Are New Rock Chuckers Sloppy?

[GW Staar]

All new Rock Chucker presses have sloppy linkage. RCBS will not replace it.

This accusation was posted in another thread. I don't know how he thinks he can know that "All new Rock Chucker presses" deserve that description, but I'd like to know if the experiences of other owners of the new, Rock Chucker press warrant such criticism.

Please limit replies to those who own or have owned Rock Chucker Models with the reversible (right or left mounted) handle.

 

[jinxer3006]

Just got mine about 6 months ago. Not the slightest bit of slop.

 

[mallc]

Depends

...on what you compare it to. But it doesn't really matter since the dies do the actual line up. You either need dead square or you need enough "float" to allow the dies to do their work. I understand Forster presses have use a floating die system and they are considered to be among the the best single stage presses.

Scott

 

[CaptHank]

I just installed a new Rock Chucker Supreme, last month. Everything is great but the "A Frame" design primer catcher. There is big gap on the right side of the press, which allows spent primers to fall on the floor. I sent RCBS an email about the design flaw. They are sending me a new one, free of charge. I hope this solves the problem.

 

[Glock20]

I've had my RC (with reversible handle) for a year and a half and there is no "slop" or play in the linkage or ram. It's as solid as a tank and built like one too.
If this one ever wore out, which won't happen anytime soon, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

 

[Tim the student]

I got mine about 2 years ago, and there is no "slop" in it.

 

[GW Staar]

Have any of you guys noticed the ram "torquing" toward the side the handle's on, when you stroke the press? (another statement I think might be exaggerated.)

Weigh in R. C. owners! Let's get to the truth of the matter.

 

[Hey_Allen]

I can't say anything about the new RC's, but my pair of older presses neither have any notable play, or side to side deflection on operation.

 

[918v]

The older presses don't have an angled handle either.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I have 2 RockChuckers...one is about 20 years old, the other is 2-3 years old (I forget now)...no slop in either of them.

 

[twofifty]

^^^ And the first was cast in America, the other in China.

 

[rajb123]

I just bought one last week - no slop in linkage here.

 

[Garys001]

Just got one about a month ago, no slop on mine.

 

[DM~]

^^^ And the first was cast in America, the other in China.

True, but it's "machined" here in the US, and the final machineing is where the slop would come from, IF there were any slop.

DM

 

[azar]

Mine is a little over 4 years old and is nice and smooth. No slop.

 

[rfwobbly]

All new Rock Chucker presses have sloppy linkage.

It's a moot point. Any free-play or loose fitting parts in the linkage loose all their slack under the compression force of sizing and seating. Linkage "slop" will not result in additional OAL tolerance at all, since gravity and compression will draw the ram down to the exact same position on every single stroke.

What you would want to be aware of is a press company that used flimsy press parts so that the handle or press linkage flexed under load. An engineer would call this "material compliance". Compliance would contribute to wandering OALs and other variation issues.

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

There's a difference between a floating die (Forster Co-Ax) and a floating ram. The floating die has no external lateral forces pushing it off-center from the cartridge axis. A conventional compound leverage press ram not only has considerable lateral forces on it, they reverse direction in mid stroke.

Andy

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Its hard not to laugh when reading threads like this...I can and do use both my RCBS presses to make ammo that is more accurate than any factory ammo...I could do the same with any other press given a little time to learn the quirks.

Talk about splitting hairs....

I'm sorry, but that really needed to be said!

 

[918v]

It's a mute point. Any free-play or loose fitting parts in the linkage loose all their slack under the compression force of sizing and seating. Linkage "slop" will not result in additional OAL tolerance at all, since gravity and compression will draw the ram down to the exact same position on every single stroke.

What you would want to be aware of is a press company that used flimsy press parts so that the handle or press linkage flexed under load. An engineer would call this "material compliance". Compliance would contribute to wandering OALs and other variation issues.

My Redding has .25" od side-to-side linkage slop when the handle is half-way down and the ram is half-way up. A new RC will have three times that and feels like crap when sizing cases. The old RC does not have the angled handle and feels more like a Redding.

You say it's moot. I say why buy a POS when you can get a nice Redding?

 

[DM~]

AND, why buy a Redding, when you can get a CO-AX??? lol

DM

 

[918v]

Because the CoAx won't work with Redding Competition seaters

and the jaws are a pain to remove and switch around.

Don't get me wrong. I had a CoAx too and the quality was superb. It's those damm jaws that forced me to get rid of it.

 

[DM~]

I love the jaws, they have worked perfectly for me, and i don't mind turning them at all.

I have loaded something over 100,000 rounds on my CO-AX, it's an excellent press, and works just fine with Bonanza BR seaters!

DM

 

[Offfhand]

Quote from above post;

"AND, why buy a Redding, when you can get a CO-AX??? lol

DM"

If you follow that line of reasoning you have to ask yourself: Why own a co-ax when you can get a RFD press and have something you'll really be proud to use?

 

[buck460XVR]

You say it's moot. I say why buy a POS when you can get a nice Redding?

Regardless of what flavor kool-aid they drink, and even when claiming their press is the best, no knowledgeable reloader would ever consider any Rock-chucker, new or old a POS. You are just showing your ignorance.

 

[Greg Mercurio]

I love diversity. Don't you?