Henry Rifle Forums

I recently got back into loading. I bought the RCBS Rockcrusher kit. My suggestion is for anyone using this stuff. When you buy your dies you have to get shell holders separately. Buy 2 of them in each size you need. 1 for the press and 1 for the primer tool. This saves some time and distraction. I dislike having to disassemble the primer tool in mid process to change the shell holder from the press to the tool and back. Just bought spares myself.

we don't use a separate primer tool .... for the 50 or so years RCBS was our only press, we performed all operations on it .... a few years ago when we added our Hornady Lock-n-Load press (for practice ammo) we perform all standard operations on it and use the RCBS for crimping .... for those who do use a separate priming tool having two shell holders makes a great deal of sense

Squatch wrote:I recently got back into loading. I bought the RCBS Rockcrusher kit. My suggestion is for anyone using this stuff. When you buy your dies you have to get shell holders separately. Buy 2 of them in each size you need. 1 for the press and 1 for the primer tool. This saves some time and distraction. I dislike having to disassemble the primer tool in mid process to change the shell holder from the press to the tool and back. Just bought spares myself.

That's a good suggestion. I use two shell holders because -- like you -- priming is a separate step for me. It's actually the last step in my cleaning process after returning from the range. The spent brass gets tumbled, de-capped/sized, hand primed, and put back in it's box of 50 to reload at a later time. I have a rotating inventory of boxed WSPM-primed cases on my loading bench.

I use (and highly recommend) the Lee Auto Hand Primer (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/41347 ... iming-tool). Since I only reload .357s, the shell holder stays on the primer tool and another one stays in my single stage press.

I like the feel and simplicity of the hand priming tool. It came with the kit.

I clean cases.
Size and deprime in one step.
Trim cases by hand with a Lee hand held tool and then clean the primer pocket.
Then expand cases.

At this point they are ready to load and I prime a batch before loading.

Good suggestion.