I have been following the "Lee Ram Swage" thread and have a RCBS question.

[eyeshot]

I have read the instructions provided by RCBS on their Primer Pocket Swager Tool -2 (9481). The only thing troubling me with its use is the pop you have to give the ram on the downstroke to loosen the shell case from the swage nipple. (somebody on this site mentioned this as a concern)

I watched a few utube videos showing this and it would appear that the inverted cup strikes the press pretty aggressively. One press operator appears to have sprayed his press in green paint to cover this contact point from the RCBS die swage. It appears that way in the video anyways.

I'm really take care of my equipment, so I can pass it on when I'm gone, and I'm looking for a way to protect the press. A steel or plastic washer perhaps? Any other simple ideas?

I haven't used the RCBS swage yet and could return it for a Lee Ram Swage assuming it doesn't function in the same way. Primitive I can handle but marring I cannot.

 

[Demi-human]

What you describe is the way mine worked, and the reason I don’t use it anymore. Too loud, too rough, too dang much like work!
The RCBS button is too long. It must go much farther into the pocket to get to the radius on the button and chamfer the pocket mouth for easier primer insertion. Afterwards it has too much friction with the side of the pocket and causes it to need much force to get it back off the button, even with lubrication.

I used mine for six hundred cases and never opened the box again.

The 1,600 pounds of spring force in the Lee button looks about right for amount of banging I was doing…

A chamfer tool on a drill is faster, quieter, and easier on me, let alone the press.(Though I think the press doesn’t care.) A rubber or plastic washer will save paint, but not shoulder.

 

[Blue68f100]

I have read the instructions provided by RCBS on their Primer Pocket Swager Tool -2 (9481). The only thing troubling me with its use is the pop you have to give the ram on the downstroke to loosen the shell case from the swage nipple. (somebody on this site mentioned this as a concern)

I watched a few utube videos showing this and it would appear that the inverted cup strikes the press pretty aggressively. One press operator appears to have sprayed his press in green paint to cover this contact point from the RCBS die swage. It appears that way in the video anyways.

I'm really take care of my equipment, so I can pass it on when I'm gone, and I'm looking for a way to protect the press. A steel or plastic washer perhaps? Any other simple ideas?

I haven't used the RCBS swage yet and could return it for a Lee Ram Swage assuming it doesn't function in the same way. Primitive I can handle but marring I cannot.

Have you tried applying some Imperial Sizing wax to the button to keep it from sticking?

Adding a washer to protect the press will work. I would prefer plastic of some kind.

 

[FROGO207]

I tried to wax the button. I tried polishing the button. It still needed to be bumped.
So I went ahead and purchased the CH4D combo pocket swager/ram prime unit. It works on top of the press and does not require a pin that has to be inserted in the case to swage. Look it up on You Tube. It works better IMHO.

 

[Jim Watson]

The CH hangs the swaging force on the rim, same as a recapping move but a lot harder. I would worry about bent rims. Are you seeing any?

 

[FROGO207]

If you don't purposefully use cam over pressures and try to push the pin/ brass up out of the shell holder it will work without bending anything. They also recommend using a shellholder that fits the rim as opposed to a universal type designed to fit many like lots of lee shellholders are made though. I purposefully bent a couple 5.56 and 7.62X51 brass to see how much it would take. It was about a full turn beyond swaging and rounding the primer pocket mouth to show the damage/ bending on the headstamp area. I am OK with how it works and don't see me damaging brass when appropriately adjusted.