RCBS The Grand 12 Gauge

I researched the RCBS Grand before I purchased it. I've always used a MEC and really wanted to get a MEC 9000, but after reading on trap shooter magazine .I decided to go with the Grand. I've always wanted a good quality shell from a reloading press. I was experiencing a couple glitches that really shouldn't have been too hard to adjust out. One was the arm that kicked out the loaded shell would shake the plate and I was loosing shot out of the shells getting ready for crimping. another thing was the stage 8 the shells wasn't lining up for the last radios step and I was getting shells deformed because of it. and the primers where not seating right so I tried to adjusting it and as a result of that I managed to break the Primer sleeve, witch just happened to be plastic! and after all that I cant get the part to replace it because the factory is down. apparently only one place in the whole world to get parts and its in California .I've spent a lot of money on this and cant even get parts I'm sorry for the trouble in California but surly there is another place to get parts or three days now. I've tried to get the plastic part and can't. Maybe it should have been made out of metal like the MECs . next time I'll buy the MEC and I'll tell all the trap shooters to not buy this machine! I've always used RCBS when I was in Bench rest shooting years ago and maybe its time to rethink RCBS altogether ! Frank .

It took some major adjustments out of the box on the shells we were reloading. Once it's set it works great. Customer service was easy to talk to and had our replacement parts right away for free.

Owned this Grand Shot shell reloader for a year. Bought it new. Have loaded around 1,500 rds with it. I shoot sporting Clays, skeet and cowboy action. I discarded the primer box because it wouldn't work. Built one out of stainless tubing and stacked them, working great. If it fails to index right it will crush the shell holders. Beautifully engineered but built out of plastic and pot metal. See photo. Loads beautiful, functional shells but will not stay together. I will build my own repair parts so they will last. RCBS used to be the best. My old RCBS is first rate. This new RCBS is not worth the trouble.

This press is loaded with great features. Unfortunately, primer handling isn't one of them. My primer tray allowed primers to flip sideways from the first use. I called RCBS a couple of weeks ago and today a new primer tray arrived. I loaded it up and put it on and this one jams the primers at the drop outlet. Every time. So I guess I'll see if I can figure out what's the issue with this one. For the price I shouldn't have to be trying to re-engineer it.

This press is awesome.

Automatic primer feeder has malfunctioned since first use. Several plastic parts have broken. Outraged at Amazon's total disregard for my requests to rectify the issues. Update: Amazon relented and allowed me to return the unit after learning I had waited over four months for RCBS to ship a replacement primer transfer bar assembly (also made of cheap plastic) only to have it malfunction as well. Stay away from RCBS shothell reloading products.

OK, I didn't buy this press from Amazon. I got it from a friend in late 2008 who decided he no longer had a use for it. Got it all set up and started to reload with no major problems, or minor ones for that matter. A couple little adjustments to tweak it and I was off to the races. Encountered a couple of minor adjustment issues and a call to RCBS QUICKLY got those resolved. Between March '09 and November '10 the press sat covered and idle while I was in Iraq. Got back just in time to shoot in our Trap Winter League, took the cover off the grand, checked to make sure the powder was OK and started reloading just like it was 17 days instead of 17 months that it sat idle! In the 5 years since I have loaded well n excess of 8,000 rounds with no major problems. I've encountered what I would call minor issues with parts wearing. Again these issues were QUICKLY resolved with a call to RCBS with the parts showing up a couple days later. Once, about 2 years ago, I called with a problem related to the primer transfer bar. Once on the phone the gent asked if I had replaced this and that and I said no and he said, well I'll send you some extra parts you might want to replace as well. Now THAT is customer service and from right here in the USA. RCBS has a customer for life in me. I would highly recommend this press.

This press has been a problem since day one. Customer service is ready to ship broken replacement parts, but no discussing how to fix issues. Friend bought one same time I did and he has same problems.