So I was FL resizing some 308 lapua, using Hornady unique case wax, and a Lil mica around the neck. When bam! The toggle on my summit press busted, and left me with a stuck case in my die! Oh well on the case, I can fix that easy. But now I'm screwed on shooting my newly rebarreled ruger this weekend! FML! Hopefully RCBS will treat me rite on this deal?! The press isn't even 3 months old yet. I haven't even gotten the rebate back yet for it!

Sorry to hear about your bad luck.
I'm sure RCBS will take care of you, I've never known them to not give absolutely top notch service.

Never heard of an RCBS press breaking like that. LEE Challenger,yes, are a real piece of crap.
I'm sure they will make it right.

It definitely broke at the weakest point of the press. I still haven't figured out how to post pictures on this site or I'd show you what happened. I'm sure they'll take care of it, but now I'm worried it will happen again?

Get a real, old fashioned, single station press like a RockChucker. Too many small, moving parts in that Summit thing.
But you must have been putting a ton, (several) of pressure on it.

I have a couple of old, vintage single stage presses that are built like tanks and some of them can be had for peanuts. Here is one example of one that I have. Ill bet this thing doesnt even sell for 50 bucks and will outlast 100 of those funky new presses.

My Rockchucker was made in VaChina. I'm sure it had something to do with it.

I found an old Hollywood massive single stage press in the junk yard, cleaned right up that bugger weighs a ton..Ive had it for 60 years I guess..These presses today will fetch upwards to $500..Been offered $350 for mine but its not for sale.
Quit using those 8 ft. cheater bars...they are hard on presses.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I found an old Hollywood massive single stage press in the junk yard, cleaned right up that bugger weighs a ton..Ive had it for 60 years I guess..These presses today will fetch upwards to $500..Been offered $350 for mine but its not for sale.
Quit using those 8 ft. cheater bars...they are hard on presses.

Been using my Hollywood senior since 1957. Still a work horse. roger

I was pulling up on the lever, and the toggle busted. Was able to get the stuck 308 case out this morning. Rcbs didn't even bat an eye about replacing the piece. There shipping it out priority mail for me! But yeah I think I'm going to end up with a rock chucker in a cpl months.

Bonanza Co-Ax press that was 10 years old when I bought 25 years ago. Nary a problem.

Jim

I have a Lee Challenger I bought in '86. At least 50,000 rifle loads, from mil 556 and 762, LC 30/06 375 and 416 rigby, scads of 38/357, 44, 45 and even some swaging of pulled M2 ball bullets,

Best $26.98 I ever spent.

Been using my Rock Chucker since my wife bought it new for my 25th birthday in 1972. Oh, I still have the same wife too.

rch

quote:

Originally posted by arkypete:
Bonanza Co-Ax press that was 10 years old when I bought 25 years ago. Nary a problem.

Jim

2nd on the Bonanza Co-Ax press 5 years or more zero trouble.

quote:

Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
I have a couple of old, vintage single stage presses that are built like tanks and some of them can be had for peanuts. Here is one example of one that I have. Ill bet this thing doesnt even sell for 50 bucks and will outlast 100 of those funky new presses.

that press looks like the one i was using tonight to load some real light loads for a friends wife.... mine is an old bair press made a long time ago in lincoln neb. the thing is a beast! you could probably load 30 mm cannon rounds it if the jaw was a bit wider.....

When I was in college in the '50's, I discovered all kinds of ways to economize on brass. One was radical reforming, like making .250-3000 brass out of .30-'06. For this, I needed a really substantial press, so I settled on an RCBS A-2, which, coupled with a set of RCBS forming dies, made the job easy.

I bought the press in 1960 from the then new mail order business of Gander Mountain, and have been using it ever since, together with an assortment of Rockchuckers and Lyman All American Turret tools I use to reload handgun ammunition.

Back in my High Power Rifle competition days, I used two Rockchuckers set up next to each other, with a RCBS priming tool in between. I resized and deprimed with the one on the right, primed the case with the priming tool, charged the case with powder from a powder measure mounted to the left hand tool and seated the bullet with the same tool. I was able to inspect the case through each step of the procedure, and the ammunition I produced was capable of shooting possibles at 600 yards.

quote:

Originally posted by JJB:

quote:

Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
I have a couple of old, vintage single stage presses that are built like tanks and some of them can be had for peanuts. Here is one example of one that I have. Ill bet this thing doesnt even sell for 50 bucks and will outlast 100 of those funky new presses.

that press looks like the one i was using tonight to load some real light loads for a friends wife.... mine is an old bair press made a long time ago in lincoln neb. the thing is a beast! you could probably load 30 mm cannon rounds it if the jaw was a bit wider.....

Actually now that you mention it I think mine is a Bair too. I believe it is the same press with a different name though. I think Pacific bought out Bair or something like that. If you get the optional "C" brace then it essentially becomes an "O" press and is even stouter. I had a Lee Challenger and gave it away and kept the pre-historic beast.

I have an old Model 3 Herters press with an add on brace bar, it weights 35 pounds but will never break!

Another vote for the Coax. Bought mine used 15 years ago, need to update it with the newer, taller, handle yoke as I am starting to get into Precision Rifle and need to be able to use the micrometer seating dies in it. New Coax presses have come with the taller yoke for quite a while, but my press is old.

quote:

summit press

I have a summit but what is the toggle you speak of?
For what it is worth the customer service is excellent and have had parts replaced without hesitation