My Rockchucker is 40+ years old. Literally 1/4 million or more rounds loaded. As we all know, Rockchuckers spit spent primers everywhere when depriming. Especially when you don't have the original primer catcher. Especially when you are forced to use a black one from who knows where.
Today, I was decapping .45 brass. Per the usual, primers all over the place. I'd stop, trashcan underneath, every 50 rounds or so to brush, at least some, that were piled up. Today and only because I'm an observant SOB, I noticed primers bridging the primer slot in the ram. "May as well get those too", and used a knife to get them out as no amount of vibration and ramming were getting the job done. But along with the primers came some black gooke. ( gooke being a technical term found in "Steve's, I'm so old I forgot a lot of stuff, "Reloading Manual" ) I didn't realize that ram was hollow as I finally had to put a 2 Gallon bucket under there to trap it all. So started decapping again. WTF? In 200+ rounds, not a single primer escaped the press or the catcher even without that retaining plastic.
I don't know what the moral of the story is. I would advise using a brush after the steak knife. I would advise not waiting for 4 decades between cleanings of the ram's slot.
For those who have a similar problem, remain post steel and bristle, I'd advise slipping a half length of toilet paper roll over the ram when depriming.
Today, I was decapping .45 brass. Per the usual, primers all over the place. I'd stop, trashcan underneath, every 50 rounds or so to brush, at least some, that were piled up. Today and only because I'm an observant SOB, I noticed primers bridging the primer slot in the ram. "May as well get those too", and used a knife to get them out as no amount of vibration and ramming were getting the job done. But along with the primers came some black gooke. ( gooke being a technical term found in "Steve's, I'm so old I forgot a lot of stuff, "Reloading Manual" ) I didn't realize that ram was hollow as I finally had to put a 2 Gallon bucket under there to trap it all. So started decapping again. WTF? In 200+ rounds, not a single primer escaped the press or the catcher even without that retaining plastic.
I don't know what the moral of the story is. I would advise using a brush after the steak knife. I would advise not waiting for 4 decades between cleanings of the ram's slot.
For those who have a similar problem, remain post steel and bristle, I'd advise slipping a half length of toilet paper roll over the ram when depriming.
