Undersized die, and that almost got me there. I had the screw the die in about 1/4th of a turn and cam over to finally get cases sized properly.
Skip ahead to today, and I'm forming 300blk. Form my first few cases, and they aren't passing my case gauge - the shoulder isn't bumped down far enough. No biggy, I thought, I'll just screw it in some more until it passes. And screw it I did. And I kept screwing until I could screw no more. Still not passing. Almost passing (still proud about 2-4 thou), but not passing.
Perhaps I'm cursed and my case gauge was out of spec. So I got a factory round, and lo! It was perfect. So cross that out.
Finally, I dust off the old single stage, threw in my RCBS Small Base 300blk die, and rammed her in. Headspaced perfectly. Dust off the rejected 9mm sizing dies. Made a few dummy round, and could you believe it, they all have perfect neck tension.
That leaves one variable in this equation, something on this press is wrong.
I don't believe it is the shell plate or subplate. Both are fit so close I can't even fit a feeler gauge underneath them. However one thing I have noticed is that the ram/subplate combo can be rotated by the handle (as well as vice versa). It doesn't matter where in the stroke, wiggling the handle left or right will result in the ram rotating. There are significant looking gaps in the linkage as well. 2 gaps in particular mike out around a tenth of an inch. Scouring the depths of youtube I found an individual who has the exact same problem as me.
This is exactly what my press does. If anything mine might be a little worse. But I don't even know if this is a problem. All I know is something is hooped, and this is the only thing I can think of right now. So... does anyone else's press do this?
Skip ahead to today, and I'm forming 300blk. Form my first few cases, and they aren't passing my case gauge - the shoulder isn't bumped down far enough. No biggy, I thought, I'll just screw it in some more until it passes. And screw it I did. And I kept screwing until I could screw no more. Still not passing. Almost passing (still proud about 2-4 thou), but not passing.
Perhaps I'm cursed and my case gauge was out of spec. So I got a factory round, and lo! It was perfect. So cross that out.
Finally, I dust off the old single stage, threw in my RCBS Small Base 300blk die, and rammed her in. Headspaced perfectly. Dust off the rejected 9mm sizing dies. Made a few dummy round, and could you believe it, they all have perfect neck tension.
That leaves one variable in this equation, something on this press is wrong.
I don't believe it is the shell plate or subplate. Both are fit so close I can't even fit a feeler gauge underneath them. However one thing I have noticed is that the ram/subplate combo can be rotated by the handle (as well as vice versa). It doesn't matter where in the stroke, wiggling the handle left or right will result in the ram rotating. There are significant looking gaps in the linkage as well. 2 gaps in particular mike out around a tenth of an inch. Scouring the depths of youtube I found an individual who has the exact same problem as me.
This is exactly what my press does. If anything mine might be a little worse. But I don't even know if this is a problem. All I know is something is hooped, and this is the only thing I can think of right now. So... does anyone else's press do this?
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