vtmarmot
P Magoon, Livin' Free NH
My new RCBS Summit press, a "solicited" birthday present from my wife, arrived the other day. Today I got around to affixing it to the bench. Something about that primer catcher stuck in my craw. It just somehow seemed "under-engineered". For another thing, it also would have forced me to mount the press further forward than I wanted to.
My solution was to get some clear half inch tubing. I drilled a half inch hole in the bench right in front of the primer chute. I pushed the tube up from the bottom until about 1 1/4 inch protruded above the bench. I then cut the tubing 1/2 way through at the bench level on the side facing the press, and I also split that section lengthwise. Spreading this out to form flaps, I affixed these flaps to the screw holes for the delivered primer catcher. This doesn't interfere with the changing of shell holders but it captures all the primers positively.
The tube, which is nearly three feet long, is secured to one leg of the bench with cable ties and it empties into an old coffee can by the wall. I figure it will be a few years before I have to empty the can. Testing reveals that this setup works slicker than owl droppings.
Yes, the die carrier of the Summit has some play in it, but after reading Boyd Allen's latest article in "Precision Rifleman" I view this as a good thing. I have yet to check run out for sizing and seating, but I'm impressed with the Summit overall. I ordered the short handle with it and the ergonomics suit my loading style better than my old Lee whether standing or sitting on my stool. However, I was underwhelmed by the instructions. They even include a correction sheet for some bad advice given in the original pamphlet. Their web site is even less informative.
My solution was to get some clear half inch tubing. I drilled a half inch hole in the bench right in front of the primer chute. I pushed the tube up from the bottom until about 1 1/4 inch protruded above the bench. I then cut the tubing 1/2 way through at the bench level on the side facing the press, and I also split that section lengthwise. Spreading this out to form flaps, I affixed these flaps to the screw holes for the delivered primer catcher. This doesn't interfere with the changing of shell holders but it captures all the primers positively.
The tube, which is nearly three feet long, is secured to one leg of the bench with cable ties and it empties into an old coffee can by the wall. I figure it will be a few years before I have to empty the can. Testing reveals that this setup works slicker than owl droppings.
Yes, the die carrier of the Summit has some play in it, but after reading Boyd Allen's latest article in "Precision Rifleman" I view this as a good thing. I have yet to check run out for sizing and seating, but I'm impressed with the Summit overall. I ordered the short handle with it and the ergonomics suit my loading style better than my old Lee whether standing or sitting on my stool. However, I was underwhelmed by the instructions. They even include a correction sheet for some bad advice given in the original pamphlet. Their web site is even less informative.