From: langston@convex.COM (Kevin Langston)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Rockchucker primer
Date: 21 Jul 92 17:51:15 GMT
Organization: Convex Computer Corporation, Technical Operations

edsr!kjs@uunet.UU.NET (Kevin Sedota) writes:
#When I got into reloading I bought on of those RCBS master reloading kits.

    You really took Nix's prices seriously, didn't you 8-)

#But on the advice of a friend I got a Lee hand primer. His concern was mainly
#that the system on the RCBS was prone to ignighting the entire tube of primers
#thus (PC ALERT !!!! ;-) ) causing serious negative impact on current reloading 
#process. (read: it could really screw up your whole day.)

    It probably could ignite all of them, although I don't see any real
    difference between RCBS's version and anyone else who leaves all the
    primers stacked in a tube. Picking the primers up with the little
    catch spring, that takes a little practice, but it does get easier
    over time.
 
#Well, sunday I was bored so I decided to try hooking up the primer mechanism
#on the rockchucker. So now the questions:
#
#1. Is the fear of the tube of primers exploding a serious one.

    It is a valid concern, and I'm sure it happens. You do wear safety 
    glasses when you're working with it, right? My garage ceiling is
    still white, so I may not have enough experience to talk about this...

#2. Assuming it is not is there a trick to using it. I can get it to work and
#   I assume it's going to take a little practice to get comfortable with it
#   but it seems to be prone to jamming. By jamming I mean when I first put
#   the loaded tube in, the first few primers seem to not want to drop into
#   the pocket on the primer cup cleanly. 

    Could be an adjustment on the primer assembly. How high is it sitting
    above the cup?

#   Also somehow several of the primers seems to have been pressed into the
#   primer pocket of the case sideways. You can't really see what is going on
#   under the shell holder so I can only assume that the primer was not seated
#   in the cup fully and it rubbed against something on the way in and tilted
#   itself on it's side. (Of course it sould be the house gremlin !@%%$ )

    Are they sitting level in the cup after popping them out of the tube?
    If so, then the tube/ball/spring assembly is probably adjusted properly.
    Make sure you don't move the primer/cup under the case holder until the
    ram is at the top of it's travel, then push the cup all the way to the 
    back of the ram before lowering it.

#3. If you are done priming cases and there are primers left in the tube how
#   do you remove the tube without sending the primers all over the place.
#   The coter pin hole is to far up the tube and anyway I don't really relish 
#   the idea of jamming it in to a tube loaded with primers.

    Looking through the cotter pin hole, when you can see through it, there
    are 8 or 9 primers left in the tube, depending on which primer size 
    you're running. Other than that, just count them out so the primers
    run out at the same time as those shiny cases.
 
#any clues, suggestions, words of wisdom, checks, cash 

    Drop by some time, we can compare notes. 

-- 
----   Kevin Langston   langston@convex.com   langston@frontier.lonestar.org
----   Mitchell's Law of Committees: Any simple problem can be made insoluble
----   if enough meetings are held to discuss it.