What a Christmas present!! My girl freinds mother found a RCBS Big Max press new in the box at a flea market for $45.00
I needed another press like a hole in the head but this press is great! Plenty of room for the 338 RUM,Lapua,STW.
I can remember seeing these presses along time ago but it seems RCBS stopped producing them.
Anyone using the Big Max? If so does the automatic shell holder work well?

They were not made for very long. Popular with some commercial reloaders that I knew, they were used on REALLY stout brass. One friend bought three, one he used, one he kept in reserve and the third he had broken and it was back at RCBS for replacement. I don't know if you'd be covered by their lifetime warrenty but he sure was.

The ones I've seen for sale on e-bay were EXPENSIVE. VERY EXPENSIVE! Don't remember the exact figure but I think a couple of hundred.

I own one of these beasts. About the only time I bolt it to the bench is when I'm forming cases

I've got one too and it is a great press. It is probably better suited to loading the 50 BMG more than anything else as it is a bit of overkill. I use it primarily for all of my magnum cartridges like the 300 Weatherby or 375 H&H. One thing I don’t like about it is the very long stroke. If you are doing any kind of quantity reloading your arm will get a work out. $45.00 was a steal, if you ever decide it is too much press you can easily sell it for 2-3x that much to the 50 cal shooters. I have used the automatic shell holder and it does work but since I already had shell holders for most of the die sets I just use those with the conversion. Talked to the RCBS customer service guys one time about replacing the spent primer catcher (use an old film canister) and they told me it was discontinued mostly due to cost of manufacturing but it was just simply too big for the average reloader’s needs.

Good luck
Paul