Total Speculation

[hambam105]

Total speculation as to the long term service of a single stage ~$100 reloading press compared
to a ~$300 press for a person who only wants to specifically reload for only a .38 Special cartridge.

And would your recommendation change if you knew this person is a Silicon Valley working professional?

[pacrat]

Total speculation as to the long term service of a single stage ~$100 reloading press compared
to a ~$300 press for a person who only wants to specifically reload for only a .38 Special cartridge.

And would your recommendation change if you knew this person is a Silicon Valley working professional?

Life expectancy of a quality "single stage" is damn near infinite. I purchased a used RCBS Rock Chucker in 1969. No telling how many tens of thousands of rounds I cranked out on that thing. It was BTW date stamped 1965. And I got it from a US Army Rifle/Pistol team member. Who was shipping out to SE Asia.

I let it go to a friend in 2004. Because I had acquired a Newer one [stamped 1978], in a sweet deal with a bunch of other stuff. I'm still pulling the handle on that 42 yr old press. Still tight as a Scots Wallet. And my friend was cranking out ammo on the 55 yr old press when he passed away last yr.

Question #2................NO. He's looking for a loading press. He's one of us.

Well, unless he voted for Hillary.

[hambam105]

Pacrat, thanks for the reply.

I've seen 60s RCs for sale at local shows. They appear to be thicker & shorter
than the newer 70s RC machines. Or is that my imagination?

So would you still recommend The Beast just for a 2,000 steady annual diet
of .38 Specials only? Put another way, would a smaller machine have better access to
loading & removing the diminutive brass cases from the shell holder?

[beerman]

Old single stage presses were indestructible.I have been using an old C&H for the last 30 years that I bought from an estate sale. I have an old American Rifleman magazine from 1955 with a writeup on it. No telling how many tens of thousands of rounds this thing has punched out.

[pennstater]

Short answer: Single stage. 2,000 .38's a year, easily done. All the person will need.

[mikeyr]

I still use my single stage Rockchucker that I bought used in the mid-1970s, these things last forever and .38spl is a easy round to load, it wont stress even the cheapest press.

Oh, Silicon Valley professional ? ok, single stage wont cut it, he needs a Evolution with autodrive https://www.markvii-loading.com/load.../101-1047.html

[pacmule]

[hambam105]

A question for all you youngsters with the oldtimer Pacific and C&H Reloading Presses;

When loading for small pistol cases, is there a noticeable difference using the less rugged
Reloading Press, as compared with a RC class machine, when assembling the smaller components?

[bergmen]

Couple of things:

1) Keep it covered when not in use. Keeps dust, etc. off the mechanism.

2) Regularly lubricate the parts with motor oil and work it into the nooks and crannies.

I will disassemble mine once every few years and thoroughly clean all moving parts, re-oil and re-assemble.

It will last several lifetimes if a little care is given.

Dan

[GW]

I still have my trusty Lee turret press that I bought new in 1983. I bought it to load 45acp and 44 Magnum. I loaded thousands of rounds on it. Now I use it when I'm monkeying around creating new loads before I set them up on my Dillon

[tabascoz28]

1 - Knowing the quality of a RC, why not wait for a screaming deal?
2 - Why not get a lee turret press for the 38/357, it comes with pretty much everything you need to get started. You can even build 308s, just not at the best quality.
3 - I'm guessing that they might have made the RCs longer to accomodate the larger magnum calibers that became popular for reloaders to reload? Winmag, BMG?

[aklon]

Reading this I realized I've been using a Rock Chucker for 44 years. The same one, too. I've only had two minor problems and in both cases RCBS sent the needed parts without delay - and without charge. Name another company that will stand by its product after 44 years' usage.

[jimmythebrain]

for just a 38 special or any single pistol cartridge really- seriously look into a Lee cast turret press with the auto advance feature if you want to spend a little, look at the Dillon Square deal press for more money but a better unit.
What you fail to think about is inserting and removing the casing from the shell holder- for a single stage press you are looking at 6 to 8 motions for every shell. Progressive machine with auto eject will automatically expel the loaded ammo (or you can manually extract a case in a mid-stage). You do not have to reach up and remove the case.
Lee can be the cheapest or look at a a Dillon square deal B press for more and of course Dilon, Hornady make more expensive, multi function machines.
the ultimate weakness of any progressive reloading press is the priming system. I have a hornady LNL press and prime off the press with a hand prime unit. however I have been known to deprime, size and prime then eject the primed cases- only to the insert the primed cases for a second run to insert powder (charge), bell and seat bullet and then crimp- this is just inserting shells twice, not 3-4 times like with a single stage press.
If you go with a single stage press look into the little leaf spring add on aftermarket parts that will eject the cases automatically on the downstroke

If you area professional and only are looking to avoid the hassle of buying factory ammo- get a Dillon Square deal, set it up for your one load (one powder at a certain charge and always use the same bullets and primer type) and load away- no dies to change or adjust other than seating dies after cleaning which can be minimized by using plated or jacketed bullets. In a single stage you are switching dies between loading stages

I have about 8 presses but bolted on my bench 90% of the time is the Hornady LNL progressive press and a Redding Turret press that I use like a single stage, but the dies are loaded and I just swing the dies carrier to where I need it that day.

I deprime brass on the LNL unit or the Redding for small batches of brass. then stainless steel pins and water tumble the brass clean,
then resize, and prime on the LNL
Then back to the LNL to bell, charge, set the bullet and then crimp in a final separate stage.
I am anal retentive and like new looking ammo even when they are my own reloads, but you can just tumble the dirty brass with corn cab or walnut media and load the entire cartride in one step (so to speak) on a Progressive press.

You can use a Progressive press like a single stage if you want

[ar15barrels]

Total speculation as to the long term service of a single stage ~$100 reloading press compared
to a ~$300 press for a person who only wants to specifically reload for only a .38 Special cartridge.

Longer than the person.
38 special does not take much force to size and the rest of the steps use even less force.

[hermosabeach]

I grew up using a single stage press for all pistol and rifle.


It might be a pacific

The handle was sprayed by a cat and rusted.

Buying used you can find real value.