.223 Case Preparation - RCBS Case Prep Center

The RCBS Case Prep center can be fitted with a Lee Case Trimmer Cutter that has been slightly modified (see below) and a Lee Case Length Gage. This adds trimming to the list of case preparation functions and allows the RCBS Case Prep Center to do almost everything that needs to be done to a piece of brass. Tumble clean the brass, process the brass through the multiple stages on the RCBS Case Prep Center and it's ready to be reloaded with a primer, powder and bullet. Approximately 150 brass cases can be processed in an hour, including trimming to length, chamfering inside and outside the case neck and preparing the primer pocket. The Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer Cutter Head reams the primer pocket to the correct diameter, including the removal of any military primer pocket crimp, and chamfers the entrance to the primer pocket to facilitate the entry of the new primer into the primer pocket. Redding makes a very nice primer pocket uniformer that will ream the primer pocket to the proper diameter and also cut the primer pocket to the correct depth. The Redding Primer Pocket Uniformer is a bit pricey at $30, but carbide cutting tools are expensive. They also last a long time.

NOTE ABOUT THE MODIFIED CUTTER:

I drilled and tapped one cutter for me and it was a little hard but not a problem for a sharp high speed steel drill on my little mill-drill. I did one for a friend and it was very difficult. The steel cutter was very hard. I think Lee makes the cutters from a tool steel that they subsequently induction heat treat, and I think my initial cutter wasn't properly heat treated which probably explained why it dulled so quickly cutting brass.

I eventually used a cobalt drill, low RPM and a lot of pressure to drill the hardened steel. I used a much larger center drill to start the hole because the #29 tap drill for 8-32 would walk long before drilling. The center drill is much shorter and fatter and therefore stiffer. Once I had a divot started, I drilled the tap hole. I almost broke a tap, so I drilled a larger hole for much less thread engagement and tapped that larger hole. I think the thread engagement was so little that I epoxied the stud in place?

I now recommend getting a scrap chunk of aluminum or plastic, drill a #29 hole all the way through the center, use that as the pilot hole to drill a much larger hole part way through that's just barely large enough for the cutter body and epoxy it in place after tapping the #29 hole on the base and screwing in a #8-32 screw from the inside so the threads stick out the bottom by 3/8" or so.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=617234

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=253550

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=729748

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• RCBS
• Case
• Prep
• Center
• .223
• Preparation
• Trim
• Trimming
• Chamfering
• Primer
• Pocket

[sleach629]

Thank you Liberty4Ever for posting. I'm not a machinist so I apologize for the potentially ignorant comment, but I ordered the parts noted from Midway, who later said that the Hornaday cutters won’t fit the RCBS machine. Do the parts need to be rethreaded and is that what you’re referring to in your Modified Cutter comments?

[Liberty4Ever]

@sleach629 It's been a couple of years since I bought the Hornady primer pocket tools, but they had a male 8-32 thread that threads into the RCBS Case Prep Center. It wasn't made to work with the RCBS, but it does. Ironically, the RCBS Trim Pro tools apparently do not work with the RCBS Case Prep Center. The modifications for the Lee cutter are a completely different issue.

Unless something has changed, any tool with a male 8-32 threaded end should work in the RCBS Case Prep Center.

[dfkappy]

I'm curious... after doing this, is the neck's mouth a little... raggedy? I've been using a Lee Zip Trimmer to do this... it goes a bit slower, but you get to hit the end of the case with some steel wool, which really neatens up the neck a bit.

[Liberty4Ever]

@dfkappy With a sharp cutter and the correct amount of force, there should be no chatter and the cut should be smooth. I have a Zip Trim and I like it, for a budget tool. I use ScotchBrite cleaning pads to polish the cases as the ZIP Trim spins them... even .50 BMG!

[shortthrow50]

why you wasting time putting the shell in the shell holder? maybe you need a new cutter and thats why you need to put so much force. I hold the shell in my hfingers and trim the case. much faster than messin around with that screw driver and tool

[Liberty4Ever]

@shortthrow50 If you had paid attention to the video, you would have heard me explain that the Lee cutter indexes on the case lock stud. That's why I "waste time putting the shell in the shell holder." If I didn't, the cutter would continue cutting and my brass would be way too short.

You are correct about one thing. The cutter should be much sharper. This cutter was very worn hardened steel. I'd like to make a cutter with carbide inserts that works with the Lee case length gauge.

[TheTeamkiller46]

I got a bmount dutch rifle 1877 moddel, make 37 gage?

[pmalveda02]

That's a great modification right there bro. Thanks for sharing!

[Spearfisher1970]

@Shazee083 without stating exactly what you mean, and where to get them, your post is a waste, sir. Thanks oh-so-much for the help. You could have gone as far as to create a vid just like this one as a reply, but instead you wrote that?