Rock Chucker and spent primers

[SourMash]

Those of you that own a Rock Chucker, have you figured out a better way to keep up with all the spent primers when depriming? I love the thing, but absolutely hate how it is supposed to collect the old primers. There is alot of room for improvement here. My reloading room has carpet and I do what I can, but I never seem to catch all the primers. Now, I'm not bashing RCBS but you would think that they would catch on by now.

 

[Romeo 33 Delta]

Bcause of a HD crash, I can't post pics ... but here's what I did.

If you DO NOT press prime... and have an older R/C

1. Get a large diameter Micky D soda straw and cut a length that fills the slot in the ram from where your shell holder fits to just before the slot begins to angle outward.

2. Get a length of 5/8" ID clear, flex tubing from the hardware store.

3. Drill a hole in the bottom of the RCBS plastic primer catcher that's a tad smaller than the tubing o.d. ... take a rat tail file or small knife blade and wallow out the hole JUST ENOUGH to be able to force the tubing in ... so that it's round, not squashed ... but thight enough to hold.

4. Use some copper pipe "U" brackets and route the tubing down, back through along the left side of the ram and then down to a milk jug or whatever you want to use.

I'll see if I can get some decent pics today and post them.

 

[rcmodel]

If you leave the primer seating attachment in the frame slot it helps some.
Some suggest a soda straw cut to fit in the ram slot, but I didn't have much luck with that staying on place, or working very well.

Then there is this which is about 98% effective, and probably could be improved on..




rc

 

[mbopp]

I never had a problem with my Rockchucker ejecting spent primers on the floor. But for my Lyman turret press I made a similar cardboard shield for it.

 

[poco loco]

I'll have to try that shield idea because that's the only thing I dislike about my RockChucker.

I've been setting a 5 gallon bucket under the press to catch the escapees and it kind of works but I have fake tile...much easier to sweep up than the carpeting the OP has.

 

[rcmodel]

Another thing I notice is when expanding & belling handgun brass, spent primers "pop" out at high velocity under air pressure inside the case and go flying everywhere.

If I deprime seperatly with a universal depriming die with no expander to trap & compress air, they mostly stay in the catch bowl.

rc

 

[Lost Sheep]

Those of you that own a Rock Chucker, have you figured out a better way to keep up with all the spent primers when depriming? I love the thing, but absolutely hate how it is supposed to collect the old primers. There is alot of room for improvement here. My reloading room has carpet and I do what I can, but I never seem to catch all the primers. Now, I'm not bashing RCBS but you would think that they would catch on by now.

Dropcloth

Lost Sheep

 

[ReloaderFred]

I use the piece of straw in the priming slot in the ram. If you use the larger diameter straw, it will stay in place just fine. If you prime on the press, remove the straw for priming.

I also used some epoxy and made the primer catcher better fit the press. I just waxed the press in the area where the priming pan fits and then filled the gaps with epoxy and let it cure. The wax prevents the epoxy from making the catcher a permanent part of the press.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Romeo 33 Delta]

I took some pics of my set up ... it was NOT much effort to do and solved the primer problem.

 

[Romeo 33 Delta]

Last shot ... into the jug!

 

[rcmodel]

O.K., I give up?

What did you do to the ram to get the primers to go in the hose instead of bounching out off the little whoop-de-do ski-jump at the bottom of the primer attachment slot?

rc

 

[SourMash]

Romeo, thanks alot for the pictures. Although I did understand what you meant, pictures ARE worth a thousand words! I'm in agreement with RC, what did you do with the ramp inside the ram?

 

[SourMash]

Nevermind, I just looked at the picture better, I see that the tube is in the catch pan and the primer still hits the ramp in the ram.

 

[GW Staar]

Maybe this will help illustrate Romeo's "top" tube .... Yes it does work....very well in fact! I would add his tube in the bucket mod too, but I load mostly on the Pro 2000 these days.

Short piece of McDonalds straw. Cutip with graphite.

insert into slot in the ram. Voila! All primers go nicely into the primer catcher. No more bouncing on the floor and bench.
BTW I have a patent on the tray clamp showing up in the picture! Yes...#6 finishing nail. 90 degree bend on each end. It doesn't break like the factory one.

 

[Mal H]

I've used both the soda straw and cardboard baffle for many years. Every ejected primer stays in the cup now.

I like Romeo 33 Delta's idea with the flex tubing, though. That would eliminate ever having to remove the cup.

 

[rcmodel]

GW Staar, if you take the primer arm off like Romeo 33 Delta, your straw won't be nearly as foolproof.
The primers will hit the bump on the frame below the ram cut and land somewhere within 6' of your big toes when they get done bouncing off the floor.

rc

 

[GP100man]

If ya work te length & angle a bit the ramp in the ram will kik it thru the slot everytime !!

 

[rcmodel]

Well, maybe my bump is different then your bump?

Or I wasn't holding my straw right?

In any case, it didn't work on my 1970 press for me, no matter how I used the straw.

rc

 

[GW Staar]

GW Staar, if you take the primer arm off like Romeo 33 Delta, your straw won't be nearly as foolproof.
The primers will hit the bump on the frame below the ram cut and land somewhere within 6' of your big toes when they get done bouncing off the floor.

rc

Good thing I see no need to ever remove the primer arm, then.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Tonight I just finished sizing and depriming 1,016 .38 Special cases (I have a counter on my press) and didn't lose a primer. The straw was in place, but so was the primer arm. My Rockchucker doesn't chuck primers.

Back to the shop to do another thousand..............

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Bush Pilot]

If ya work te length & angle a bit the ramp in the ram will kik it thru the slot everytime !!

Does the red straw work better than the white straw? What part number do I ask for when I call RCBS?

 

[R.W.Dale]

Its a sonic straw. RCBS expressly recommends the use of straws from a drive in.


I use the straw and never remove it as I use either a hand tool or Lee's excellent ram prime tool to prime.

 

[SlowFuse]

Wow, ive been wondering since I started reloading (not too long ago) how to keep the primers from getting stuck around the arm...

Thanks all who posted pictures. Makes sense now.

 

[FROGO207]

My RC press has the old aluminum tray. I found a use for all those old AARP plastic membership cards they keep sending me to get me signed up. I put one in-between the press body and the tray. It stays there quite well and I put it in long side lengthwise. Then when I get a tray full I put the 5 gallon pail under the whole mess and dump it all out.

 

[Big Nugget]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=643207