DaveInFloweryBranchGA
Member
Note: This thread is about an RCBS Pro 2000 with Auto Advance that never had manual advance. I'm looking for help from anyone who's had the auto advance and has had a problem with the primer punch rod being bent and has resolved it. I have seen mention of the occasional primer feed problems from other owners, but can't find a resolution thread. I like several things about this press and would prefer to resolve it myself rather than ship it back to RCBS.
Warning: This is a long post.
Before I start, let me say to anyone reading this thread I feel my press is not the norm, it is the "2% manufacturing defects" exception. My press was an older press from a batch that had the hole for the primer punch drilled in an incorrect location on the "subplate" (my name for the Auto Index Shell Plate Holder), just slightly off, causing timing issues.
I ordered my press through a buddy's gun shop and he ordered it from Jerry's Sports Center, a large whole sale dealer in PA and evidently they still had a least one of the old, defective batch and I got "lucky."
That said, here's what's been going on since:
I worked with RCBS, who was and has been willing to send me lots of parts via USPS. It was frustrating because of how slow it was being mailed out of California, but they did finally send a replacement subplate assembly and this appeared to resolve the problem. In addition, they sent additional spare primer punches and a replacement detent ball spring to slow the rotation of the shell plate to the proper rate.
This newer spring is a slightly weaker spring with less coils. I currently have this weaker spring installed on the press. The subplate assembly they sent was complete with everything installed (see the diagram on page 15 of the manual for reference), including the small primer punch. I installed this new subplate assembly complete on the press.
They also sent the steel gauges to check the adjustment of the index and return cams. I checked the cam adjustment using the gauges. The cams appear to be adjusted properly to work with the new subplate.
I had planned on running .45 ACP, but realized I had a couple thousand and my .223 plinker supply was about dried up. So I setup to process .223 rifle brass. RCBS lube/depriming die in station 1, Dillon 1200 trimmer in station 3 and Dillon .223 carbide sizing die in station 5. Processed four of those plastic shoe boxes from Big Lots full of Lake City surplus brass (about 4000 cases) off and on when I had time from work (winter is my busy season at the hospital). All went well without incident. Swaged the brass on a Dillon 600 swager and cleaned it using citric acid (Lemi Shine crystals mixed with water), then tumbled it in 50/50 ground corn cob/walnut shell and a cup of Nu Finish car polish for 45 minutes. Brass came out looking like new. I was now ready to reload it.
Here's the plinker load: 25 grains WC 846 surplus powder, 55 grain surplus pulled FMJ's from Jeff Bartlett (The ones with collet marks.), LC brass and Wolf magnum small rifle primers (The ones with the tougher ignition for free floating firing pins, not the competition ones.)
Here's the setup: Dillon powder measure in station 2, Redding competition seating die in station 4 and Lee Factory Crimp die in station 5.
I used the small primer strips out of the bag of colored strips that came with the press to load the primers. Took me a bit to get the hang of it, but I soon was quickly and easily able to load the primer strips. Pre-packaged would be more convenient, but I have about 50K of primers to get rid of before I can do so.
I initially had problems with the strips, but did some googling and found postings by GWStarr and others who used a baker's rolling pin to level out the primers, this helped a great deal. I was able to load some strips without incident, but most seemed okay.
Here's the problem I'm having: Way too often, I'm getting primers flipped upside down or sideways during the reloading process. I know about the importance of rhythm and consistency in the progressive reloading process and I'm being very careful to do the same thing every time. I know I'm consistent, because I can run off maybe 50 or so cartridges before I get a flipped or sideways primer. But when I do, the press seems to hang up and usually causes me to have to break it down and reassemble to get things back to normal.
I called RCBS, who blamed the situation on a bent primer seater assembly and mailed me a replacement. I got off the phone, went through my spares and found I had a spare small primer punch assembly, so I replaced the one I had, which was bent. (The rod of the primer seater was bent.)
Before replacing the primer punch assembly, I took the shell plate off, removed the primer assembly cover and cleaned the subplate and primer assembly areas thoroughly. I then installed the primer seater assembly and began making cartridges again.
This time, I was extra careful during the seating process to make sure I didn't "force" any primers, thereby bending the rod again. In spite of this, the press hung up somehow and the rod bent. As near as I can tell, the rod may have been bent when the shell plate over rotated again slightly (again) while the primer punch was in the "up" position and caught the side of the primer punch, thereby bending it. At least that's my current theory.
So right now, I'm looking for someone who's had a similar problem with their primer punch assembly on their auto advance Pro 2000 and has resolved it for suggestions on what it might be.
Warning: This is a long post.
Before I start, let me say to anyone reading this thread I feel my press is not the norm, it is the "2% manufacturing defects" exception. My press was an older press from a batch that had the hole for the primer punch drilled in an incorrect location on the "subplate" (my name for the Auto Index Shell Plate Holder), just slightly off, causing timing issues.
I ordered my press through a buddy's gun shop and he ordered it from Jerry's Sports Center, a large whole sale dealer in PA and evidently they still had a least one of the old, defective batch and I got "lucky."
That said, here's what's been going on since:
I worked with RCBS, who was and has been willing to send me lots of parts via USPS. It was frustrating because of how slow it was being mailed out of California, but they did finally send a replacement subplate assembly and this appeared to resolve the problem. In addition, they sent additional spare primer punches and a replacement detent ball spring to slow the rotation of the shell plate to the proper rate.
This newer spring is a slightly weaker spring with less coils. I currently have this weaker spring installed on the press. The subplate assembly they sent was complete with everything installed (see the diagram on page 15 of the manual for reference), including the small primer punch. I installed this new subplate assembly complete on the press.
They also sent the steel gauges to check the adjustment of the index and return cams. I checked the cam adjustment using the gauges. The cams appear to be adjusted properly to work with the new subplate.
I had planned on running .45 ACP, but realized I had a couple thousand and my .223 plinker supply was about dried up. So I setup to process .223 rifle brass. RCBS lube/depriming die in station 1, Dillon 1200 trimmer in station 3 and Dillon .223 carbide sizing die in station 5. Processed four of those plastic shoe boxes from Big Lots full of Lake City surplus brass (about 4000 cases) off and on when I had time from work (winter is my busy season at the hospital). All went well without incident. Swaged the brass on a Dillon 600 swager and cleaned it using citric acid (Lemi Shine crystals mixed with water), then tumbled it in 50/50 ground corn cob/walnut shell and a cup of Nu Finish car polish for 45 minutes. Brass came out looking like new. I was now ready to reload it.
Here's the plinker load: 25 grains WC 846 surplus powder, 55 grain surplus pulled FMJ's from Jeff Bartlett (The ones with collet marks.), LC brass and Wolf magnum small rifle primers (The ones with the tougher ignition for free floating firing pins, not the competition ones.)
Here's the setup: Dillon powder measure in station 2, Redding competition seating die in station 4 and Lee Factory Crimp die in station 5.
I used the small primer strips out of the bag of colored strips that came with the press to load the primers. Took me a bit to get the hang of it, but I soon was quickly and easily able to load the primer strips. Pre-packaged would be more convenient, but I have about 50K of primers to get rid of before I can do so.
I initially had problems with the strips, but did some googling and found postings by GWStarr and others who used a baker's rolling pin to level out the primers, this helped a great deal. I was able to load some strips without incident, but most seemed okay.
Here's the problem I'm having: Way too often, I'm getting primers flipped upside down or sideways during the reloading process. I know about the importance of rhythm and consistency in the progressive reloading process and I'm being very careful to do the same thing every time. I know I'm consistent, because I can run off maybe 50 or so cartridges before I get a flipped or sideways primer. But when I do, the press seems to hang up and usually causes me to have to break it down and reassemble to get things back to normal.
I called RCBS, who blamed the situation on a bent primer seater assembly and mailed me a replacement. I got off the phone, went through my spares and found I had a spare small primer punch assembly, so I replaced the one I had, which was bent. (The rod of the primer seater was bent.)
Before replacing the primer punch assembly, I took the shell plate off, removed the primer assembly cover and cleaned the subplate and primer assembly areas thoroughly. I then installed the primer seater assembly and began making cartridges again.
This time, I was extra careful during the seating process to make sure I didn't "force" any primers, thereby bending the rod again. In spite of this, the press hung up somehow and the rod bent. As near as I can tell, the rod may have been bent when the shell plate over rotated again slightly (again) while the primer punch was in the "up" position and caught the side of the primer punch, thereby bending it. At least that's my current theory.
So right now, I'm looking for someone who's had a similar problem with their primer punch assembly on their auto advance Pro 2000 and has resolved it for suggestions on what it might be.