finally got one

[backdraft341]

i found a free reloader. its a early 70's RCBS J.R.PRESS. it was my dads and it has not been used in over 20 yrs. its a single stage press with scale, trickler, some dies (.38 special, 30-06, .357, .41 mag, 45 acp) some shell holders, de-burring tool, powder measure. everything is RCBS. will any brand of dies fit the RCBS? i need a 9mm and .243 dies. i know i need a tumbler. what type of agent should i use in the tumbler to get a good shine on brass? i picked up a 1996 speer reloading manual at half price books. do you think anything has changed in old to newer manuals? if there is anything else you think i need please let me know. thanks

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

Good deal. Any dies will fit your RCBS press; Lee, Lyman, Redding, etc. The industry standard is to thread dies at 7/8 x 14 IIRC. The only difference between your Speer manual and the new ones, will be newer powders that have been added since then and newer bullets for say, the .223 Remington. It should work fine for the calibers you mentioned. I like the Lyman manual since it has a bigger variety of bullets for each caliber. The Speer manual only covers the bullets they make.

I use walnut shell media that I buy at Harbor Freight Tools and Brasso. I know guys will tell you that Brasso weakens the brass because of the ammonia in it, but you would have to soak the brass in the liquid for that to happen. I use a tablespoon in the media and the ammonia dissapates so it is not a problem. If you're concerned about that, there are ammonia free additives out there. Some guys use Nu-Finish car wax in their tumblers, which seems to work okay.

The shell holder you have for the .45 ACP will fit .243 Winchester, so you won't need to buy one of those, but you will need a 9 mm shell holder since it is a different size.

If you don't have one, the RCBS Bench Priming Tool is nice to have. It's faster to use than the priming set-up in the press.

 

[Okierifleman]

Congrats, you are now on your way. I wouldnt worry about buying a new book, there is a wealth of load info online, check out handloads.com. I have never looked at their rifle info(I use Nosler bullets exclusively so I keep a new copy of their latest manual) but I have found most of my handgun loads on there. I use walnut media myself and I use Dillon brass polish. The priming system on your press will give you fits, so my first word of advice for you is to buy a RCBS handprimer. Best one I have found for priming rifle brass. Good luck.

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

Just a word of caution about using loads from online sources. I got a load for an 80 grain Nosler bullet off Steve's pages. When I got around to checking the new Nosler manual, Steve's load was a full two grains heavier than the load Nosler recommends for their bullet. Steve's load shot okay and I didn't notice any excessive pressure signs but if I had known about Nosler's recommendation, I would have started lower and worked my way up.

Also, I once found a glaring error on the IMR powder website. They had a load for the .44 Magnum that started way above the max in most reloading books. I emailed them with the error and they fixed it. It appeared that they transposed several numbers.

I collect old reloading manuals. It's always helpful to go back and check what loads were given for a certain cartridge just to see the differences. And it helps if you have some powder that has been discontinued and does not show up in the newer books.

 

[backdraft341]

thanks for all the info. i have a few more questions. do all the shell holders work with the old RCBS press? do they all just slide in? also does a de-burning tool trim the case and clean out where the primer is removed? where is a good place to buy supplies on-line? thanks

 

[dbgun]

Congratulations on your find. I really want to get into relloading, but don't have the time to set everything up yet, Maybe later next year.

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

Your press will work with any mfg shell holders. Yep, they just slide/snap in. The deburring tool can help remove crimp from a primer pocket and clean up the case mouth, inside and outside, but it is not used to trim the case. For trimming to length, you'll need something like a Lyman or Forster case trimmer.

You can get reloading stuff at [URL="http://www.midwayusa.com"]www.midwayusa.com[/URL], [URL="http://www.wideners.com"]www.wideners.com[/URL], [URL="http://www.grafs.com"]www.grafs.com[/URL] and [URL="http://www.powdervalleyinc.com"]www.powdervalleyinc.com[/URL].

You don't have where you live on your profile. If you're any where near Wichita Falls, I'd be glad to help you get set up.

 

[Okierifleman]

If you want a really cool piece of equipment, check out the RCBS
Trim Mate case prep center. Will cut your case prep time in half.

 

[Wolfwood]

homeade guns and ammo by.... crap cant remember... but great book. i got a copy from palladin press. check it out!

 

[phatcyclist]

I inherited an RCBS Jr 2 from my grandfather along with a few other things related to reloading. It's my only press at the time but it has been working great.