Might I reflect?
I began reloading centerfire Rifle ammunition when I was 13 years old! I am now 57 years old so my reloading "hobby" has been ongoing for 44 years now.
The main reason for my start up back then, into this new reloading "venture" was: I could not afford to buy factory ammunition and I had access to lots of free brass that would fit in my fathers sporterized 30/06 ex-military Rifle!
I had shot my first head of Big Game a couple years previously and I had the bug to "get serious" about this undertaking.
In part I was poor and in part I was hesitant to ask my parents for money to buy ammunition to practice Rifle shooting with AND I had heard rumors about the quality and accuracy of "handloads"!
So I and my best friend (who was the same age and in the same boat as I) decided to try out this "reloading" game and began to gather tools and components. Back then 4831 powder was 99 cents for a pound! Primers were cheap and the brass we just picked up for free at the local Rifle range (Renton, Washington). The only real expense dollar wise was the projectiles themselves! We went to our local sport shop again for direction. Luckily we were directed to the Nosler bullet line and it would fit our "going Hunting" once or twice a year needs very well, according to our mentor. Neither my nor my friends fathers reloaded ammunition back then.
We taught ourselves!
Thank God we lived through that process!
I will not relay the initial loading tool purchases and gifts we acquired but will suffice with this they were crude and barely did the job! But we soon had munitions and we tried out the initial loads in our fathers Rifles out in the woods when they were at work.
Again thank you God!
When our big brothers would take us to the Rifle range we would test out our "loads" in our respective family Rifles. At that time neither of us had our own centerfire Rifles as yet.
My first quality purchase of my very own reloading press was an RCBS Rock Chucker tool!
This was (and is still) a great loading press.
I still have it in reserve so to speak down in my loading room. It has not been used in a very long time!
It was a day that I look back on now as when I decided to go for ACCURACY in my loading and commit to buying "the best" tools, components, scopes and Rifles and wring out some real accuracy!
That day, I started this quest, by purchasing an RCBS Model A-2 Press.
I paid $20.00 for it! It was used but like new and was purchased from an estate.
It was THE very best $20.00 I have ever spent in all of the tens of thousands of dollars I have gone through in my reloading endeavors over the decades! This press came with a tiny instruction manual that listed the RCBS company phone number as LEnox 3-5191! For those of you that can remember "named" phone number prefixes!
This wonderful, amazingly sturdy and strong single stage reloading press has served me so very well over the last few decades!
This tool is designed so wonderfully well that even after tens of thousands of centerfire Rifle rounds have been crafted with it - it still is tight as a tick, smooth and failure free!
This particular press was designed to be able to do every loading step with ease and with amazing but unobtrusive strength! I make 17 MachIV ammunition with it as easily as the largest Magnum ammo! My firend Ben had to use my A-2 for a time to construct his custom 338/378 Weatherby's ammo! His press had succumbed for a time! He was also impressed with the big A-2! No problem with these huge bullets what so ever!
The RCBS A-2 was thoughtfully designed to operate on either the normal downstroke or on an upstroke! It also is capable of shot shell reloading! The instructions caution not to re-prime shot shells with it though as the A-2 is simply capable of "developing to much leverage" when re-priming and the procedure would bend the case rims.
I have never reloaded a shot shell on this press so that is of no consequence to me!
For those interested in an easily recognized comparison my old RCBS Rock Chucker weighs 16 1/2 pounds while the A-2 weighs in at 24 pounds! Again it is massive and well built! I am guessing the RCBS Jr. press I had at one time (for take along duty) weighed about 11 or 12 pounds.
I have personally turned down $200.00 for my A-2 and have seen others offered for sale at Gunshows for $200.00 and sometimes more! These few that I have seen for sale would have been purchased except they were suffering from neglect (rusted severely) or were missing parts! I am not sure if parts are available for these wonderful A-2's from RCBS anymore or not. I doubt it! I am guessing my press was made (or originally purchased by my dead friend) in 1958 or 1959.
Anyway I have been just thrilled with its performance and longevity!
Some time back I purchased a cartridge concentricity gauge for my reloads and began to check them for concentricity. I was very happy with the results in most all cases. But I do acknowledge that in the search for the "perfectly straight" cartridge there are many other factors that enter into those concentricity measurements (like die quality, case quality, bullet quality, chamber dimensions and etc.) but I do give some of my happiness's credit to this A-2 press!
Another design feature/attribute of the A-2 press is the ability to make primer seating depth adjustments - and do so fairly easily and quickly! I have used this feature in the past but must acknowledge I have not used it in many years now! I have a hand priming tool that I have grown accustomed to and now use almost exclusively!
I lubricate my A-2 every year or so and other than that I just keeping pulling the lever and it keeps turning out ammunition for me!
Lots of ammunition!
I guess that this is one of the main points about my reminiscence - if you are at all interested in a really well designed massive and strong press keep this RCBS A-2 Model in mind! I have two friends now that are actively looking for an A-2 for themselves! They do some swaging and other things I normally do not undertake in, in my loading endeavors.
I own a fine little Hart made inline (Bench Rest style) loading tool and some "in line" Wilson dies (about 7 sets) and on occassion use these. But when I need top quality Big Game Hunting or Varminting ammunition and I need more than a few of them I always turn to my trusty A-2 press!
I know several people that wish the RCBS folks still made them!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Good post VG. I started handloading in 1953 with a Lyman Eze Loader which is an "H" type press. In the early 1960's I bought a new RCBS A2 which is still my primary press. The price was in the $60's. If you run an inflation calculator on that it was quite expensive.

We had never heard of Nosler bullets when I started. Sierra was the name.

Savage99: What caliber did you initially start loading for?
I did not discover Sierra bullets until I got my first Varmint Rifle (a Remington 722 in 222 caliber - boy I wish I had that one back!).
I use a LOT of Sierra bullets these days!
If you ever want to sell that A-2 I know a couple of guys that are actively looking.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

quote:

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Originally posted by VarmintGuy:
Savage99: What caliber did you initially start loading for?
I did not discover Sierra bullets until I got my first Varmint Rifle (a Remington 722 in 222 caliber - boy I wish I had that one back!).
I use a LOT of Sierra bullets these days!
If you ever want to sell that A-2 I know a couple of guys that are actively looking.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

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I started with the .222 Rem, 6.5 jap and the 30-06. My .222 was a 722 also and had a 6X Lyman Wolvorine scope in Beuher mounts. I wore the barrel out on the 722 and replaced it with a new 700 in the same caliber. However by 1957 I had a new M70 in 243.

The big thing with the 222 Rem was the marginal killing power at ranges over 250 yds. When the Blitz and SX bullets came out I appreciated the improved performance. It seems the bullets up to then were either for the Swift or the Hornet.

Thanks for the offer but I am keeping the A2 and the Eze Loader for that matter. I always wanted a Hollywood press but they were so expensive. I think Ray Atkinson has one now.

quote:

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Originally posted by VarmintGuy:
It has not been used in a very long time!
VarmintGuy

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And you call your self a "press" man.
I've just bought a Redding T7, but did I forsake
the others. No, I gave them their own jobs, such
as set for FLSizing only, which keeps them happy
and gives me more room on the 7 station for
"needs" such as factory crimps, mouth belling
etc.etc. even if I don't often use them.
And being set up around a corner in the bench/s
I have a swivel stool to attend to them all.

Nice to see a discussion of Fred Huntington's original "A" series presses. As those posting here probably know, design of the original Model A press in the late 1940's grew out of the inadequacy of then-available "C" presses to withstand the forces of bullet swaging. Huntington's patent #2,847,895 for the "A" press makes interesting reading, as does Huntington's biography. See links: here, and here.

In addition to the original "A" and "A2" models, there also was an "A3". I have one of these, purchased at the RCBS factory shop in Oroville, I believe in 1969. It differs from the A2 presses I've seen in that my A3 has a one-piece ram that accepts standard interchangeable shellholders. My recollection is that the A2 has the two-piece ram that could be adapted for bullet swaging dies.

The A4 press, aka "Big Max", came along substantially later, some time in the 1980's. (???) While impressively capable, it is a much larger and in some ways a very different animal than the earlier A through A3 tools.

On the basis of my long experience with the A3 I can certainly second the comments made previously about the capabilities of the RCBS "A" design. Among other, more casual uses, it served as my primary sizing press during my fifteen (or so) year highpower rifle competition career. In this use alone it sized tens of thousands of 308 cases. In all this time I can recall only one casualty: Somehow one of the spring wire clips on the compound linkage pin came loose and got lost. I didn't notice it until the pin finally worked its way completely out and the ram dropped out!!! Replacing both these spring clips with standard outside retaining rings fixed everything.

Cycling the old A3 a few times just now, I can detect no slop in the ram or lost motion in the linkage. Of course, I've taken care of it and kept everything lubed.

I did pay more for my A3 than the other posters here, about sixty bucks when new, as I recall.
The last A2 press I saw for sale - a couple of years ago - had a $350 price tag on it, and it was *beat*.

Jim

In comparison, I am just a new comer ... only been making shells for 40 years.

I was one of those guys that just missed the A-2. Last one was sold the day before I arrived at the shop to buy it. Have been aggravaterd by that and missed it just a little all these years.

Had to buy a Rock Chucker instead.

Fortunately, that too has bee a great investment over the years. It is still in use even though I have 4 progressives for various things. Still loads all of the heavy hunting ammo even though some of that has gotten big (.470 NE) and it's not completely convenient for it.

All in all, an old friend and a fine investment.

I started reloading in 1967. There was a more expensive press than the Rockchucker available(I think it was the A-2). I was told the Rockchucker was plenty and I dont recall price but it was fairly expensive--make that very expensive on my salary back then. I find it interesting that shotgun reloading was mentioned in the instructions. Why? About 1972 I got to thinking if the bushing was removed,the new size thread(whatever it is)would be large enough to accomodate shotgun dies. I thought maybe that was the reason for the bushing? I wrote RCBS a letter and to my amazement,got a reply from Fred Hunnington himself. He said the bushing was needed as the larger opening was needed for access for the reaming of the lower unit. He did agree that shotgun shells could be done as I had inquired about. He gave the example that if it cost him $15 to manufacture a set of shotgun dies,by the time the consumer got it it would be priced at $45. He further stated that amount would buy a good shotgun setup which would be faster and superior to doing it on a rifle press. I am aware you can buy RCBS shotgun dies now,but that was his thinking back then---don't remember when named phone number prefixes went out--but they were out by then. BTW the Rockchucker is still going and I don't see any signs of it wearing out in the next day or two.

quote:

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Originally posted by carpetman:
---don't remember when named phone number prefixes went out--but they were out by then.

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Having researched this recently, it appears the "All Number Calling" system was phased out beginning about 1958 and was essentially complete by 1963. Interestingly, that's about the same period that postal zip codes were phased in, displacing the old single-digit delivery codes (e.g., Lincoln 4, Nebraska).

Not to change the subject, but if anyone knows or can estimate dates corresponding to the letter code on early RCBS sizing dies, please advise!

Jim

Meplat: I can not answer your question directly but I checked some of my "older" RCBS stuff and the oldest numeric dated set of dies I found I have so far is "65" which is most certainly to designate 1965 manufacture. This "65" designation is on the top of both dies stamped in the steel. This set is in the old "grass green" cardboard box. 218 Bee is the caliber of this die set.
I have another "grass green" box containing dies in "22 Varminter" caliber (22-250) and they are marked with an "O" on the top of each die. I also have some RCBS die sets in the older "light lime green" boxes and they have letter designations on the top of the dies also.
So so far it seems the dies marked with letter designations are older than 1965.
Just a guess here so far though and I wonder if the folks at RCBS can shed some light on the letter designation to corresponding year of manufacture.
Good question and like I say I am not sure of the answer.
Also this - Carpetman, Meplat and Mstarling thanks to all of you for your additions and recollections!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Many thanks, V'guy. Some months ago I asked Buzz Huntington about this. Buzz is Fred's son and is proprietor of Huntington's Sportsmans Store in Oroville, right next to RCBS. He was not able to say, and commented that they seen a set of dies lettered "A" and wondered themselves when they were made.

Like most of us, I suppose, in times past I paid scant attention to the date codes on RCBS dies. Recently, I've seen "F" dies in the "light lime green" boxes having a Bird St., Oroville address. I have "H" and "I" dies in these boxes, and I've been told of "K" dies in the same Bird St. boxes. Huntington's web site has images of an old RCBS catalog from the Bird St. era dated 1956. Link here But a 1961 catalog has the current 605 Oro Dam Blvd. address, and I think I recall reading something somewhere that pegged the move to Bird St. in 1954.

So, if the Bird St. era spanned the years 1954 - 1961 approximately, that would narrow down the "F" through "K" letter codes to correspond with a six year period 54/55 through 60/61. This assumes the discrete letter codes correspond with a single year. If so, this would put the "A" origin somewhere in the vicinity of 1949.

Your "65" numbered dies predate anything I have.

Just to keep this thread within the subject, the 1956 catalog linked above has a picture of what appears to be an A2 press. So by this time, at the latest, the original "A" press was no longer cataloged. The only photo I've ever seen of an original "A" press - other than the patent illustrations - is in the last (1953) edition of Sharpe's Complete Guide to Handloading, Supplement p. 140. From the photo, it was an up-stroke only lever system.

I actually saw an "A" press in a gunshop a few months ago. I believe it was for sale, but don't remember seeing a price.

Thanks again,

Jim

Meplat: Thanks again for the additional insights and the neat link to the old RCBS stuff!
I also at one time had at least two set of RCBS dies in cardboard boxes that were powder blue in color (the boxes!)! I forget the era and the calibers.
If you get back by that Gunshop that had the A-2 in it could you get a phone number and ascertain if its still for sale. Like I say I have two buddies looking for them!
Thanks again
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy,
I got lucky a couple years back, I walked into a local Gun Shop and right before my eyes was an A2 for the paltry sum of $35.00. It didn't take me long to get the cash on the counter. The primer arm is missing but otherwise nice and tight, I use hand priming tools anyway. What a brute, certainly up to any reloading or swaging task. And before you ask, the answer is no,just reflecting a little.
Stepchild

VarmintGuy, you have a private message.

Jim

Stepchild2: You got the buy of the decade there! Cherish that one! And many happy returns of that transaction!
Yeah I could help you DOUBLE YOUR MONEY on that one real fast!
Good for you!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy,
Thanks for the kind words, but I'm going to hang on to it. It shares the reloading chores with a Bonanza Co-ax. Should I run across another one at a realistic price, you'll be the first to know.
Stepchild

Hi all I was just at a gun show today and they have a A3 press for sale. Not new by any means but not worn out. I have contact information if anybody wants it let me know. Price was 150.00 dollars.