C&B cylinder press came today!

[Bushrod]

Well I finally got my RAI press yesterday. First impressions are that it is VERY well made. About the same weight as my ROA.
I mounted it to an old oak cutting board we had laying around. I added a spring to return to a next pill position. Can't wait to get out and use it, like a monsoon here in Ohio. Will keep you posted!!

[Mako]

Looks cool, so about the same weight as an ROA, okay.

One word of caution, be careful with the ball "tip."  It can nick your chamber mouth if the cylinder shifts under the ram.  It is really the only real part of the design that is a potential problem.  The brass support ring doesn't actually align you and you're counting on the cup on the tip to keep you aligned.  It has happened...

Like you said they are well made.  Are you going to try it with the short lever arm first, or are you in the process of getting an extension?

Regards,
Mako

[Pettifogger]

Looks like it's built like a tank.  What's it look like with the cylinder removed?  Is the cylinder sitting on an alignment pin?  Good point Mako.  Never thought about it, but all my presses have brass tips and I have shaved some brass off of them over the years.

[Bushrod]

This model comes with extension arm for loading harder cast bullets.All loading pressure is straight down. The end of the plunger is curved to perfectly match the round ball.I'll keep in mind what Mako said, good point!

[rebsr52339]

Hey guys I just got mine from the mfg. I too had some concerns over the design, not serious, but deserved my attention. I will post some photos later on what I did to make it "more" usefull to me.

[rebsr52339]

Here is the set-up as I modified it. I was using a rubber band (simple) to retract the seating plunger but it did not work well. The spring is a much better idea. I used an aluminum plate to add the features you see here. May take a couple of posts so bare with me.

[rebsr52339]

I think you can get the idea of how I swing the plate out, mount the cylinder. Load it with powder and greased wad. Then I place the balls on the chambers and then swing it in so I can drop the plunger into the empty chamber. I then insert the other bolt, don,t have to even screw it in, and then seat the balls. Pull the bolt, swing the plate out and remove the loaded cylinder. By seating the seating pin in an empty chamber, I can be reasonably assured that it will line up on the other chambers when I rotate the cylinder.

[rebsr52339]

Hey Bushrod, did not mean to hijack your thread.     That having all been said I did make a handle extension, about 9" longer that slides over the existing one for those pesky hard ones to load. Actually it is just so much easier to use the extension I am glad I did it. Now where is that elusive spring gone to.  

[Bushrod]

Those are some VERY good ideas. Thats what I love about this forum, different minds from different backgrounds come up with unique ideas. I guess thats what the phrase "Good old AMERICAN ingenuity" means. I'm impressed with your set-up.

[Mako]

Those are some VERY good ideas. Thats what I love about this forum, different minds from different backgrounds come up with unique ideas. I guess thats what the phrase "Good old AMERICAN ingenuity" means. I'm impressed with your set-up.

Bushrod,
Well said.

Let us know how hard it is to seat soft balls with the short lever as you get more experience with it.  If you can't seat them with that long arm, we will have to call you "bushie" and ask you to post a picture of yourself in a skirt sashaying around! 

Thanks for the update,
Mako

[Mako]

I think you can get the idea of how I swing the plate out, mount the cylinder. Load it with powder and greased wad. Then I place the balls on the chambers and then swing it in so I can drop the plunger into the empty cylinder. I then insert the other bolt, don,t have to even screw it in, and then seat the balls. Pull the bolt, swing the plate out and remove the loaded cylinder. By seating the seating pin in an empty chamber, I an reasonably assured that it will line up on the other chambers when I rotate the cylinder.

I like it, but then I am a bit of a gear head...

You didn't hijack this thread, you are directly on topic.   

Do you shoot Cap Guns other than the '60?  That setup you show will work for '60s. '51s and '61s once it is locked down.  You will need to be able to move the plate to a different location or have separate ones for for Dragoons, Walkers, '49s, '62s and other Colt's pattern pistols.   Then of course you would need new arbor pins for Remington and ROAs.

This is good, we didn't have any users of this type of loader posting until now.

Regards,
Mako

[rebsr52339]

Mako, I currently only load the 1860 on this unit. I do have a Walker, 3ed model dragoon and a brace of 1851s.  Some improvements are already in the works. The plate can use multiple cylinder pins with the same base thread. I will machine out two or three others in brass now that I know it works, and better than I had hoped for.  You can tighten the base pins in by cross drilling a 1/8 dia hole at the top and using a 1/8" pin to tighten it. The aluminum base plate is 1/4" thick so the vertical dimension for a cylinder at this time is a max. of about 2 3/16 with a ball in each chamber ready to be seated. The fact that the base swivels means that a change in cylinder diameters is almost immaterial as you can position the plate and then lock it down and then just rotate the cylinder to each chamber.  I think instead of the other screw the use of a des-taco(spelling) clamp may work.  Well this is a "work in progress". Besides this is fun stuff.  

Bushrod, thanks for the compliment. 

PS Just installed the return spring from Lowes.  Works like a charm after cutting it to length.

The suggestion of grafting on a brass tip to the seating plunger is also a great idea as an insurance policy.

[Bushrod]

I took everyones advice and added an alignment pin,thanks. I think it will make things easier.

[Mako]

I took everyones advice and added an alignment pin,thanks. I think it will make things easier.

You know for a masked man you are definitely smarter than you look...

Do you only shoot a ROA?

Regards,
Mako

[Bushrod]

For now just the ROA as far as BP revolvers. I have a BP inline rifle and quite a few cartridge handguns and rifles. I do alot of bullet casting. I have almost unlimited access to wheel weights, so for the ROA a good hefty loader comes in handy.

[Pettifogger]

You don't want to use balls cast from wheelweights in any cap and ball revolver.  They are simply to hard.

[ROAnutz]

Well I finally got my RAI press yesterday. First impressions are that it is VERY well made. About the same weight as my ROA.
I mounted it to an old oak cutting board we had laying around. I added a spring to return to a next pill position. Can't wait to get out and use it, like a monsoon here in Ohio. Will keep you posted!!

I haven't received my White Tail Sniper yet. It's good to know you're satisfied with the quality. I'm also in Ohio...SW, between Cincy and Dayton. The monsoon has swollen all the rivers well out into their flood plane.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

I have a pair of ROAs and have been looking for a press, so I was very interested when this thread came up.

However, when I looked for an RAI Press online, I kept getting something about Amsterdam, the written press corps and evictions ... not a lotta help.

Can anyone tell me what RAI stands for or offer a web address for them?

Thanks!

[ROAnutz]

I have a pair of ROAs and have been looking for a press, so I was very interested when this thread came up.

However, when I looked for an RAI Press online, I kept getting something about Amsterdam, the written press corps and evictions ... not a lotta help.

Can anyone tell me what RAI stands for or offer a web address for them?

Thanks!

47 W. Jefferson St.
Orlando, FL 32801   
(407)244-6115 

[rebsr52339]

The place (RAI) is Richardson Airmotive Inc? at the above address.