Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Howdy I am looking for comments from anybody who has one of these or is familiar with it. I am thinking of buying one. Specifically, I am wondering if the Riser Stand is needed or not. Does this move the press forward so the bench does not interfere with the linkage, or is it simply to raise the press up for loading while standing? Any and all comments welcome by those who are familiar with this press. No, thanks I am not interested in a MEC or any other brand, I am specifically interested in the RCBS Grand, and not the Mini Grand. I am specifically interested in the feature where the press will not dump powder or shot if no hull is present. Am also interested in how reliable it is. I am tired of crushing hulls on the MEC Progressive press that I have. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Church Key, SASS # 33713 Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Driftwood - I cannot help you with the RCBS press as I've always used MEC's; however, you might want to ask on both trapshooters.com and shotgunworld as there are lots of experienced folks there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio Brazos Kid Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 The RCBS Grands are not that popular at all, which would indicate that they are probably problematic. Clean out your PM inbox so you can receive a new message, and I'll send you some information. My earlier PM was blocked. RBK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabalero Chuck Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Check out the photo number six on page 2 of "The Grand" instruction manual. I'll bet that will help you with your question concerning the mounting plates. http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instructions/The_Grand_Instructions.pdf I just picked up my 2nd hand Grand last weekend so it will be a bit of time before I will consider myself familiar with it. If you are getting a new one versus a well used model like mine (the fella tells me that he processed "tens of thousands" of 12 gage on it), your experiences could end up being a bit different. For all the press has been through the only thing that I can see I will be calling RCBS about is a fresh set of the plastic claw case holders & thier associated springs. The powder hopper is heavily discolored, but it & the shot hopper, along with the aluminum castings where the charge bar slides and the paths that the shot and powder flow over do not show ANY noticable wear. The shell plate and the area where it rotates on the press frame also don't have any scratches or wear from the multitudinous cycles it has endured. Other than those plastic case holders, I don't expect to have to fix or replace much of anything else. The shooter who sold me the gear let it go because he has changed over to 28 gage (which The Grand can't do) and not because he decided on a different brand of press. I took it off his hands for the same reasons you stated, no powder or shot will drop unless hulls are present in the respective positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Outlaw, SASS 71385 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 You can see one operate on U tube & do a google search for reviews,its been awhile but from what I read I think most reviews were positive as I was going to purchase one myself. AO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubious Don #56333 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Driftwood, I bought one and love it. Don't waste your money on the RCBS riser stand. If your bench is like mine and bolting the press directly to the top won't work because of doors and drawers, do what I did, bolt that sucker to a Dillon strong mount. I've got a riser stand...it was way too wobbly. The dillon stand works much better but I had to make a spent primer drop out of a length of brass tubing, clear tubing and a tupperware dish. It is a complicated press with nine stations when you go from a MEC 600 to this like I did. The shot/powder cutoff and dump positions for the hoppers are handy but I learned the hard way to make sure I had them in the right position! (Yes I'm still picking shot off the floor.) Once everything is adjusted it turns out great shells rapidly. Every so often a primer will fail to get stuffed in the shell and the powder station has a hole underneath. (Guess where the powder goes) Not a big deal. It is a big, heavy press and will need a strong, stable mount. (Dillon or a big sturdy bench) The powder/shot cutoffs that prevent dumping with no shell are not the easiest to adjust if you use a variety of hulls so if you do, plan on ordering extra from RCBS. They were free and I have a set for different hulls. The gizmo that does this doesn't like flake or dusty powder. I used up some ramshot that made things sticky but didn't stopper things up. Red dot, WaaLite, Clays all seem to run great. Tried 777 once. Press didn't like it and that could have been op error but since I have a perfectly good MEC dedicated to BP, I do smokeless only on the grand. Oh, did I tell ya not to waste yer money on that stupid RCBS riser stand? LOLOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Thanks Don, good information. I only load Remington STS hulls, so hopefully I will not have to change any settings. And I only use Clays powder for Smokeless shotshells, so hopefully that will be good too. You said it doesn't like flake powders. Clays is a flake powder. It doesn't have a problem with that? How about wads catching on the petals of the crimp? Does that happen? That's usually why I get crushed hulls on my MEC 9000G. If the hull has been shot a whole bunch of times and the petals are curled in a bit, the bottom of the wad can catch instead of sliding into the hull. Then the hull gets crushed. Can this happen on the Grand too? Does it have any sort of thing that opens the petals as the wad goes in? Dunno about the strong mount. I don't have any Dillon equipment. Is the Dillon strong mount sturdier than the RCBS riser? Is it taller? I don't want the thing to be too tall, I have a couple of adjustable height stools and I like to sit when I am reloading. Thanks P.S. Cabalero Chuck: Thanks for the tip about the video. I liked what I saw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt McAllister Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I know three serious shotshell loaders that bought the RCBS Grand. All three had too many problems with parts breaking. All three sold them ans said it might be the biggest piece of junk they ever loaded on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Trampas, SASS # 55781 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Since you reload on a Mec already and like it, why not the Mec 9000, have a friend that loads on one and he loves it, plus there are several people at the local Sportsmans Warehouse that use the Mec 9000 with good results. Sportsmans Warehouse carries the Mec, they used to carry the RCBS Grand, they had it for 2 years before they got rid of it, now just the Mec's, they sell better, not sure of the prices of these 2, I load on a Mec Sizemaster and happy with it, but I don't shoot trap or skeet, so this one works for me for cowboy. You can always go to the Dillon shot press, have heard very good reports on this, just thought I would throw this out. All for now JD Trampas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio Brazos Kid Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Driftwood, If your problem is the hull mouth catching on the wad as it is inserted, that problem is easily fixed. You either have a mal-adjusted wad guide or a defective wad guide, or both. A good wad guide, properly adjusted, will not allow that to happen. Any press that's not properly adjusted is going to be problematic, don't care who made the press. Your MEC press can easily be fixed, and IMHO, is a lot more desirable than the RCBS. RBK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Please. I am only looking for information about the RCBS press. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pecos Clyde, SASS #48481 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I bought my RCBS Grand, new about 4 years ago. I paid $459.00 for it at Sportsmans Warehouse. It was easy to set up, and I use the Rcbs riser stand. I found it to be a fairly well made unit and have loaded about 6000 shells with it. The primer drop can be finicky, and the plastic clips which hold the shells in the shell plate have been replaced twice. I also broke a part of the linkage that initiates the powder/shot bar sliding movement after having loaded 10 bags of reclaimed shot.....the instruction manual does say NOT to use reclaimed shot. fortunately the broken parts were steel and I repaired the breakage by welding the broken part....while waiting what seemed to be about 10 days for the new one to arrive. RCBS has always been good with replacing parts. Their telephone customer service is not quite as professional and efficient as Dillons, and thy are only open 4 days a week. The turn around time for parts is longer than it is from Dillon. I have used Clays, REX II, and SOLO 1000 powders with this machine with no metering problems. If the machine is keep clean and free of debris especially under the shell plate, and is lubricated properly then it runs well. If I had it to do over again I would likely not buy the grand. I would probably save my money an buy a Spolar....yes they are expensive, but they are very nearly bullet proof. Previously I have owned a Mec and a Ponsness Warren shotgun reloader. The footprint of the Grand is just a bit smaller than the PS, and much bigger than the MEC. PC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Thanks That's exactly the kind of information I am looking for. The positive points as well as the negatives of the RCBS Grand, by folks who have actually used one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubious Don #56333 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Thanks Don, good information. I only load Remington STS hulls, so hopefully I will not have to change any settings. And I only use Clays powder for Smokeless shotshells, so hopefully that will be good too. You said it doesn't like flake powders. Clays is a flake powder. It doesn't have a problem with that? I load AA and STS. It took me a while to find a happy medium to set the seating adjustment so I didn't have to fiddle when I changed hull types. (two different loads) Since you're using one brand, won't be an issue. The clays seemed to work ok but I didn't use that much because Red dot is my favorite. The Ramshot was finer than Clays and the powder slide that blocks the drop when there's no shell got gummy but never stopped working. I did mostly fix this issue by burnishing the casting marks off the plastic. It's not something that is a showstopper, just something to watch out for. How about wads catching on the petals of the crimp? Does that happen? That's usually why I get crushed hulls on my MEC 9000G. If the hull has been shot a whole bunch of times and the petals are curled in a bit, the bottom of the wad can catch instead of sliding into the hull. Then the hull gets crushed. Can this happen on the Grand too? Does it have any sort of thing that opens the petals as the wad goes in? At the wad station it has a lever that pops out for the wad. The wad guide fingers are long and I've never had that happen. The wad is pushed into the case by a tube, but it doesn't "open" the wad fingers. Unlike my MEC 600 which you slide the wad on the tube prior to seating, the petals on the wad are free to twist inwards when the shell goes to the shot station and when the tube comes down, sometimes a finger will get mashed to the bottom. This also is not a problem if you watch carefully. Dunno about the strong mount. I don't have any Dillon equipment. Is the Dillon strong mount sturdier than the RCBS riser? Is it taller? I don't want the thing to be too tall, I have a couple of adjustable height stools and I like to sit when I am reloading. The dillon strong mount is much taller than the RCBS riser and it is a LOT sturdier. The RCBS is four inches high and the Dillon is eight I think. The RCBS riser is just plain junk. Don't waste your money. When I mounted my press with that crappy thing, the entire press wobbled and caused odd shot weights and poor functioning. As soon as I mounted it on the strong mount, those problems went away and the press became a dream to use. You can mount it on the bench but the way the finished shells drop and the spent primer catch work, you'll need some holes in the bench top for that. With the strong mount it sits high enough that I put a box under the finished shell chute and they drop right in. My modified spent primer drop dumps them in a container under the mount. Thanks P.S. Cabalero Chuck: Thanks for the tip about the video. I liked what I saw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabalero Chuck Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Driftwood, The previous owner of my press used Clays exclusively. I ended up with two 8 pounders from his stockpile, so I'd guess that is what I'll be using also. There is a wad guide that smooths the path for the wad. It is a plastic cup shaped deally with petals that is about the only "wear" item that you will need with regular use. The wad guide fits onto the aluminum arm that advances to the hull for wad insertion. RCBS will send you as many as you need, you just have to call them up. Your welcome , as concerns the link to the manual from the earlier post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW Ryder, SASS #50690 Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 I've had a Grand since they first came out about 9 years ago. I have loaded for trap, skeet and now just cowboy. I have broken the primer slide a couple of times in nine years, and gone through a couple of wad guides, but nothing else. It seems a little overkill for just cowboy, as I can crank out a hundred rounds in about 15 minutes. I don't make many changes or adjustments, I just keep cranking out the same loads. I think I've gotten my moneys worth out of it. I have not tried the riser, just have it bolted right to my bench. To mount it as I have, you will need about a two inch overhang to make room for the spent primer jar to move up and down. GW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 It seems a little overkill for just cowboy, as I can crank out a hundred rounds in about 15 minutes. Thanks for your input. This is not for Cowboy, it is for my trap loads. I go through a whole bunch of cases every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 To all who have helped so far, thanks. I did post the question on Shotgun World. When I asked to please keep remarks specific to the RCBS machine I got my head handed to me. They said I had come for help and was ungrateful for not listening to advice about MECs. Not a very friendly bunch. So far what I am hearing is the weak point of any of these machines is the primer delivery. Sounds just like metallic reloading, huh? The MEC proponents are telling me that I don't have my primer feed adjusted properly if it sometimes does not drop a primer. I can accept that, but that's what they are saying about the primer feed on the RCBS too. So, specific to primer feeds, what is the consensus on how reliable the primer feed is on the RCBS machine. Do you really need a mirror mounted below to make sure it drops a primer every time? I really hate the mickey mouse little chain that actuates the primer feed on the MEC. What actuates the primer feed on the RCBS? I must be honest, the feature that I always liked about the RCBS machine is that it will not drop either powder or shot if no hull is present. I really like that idea if I just want to run a few hulls through one at a time to check things out. Or if I have emptied the powder from the hopper at the end of the session and I want to run a couple of hulls through one at a time when I start a new session. I always do that on my Metallic presses, run a few shells through one at a time to make sure everything is still set up properly. I don't like the idea of leaving the machine with powder in the hopper and a bunch of hulls partway through the cycle, which is what I have to do on my MEC 9000G. Thoughts? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Church Key, SASS # 33713 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Driftwood - Slightly OT as it pertains to a MEC progressive; not the RCBS. I upgraded my MEC Hydraulic 9000 to the new MEC primer feeder. It was a great improvement and I stopped worrying about primer drops. Still had the occasional crushed hull, perhaps once or twice every flat of shells. I finally stopped reloading for trap when shot went up to $40 a bag as I could get a flat of Gun Clubs for $50. Sold the 9000H and went back to a 600 Jr. for Cowboy. The new MEC primer system is much better than the one with the chain. If my memory is correct, a MEC progressive should not drop shot or powder if correctly adjusted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubious Don #56333 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 To all who have helped so far, thanks. I did post the question on Shotgun World. When I asked to please keep remarks specific to the RCBS machine I got my head handed to me. They said I had come for help and was ungrateful for not listening to advice about MECs. Not a very friendly bunch. So far what I am hearing is the weak point of any of these machines is the primer delivery. Sounds just like metallic reloading, huh? The MEC proponents are telling me that I don't have my primer feed adjusted properly if it sometimes does not drop a primer. I can accept that, but that's what they are saying about the primer feed on the RCBS too. The primer feed on the Grand is pretty straightforward; the tray is mounted next to the powder/shot bar. It cycles every time the handle is pulled and presses on the primer feed tray lever which drops a primer down the tube to the shuttle which is a little pladic dingus that slides back and forth from the outside, where the primer gets dropped, to the seating station which is further in. On my machine the primer slide had some rough casting marks and was sticky. I filed it smooth and it worked better, but not perfect. I got a new one from RCBS (free) and that works almost perfectly. Occasionally, and I'm not sure it is operator error or just "things" I'll get a case without a primer under the powder drop tube. A mirror under is a good idea, have to try that! The nice thing is theres a handy hole there and most of the powder runs straight through and doesn't gum up the press. So, specific to primer feeds, what is the consensus on how reliable the primer feed is on the RCBS machine. Do you really need a mirror mounted below to make sure it drops a primer every time? I really hate the mickey mouse little chain that actuates the primer feed on the MEC. What actuates the primer feed on the RCBS? I must be honest, the feature that I always liked about the RCBS machine is that it will not drop either powder or shot if no hull is present. I really like that idea if I just want to run a few hulls through one at a time to check things out. Or if I have emptied the powder from the hopper at the end of the session and I want to run a couple of hulls through one at a time when I start a new session. I always do that on my Metallic presses, run a few shells through one at a time to make sure everything is still set up properly. I don't like the idea of leaving the machine with powder in the hopper and a bunch of hulls partway through the cycle, which is what I have to do on my MEC 9000G. The powder/shot setup is simple; both are dropped with tubes that are adjusted according to the type shell you are using. They press upwards and there's a gate at the top that opens for powder or shot. With no shell present, even though the powder bar cycles every time, no powder or shot is dropped if there's no shell in that station. They are pretty foolproof (Dubious-proof anyway) and are easy to adjust and maintain. Got to pay attention to the gate and how far it opens meaning the drop tubes HAVE to be adjusted right for the hull you are using. This is in the manual and it's pretty straightforward. When I start a new run, I run one shell at a time through the machine, remembering to stop the primer drop after #1 (if you don't they'll stack up.) and go through all nine stations with that one shell to make sure everything is running right. I'll do five or so to make sure then I load'er up and crank. The shot/powder dump and cutoffs are a nice feature but it's easy to forget. I've dumped shot in the hopper only to find out I left it on dump and it runs out as fast as it goes in! Takes a while to get them out of the press, but there's LOTS of holes and it's not that bad. I leave shot in the hopper and just turn it off but no powder. Both are easy enough to fill and dump, that's just personal quirkiness. Not having had a press with those features, I really like the ability to load both up and turn one or the other off (though you don't have to do that because no shell, no powder/shot) when I'm checking the machine. Thoughts? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffin Filler #51633 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Bear in mind how many shells you will reload. I also reload for trap and load over 15,000 12 ga hulls per year. For example, yesterday I loaded 2000 shells. One year I loaded 25,000 trap loads with two of us shooting. I do not listen to guys who load 2,000 a year or even 5,000 per year. Our needs are different. I only know one person with experience with the Grand and he had numerous problems with plastic bits breaking. It does little good to get parts free when you need to load. It sounds as though you are sold on the Grand. Let us know how you make out after 20k-30k rounds. CAS life time supply - LOL I have 100,000+ through a PW 800+ and another 50,000+ through the Spolar (multi gauge set up). PW has a new machine (Patriot) that has no drop with no hull on powder and shot drops. Just another option. PW's are built like a brick outhouse compared to the RCBS. But you may not need that kind of longevity. Coffin Filler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awful Close Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 So Driftwood , you want to sell your 9000 If so, shoot me a pm with a price Your buddy, Ron PS , you are right about the Shotgun World Forum, some of those guys are "classics" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.