there is something I have been wanting to do to the press

[misser]

we buy a press assuming the ram is dead centered on the center of the die . is it ? on my MEC the shell holder is free to move a few thousands in any direction there by not adding any stress but up into a die . does my RCBS do that ?? I don't know

 

[Fast14riot]

I've seen people remove the spring clip that holds the shell holder in to allow more float. I use o-rings on my dies. It all should be self aligning.

 

[RegionRat]

On the RCBS Rock Chucker style presses, the misalignment float is between the ram and the shell holder and the shell holder and the brass. It takes that much before there is a problem.

A press alignment only needs to be good enough to allow the brass to float into the die without the brass being "over constrained" by the shell holder.

The shortest way to know, is does your brass come out okay when FL sized?

There should never be the assumption of a ram being aligned "dead center", no machine ever is.

We don't assume a press is aligned "dead center", we assume it isn't so bad that the brass is over constrained by the shell holder.

If the brass is always heavily scuffed on one side from the press, and if the case head base is bent into runout from being FL sized in a press, then there is good reason to inspect the press. If not, then the brass and shell holder has enough float to allow the brass to center in the die without over-constraint. YMMV

 

[Bronsin]

Remove the clip on an RCBS and switch it for an O-Ring.

 

[misser]

setting here wondering if i take the rod out of a sizing die ,install the die from underneath so that the top of the die would line up with the hole in the shell holder. then looking down through the die to see how well the holes line up .

 

[FNSafari]

Get a shell concentricity gauge. Size you brass normally and then check for runout. That will tell you the story.

 

[Walt Krafft]

setting here wondering if i take the rod out of a sizing die ,install the die from underneath so that the top of the die would line up with the hole in the shell holder. then looking down through the die to see how well the holes line up .

It would have to be absolute junk to see any misalighnment like that.

 

[misser]

trying to use the bore scope to get a pic . harder than you may think

 

[Webster]

Do you think you can see a few thou misalignent with your eye, There is only one way the case can go in the die. Sounds like OCD. Been reloading since 1970 and never considered the shell holder forcing the case into the die in some strange way. I assume that as the case enters the die the case and shell holder are free to slide into perfect alignment with the die. The shell holder doesn't grab the case and hold it in a position it cannot move from. As soon as the case body walls contact the the die wall there is alignment. There is nowhere for the case to move except follw the die. The bigest variable I have seen for accurate varmint rifles is barrel and bullet quality.

 

[muleystalker]

You are overthinking this way to much!
Unless you are getting excessive runout in your sized cases or you getting deformed cases.. scuff marks on one side or the case or crushed side wall on sized cases. If not it sounds like you are looking for a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[ELR LVR]

Do you think you can see a few thou misalignent with your eye, There is only one way the case can go in the die. Sounds like OCD. Been reloading since 1970 and never considered the shell holder forcing the case into the die in some strange way. I assume that as the case enters the die the case and shell holder are free to slide into perfect alignment with the die. The shell holder doesn't grab the case and hold it in a position it cannot move from. As soon as the case body walls contact the the die wall there is alignment. There is nowhere for the case to move except follw the die. The bigest variable I have seen for accurate varmint rifles is barrel and bullet quality.

Agreed here totally
the shell holder has slop in it and the rim floats in it slightly
unless it was a tight fit there is no way the shell holder throws the case into some misalignment with the die
---
back your die off so its loose
Ram a case up in it, then tighten die down with the ram up so you align the die with the slop in the threads

 

[LPToes]

With all the variables - dies, shell holders/plates-multi station presses/turrets/ in-line presses with their quirky shell retention systems, it's kind of amazing that the things work at all, let alone as well as they do.

If the loads put duck in the oven, and venison on the table, they work just fine.

 

[D-4297]

If you aren't getting scratch marks on only one side of your Brass , then you have no problem . All presses , have a certain amount of "slop" in them , "Hopefully" to allow for any mis-alignment between the top of the press where the Die gets inserted , and the shell holder . Just think a bit . There is even some clearance in the shell-holder to Press , and the Press to shellholder . It HAS TO BE THERE , or you would bind up every piece of Brass if there were any mis-alignment between the Ram and the Die .
Put a piece of Brass in the shellholder . Let go , and then see how much "free-play" there is . DUH !........If the Brass doesn't have some movement , take the spring-clip out to allow some free movement of the brass , that will allow the Brass to "align" with the Die as it is inserted .

 

[misser]

made a tool that mounts just as a die does . the MEC is dead on, the RCBS I have is off just a bit but if the shell holder is turned there is a sweet spot

 

[misser]

It would have to be absolute junk to see any misalighnment like that.

ya might think so however the way shell holders are made its just a matter of turning/setting the shell holder in the right way . thing is you don't know untill you find out which way it leands

 

[PhilC]

Remove the clip on an RCBS and switch it for an O-Ring.

What I did 4 or 5yrs ago. Just replaced that first o-ring a month ago have enough left to outlast me.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

What is the o-rings number for a RC? 17?

 

[FarmallSM]

we buy a press assuming the ram is dead centered on the center of the die . is it ? on my MEC the shell holder is free to move a few thousands in any direction there by not adding any stress but up into a die . does my RCBS do that ?? I don't know

I check for concentricity. I check new brass for a base line, then fired brass checking chamber, then again after resizing, if not concentric then it’s the die or press, then seat bullet, again checking die and press.
I run: RCBS RC & turret. DILLON 550, & Lyman 8 turret. Never had any of those presses cause lack of concentricity.

Other than causing concentricity problems what other problem could a misaligned press cause?

 

[charlie b]

I don't bother with the oring. Just remove the spring clip and let it float. Yeah, if you pull the case forward it could slip off the ram, but, I found I never push it that way. Cases are slid in from an angle, not directly from the front.

 

[PhilC]

What is the o-rings number for a RC? 17?

I use #14.