Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
I think Son of Rockchucker is a very appropriate name for the Rebel. The linkage geometry is similar, the toggle is the same style, even the mounting hole pattern is the same. I agree, the parentage is obvious.Saw a photo on the Midway site--we should call it Son Of Rockchucker. The parentage is pretty obvious. Its pricing is a bit more than the Rockchucker, but not excessively so. I remember some time back The Old Western Scounger sold a press he called The Rock Crusher. Maybe this Rebel is the offspring of dalliances between those two machines.
The steel plate link arms are likely stronger in tension than the cast versions of the Rockchucker (and probably less expensive to produce). The omission of on-press priming reduces complexity and cost. I suspect RCBS came to the conclusion that most users prime off the press anyway and decided to simplify and strengthen the design. I think that was a good trade off.
Initially I thought the zerk fitting was a bit of a marketing novelty but now I'm thinking it may be a useful addition. There's a cavity cut inside the bore that intersects with the zerk fitting to allow the grease to flow completely around the ram. So they actually spent a little effort on the feature.
The fact that every pivot on the linkage is easily removable is significant. RCBS could have saved some money and used simpler, non-removable press fit pins, but they elected to take the high road.
As I said previously, I'm not sure if the Rebel is intended to replace the Rockchucker or compete with the Redding Big Boss.
I do believe that RCBS was seeking to reduce manufacturing costs while holding the quality high. I think they did a pretty good job.
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