Thread: RCBS Summit - anyone with experience of using one?

An update after nearly two years. I finally got us relocated out of Auckland and into the Naki. Yay! I eventually got a dedicated reloading and gun room, not huge but to die for not competing with other activities and a lockable strong door. Double Yay!!

I've been mostly using my Lee and Dillon presses recently having calibres set up specifically for them. I had a stretch earlier in the year with the Summit and managed to break the long-handle off at the screw in stud - my fault entirely as I was resizing rifle brass and had not noticed the handle had worked loose. It relies for strength on being screwed into a rebate that takes the load off the thin threaded section onto the full diameter of the shaft. I broke it where the thread end meets the full shaft. With some advice from this Forum I had a suitable hi-tensile cap screw drilled and threaded into the end as a strong repair.

Anyway, I set it up today to do some 270Win loading, a new calibre for me, and in a coffee moment did a Google search for current reviews. I learned that:
- RCBS acknowledged some early quality and design issues around the linkages and has addressed them
- They have also updated the primer catcher with a new design that is gathering user accolades.
- the press has garnered a lot of enthusiasm for its delivery of highly concentric bullet seating
- the price in NZ has nearly doubled since I bought mine 2 years ago. GC have it at $950, others a $100 lower.

I've emailed RCBS asking if the new spent primer catcher is available, also if there are any mechanical updates available to early adopters.

Its good to see a company with not only the courage to bring out what is for them quite a radical new product design but also to stick with it to address the early issues. (I'm thinking in comparison of Thompson dropping the Centre Dimension which had the tacky peeling sunburn issue on the plastic stock - a stunning rifle to use which got widely slammed for its unusual looks)

I'd be keen to hear from any other users on the forum how you are finding the press this far down the track.

Cheers. J.