RCBS ... withering?

[Laphroaig]

Most of my stuff is RCBS too. They've treated me right over the years.

I have heard rumors that some of their products are now made overseas. I wonder if that is true, and if that might be playing into the products that are temporarily unavailable?

 

[Allen One1]

RCBS is owned by Vista Outdoors Inc. Vista posted loses of $650 million in 2019. So the question should be is Vista withering?
Vista owns Federal, Speer, Alliant Powder, Bushnell, Simmons, CCI, Camelbak, Gunmate, Uncle Mike's and many others.
Hopefully, the recent rash in panic buying will put Vista back in the black.

I should add that Vista isn't shy about selling off unprofitable companies like they did with Savage Arms.

I don't know if Savage was making money or not but I suspect the reason they sold it off may have something to do with it being the only company they had that manufactured firearms. Firearms can bring a lot of negative press that they don't need. The rest of their companies can fly under the radar.

 

[GW Staar]

Most of my stuff is RCBS too. They've treated me right over the years.

I have heard rumors that some of their products are now made overseas. I wonder if that is true, and if that might be playing into the products that are temporarily unavailable?

They hold that kind of info close....but probably that sort of thing has a lot to do with supply of about everything....even my vitamin C! I have no doubt some of their parts are made in China.....electronics for sure....just like everyone else. The only things I know for sure was strictly American made is me and Trump.

 

[375supermag]

The APS never really took off.I use two of the bench mounts I like it a lot and wish it would have been more popular.

Hi...
I also run an RCBS APS bench mounted priming tool.
I typically prime in all of my big bore revolver brass on that tool. Several thousand rounds monthly in .41Mag, .44Spl, .44Mag, .45AutoRim and .45Colt combined. All of my autoloading pistol calibers are primed and loaded on progressive presses as are my .357Mag rounds.
I also prime .38Spl on my APS tool, so it gets a pretty good workout almost every week.

I am on my second APS bench mounted tool.
The first one was bought back when RCBS first started making them and has primed many tens of thousands of cases. Finally broke the red plastic strip advancement mechanism earlier this year. I need to contact RCBS about sending it back for refurbishment. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I had a second unit that I bought at an auction for very little money and started using it, so while I need to have the original repaired there is no great rush to have it done.

 

[styles]

My thoughts are, you are just a nervous kinda person... I bet you are fun to ride in a car with… lol
DM

Thank you for your post sharing your experience with rcbs products. Posts like yours will encourage others to ask questions or seek information.

 

[styles]

I just did the same and also checked Graf and Sons. Graf's has a few more in stock then Midway does. I have to agree about the current conditions messing with production along with the surge in sales of all reloading supplies. The low stock at retailers is across the board with all brands of presses from what I've seen.

Thanks - I always forget G&Ss

 

[12Bravo20]

I'm lucky in that Graf's is 25 miles away and Midway is 55 miles away. I normally just go pick stuff up instead of dealing with shipping. I also have 2 Bass Pro's, 2 Academy Sports, and a Cabelas within an hour drive of me.

 

[sequins]

RCBS is thriving.

 

[DM~]

Thank you for your post sharing your experience with rcbs products. Posts like yours will encourage others to ask questions or seek information.

Yer welcome... BUT, it's obvious to ME that RCBS doesn't need any help from me to show that they are still kicking and strong...

DM

 

[George P]

Thanks for all the comments. I just don’t find any current rcbs press using aps anywhere for sale or on the site. I find vendors with things like RS5s, but not any PC7 and hardly any T7 or the attachment for aps. Most say out of stock, no back order and a lot of things on rcbs say DC or unavailable. There is even a homepage link that says new products and it goes to a page not found. Maybe that explains my questions.

It’s good to know I’m alone/wrong in my thoughts. That’s a good thing. I have Lee equipment so I’d like to try a good 5 or 7 station and a good priming system progressive. I would really like the aps instead of a tube. maybe my question should be is aps withering?

Thanks again.

https://www.rcbs.com/presses/

 

[styles]

I caused some good news! RCBS must have seen it and fixed their homepage new products link https://www.rcbs.com/sale/coming-soon/

 

[DukeConnor]

The CHINA thing has turned off RCBS. Sorry, that's how I feel.

 

[George P]

Their presses are made in CA...............

 

[DM~]

Their presses are made in CA...............

Last I head some of the rough castings were from a foundry in china, so yes and no...

DM

 

[Walkalong]

The CHINA thing has turned off RCBS. Sorry, that's how I feel.

Explain, in detail, just don't throw it out there. Have a beef? Ok, but explain what they are doing, verified, and why you don't like it.

We are not going to go down the USA vs overseas argument road.

Just want to gripe about RCBS, there is a section for that.

 

[Otto]

It’s good to know I’m alone/wrong in my thoughts. That’s a good thing. I have Lee equipment so I’d like to try a good 5 or 7 station and a good priming system progressive. I would really like the aps instead of a tube. maybe my question should be is aps withering?
Thanks again.

APS officially died when they discontinued the Pro 2000 press....sure, there are some APS priming tools still available but for how long?
The APS system was expensive, cumbersome, required a cheesy strip loader and was limited to 25 primers per strip. It's little wonder that it failed.
If you want to future-proof your investment, I'd suggest a Dillon 750 for the long haul.

 

[mjsdwash]

Isnt RCBS the one that does manufacturing in China? Lots of delays from the closed ports.
Edit to add, Nothing against RCBS, I use their lockout/check dies, and was going to use a few more of their tools, but found them universally out of stock. This is just an observation the high cost of low cost.

 

[George P]

RCBS was founded in 1943 by Fred T. Huntington in Oroville, California. Huntington was a dedicated shooter, but found it difficult to obtain quality varmint bullets. However, after reading about making a die to swage .22 rimfire cartridge cases to form jackets for bullets, he began to craft his own dies in the back room of his father’s Oroville laundry and dry-cleaning business. Because the resulting bullets were used to shoot rock chucks – a varmint of Western North America – he named them Rock Chuck Bullet Swage dies, later shortened to RCBS.

RCBS soon outgrew this modest beginning in the back of a laundromat, and by 1948 Huntington relocated to a small shop. The business continued to grow rapidly, spilling into his garage and then a new building in 1954. By 1958, RCBS was expanding again, first to a 7,500-square-foot factory that quickly grew to 50,000 square feet. As the years passed, more expansions have occurred, but RCBS stayed near its roots. Today, Oroville is still RCBS’ home for state-of-the-art production.

 

[Whiterook808]

Need I say more?

 

[GW Staar]

Isnt RCBS the one that does manufacturing in China? ...............This is just an observation the high cost of low cost.

That's a new one.....I've heard RCBS accused of just about everything.....except low cost. Before people start throwing stones.... first turn off all your computers with their Chinese manufactured motherboards.....and throw them away. The forum numbers will be cut to just about zero....me included. I'm keep my Chinese electronics thankyou.....don't want to go back to the dark ages waiting for all production to return to America.....not that such a return is bad....that's why we voted for Trump, right? And your Apple phones......at least Samsung is Korea, right?

My opinion is simple....we are all brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of the same God. We ought to act like brothers and sisters....yup even to the Chinese. Actually I pray for those people.....that their government will soon allow freedom....of thought, of commerce, of life itself.....and that we don't go backwards and become subjects to tyranny as they experience.

 

[mjsdwash]

That's a new one.....I've heard RCBS accused of just about everything.....except low cost. Before people start throwing stones.... first turn off all your computers with their Chinese manufactured motherboards.....and throw them away. The forum numbers will be cut to just about zero....me included. I'm keep my Chinese electronics thankyou.....don't want to go back to the dark ages waiting for all production to return to America.....not that such a return is bad....that's why we voted for Trump, right? And your Apple phones......at least Samsung is Korea, right?

My opinion is simple....we are all brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of the same God. We ought to act like brothers and sisters....yup even to the Chinese. Actually I pray for those people.....that their government will soon allow freedom....of thought, of commerce, of life itself.....and that we don't go backwards and become subjects to tyranny as they experience.

yup, thats why I'm not gonna badmouth them for it. Nevertheless, when ports close down, companies that need imports from those ports loose more than the people who paid more for local manufacture. Its a gamble. RCBS is not cheap, because quality is expensive, regardless of where its sourced. Maybe China can make it cheaper, but still not cheap. Every company I see sourcing China does it because of issues with the US obstructing manufacturing, not cost of labor, as we are all told to aim our torches and pitch forks at. China is more about availability than cost. I'm wandering off topic so I'll let it go, but I will again emphasize I like the RCBS products I have, and wish I could get some of the tools they used to sell.

 

[dh1633pm]

I have as much Green stuff in the reloading room as any other color. I don't know the RCBS support line number, never had to call them about anything. That's the way it should be. Seems an additional benefit to owning green stuff is that if you do need to call, there is a person on the other side of the line. Can't beat that with a stick. That's what I have gleaned from this post.

 

[Texas10mm]

RCBS changes progressive presses about as often as the seasons change.

It's one market that RCBS can't seem to compete in.

In the progressive press market you have Dillon, followed by a distant second Hornady. RCBS maybe has 1% of the progressive press market.

If you remember the Green Machine then you'll understand why many reloaders are loath to buy a RCBS progressive.

 

[George P]

RCBS changes progressive presses about as often as the seasons change.

It's one market that RCBS can't seem to compete in.

In the progressive press market you have Dillon, followed by a distant second Hornady. RCBS maybe has 1% of the progressive press market.

If you remember the Green Machine then you'll understand why many reloaders are loath to buy a RCBS progressive.

I'll take my LnL over the 550 I had any day.............and their Grand shotshell press is a great press as well.

 

[higgite]

My RCBS can beat up your Dillon.