RCBS The Grand User Manual

THE GRAND

PROGRESSIVE SHOTSHELL
RELOADING PRESS

PRODUCT INSTRUCTIONS

IMPORTANT

Before using the RCBS Shot Shell Press, read these instructions carefully to fully learn how to safely operate the
related reloading equipment. Failure to properly operate certain reloading equipment can result in severe personal
injury and/or equipment damage.

If you have any questions while assembling or operating this tool,

call us at 1-800-533-5000 or 1-530-533-5191

Monday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time

The instruction manual contains specific safety and operating information. It should be considered a permanent

part of your reloading equipment and remain with the equipment at all times for easy reference.

SAFETY

Reloading is an enjoyable and rewarding hobby that can
be conducted safely. But, as with any hobby, carelessness
or negligence can make reloading hazardous. This product
has been designed from the beginning with the user’s
safety in mind. When reloading, safety rules must be
followed. By observing these rules, the chance of a
hazardous occurrence causing personal injury or
property damage is minimized.

GENERAL

• Use all equipment as the manufacturer recommends.
Study the instructions carefully and become thoroughly
familiar with the operation of the product. If you do not
have written instructions, request a copy from the
equipment manufacturer.

• Don’t take short cuts. Attempting to bypass established
procedures is an invitation to an accident.

• Observe “good housekeeping” in the reloading area.
Keep tools and components neat, clean and orderly.
Promptly and completely clean up primer and powder
spills.

• Reload only when you can give your undivided attention.
Do not reload when fatigued or ill, or under the influence
of medications or alcohol.

• Develop a reloading routine to avoid mistakes which may
prove hazardous. Don’t rush - load at a leisurely pace.

• Always wear adequate eye protection to protect your
eyes from flying particles. You assume unnecessary risk
when reloading without wearing safety glasses.

LOADING DATA

• Use only laboratory tested reloading data. There are
many lab tested shotshell manuals available. Always
follow the load data exactly as it is published
in any shotshell reloading manual.

• Never substitute components

• OBSERVE ALL WARNINGS ABOUT THE USE OF
MAXIMUM LISTED LOADS

• Store primers and powder beyond the reach of children
and away from heat, dampness, open flames and electrical
equipment. Avoid areas where static electricity is evident.

• Do not use primers of unknown identity.

• Dispose of unknown primers in accordance with
applicable regulations.

• Keep primers in the original factory container until ready to
use. Return unused primers to the same factory packaging
for safety and to preserve their identity. Primer packaging is
designed to provide safe storage.

• DO NOT store primers in bulk. The blast of just a few
hundred primers is sufficient to cause serious injury to
anyone nearby.

• DO NOT force primers. Use care in handling primers.

• DO NOT have more than one can of powder on the bench
at one time. Powder cans should be stored away from the
bench to avoid picking up the wrong one.

• DO NOT use any powder unless its identity is positively
known. The only positive identification is the manufacturer’s
label on the original canister. Discard all mixed powder
and those of uncertain identity.

• Always replace the lids on both the powder hopper and
shot hoppers after they have been filled.

• When you finish a reloading session, pour any remaining
powder back into its original factory container. This will
preserve the identity and shelf life of the powder.

• DO NOT smoke while reloading.

RECORD KEEPING

• Keep complete records of reloads. Apply a descriptive
label to each box showing the date produced, and the
primer, powder, wad and shot used.

Never attempt to guess at the identity of your
ammunition.

PRIMERS AND POWDER

Because RCBS has no control over the choice of components, the manner in which they are assembled,

the use of this product, or the guns in which the resulting ammunition may be used, we assume no responsibility,

expressed or implied, for the use of ammunition reloaded with this product.

1 POWDER SYSTEM - Hull activated, no hull, no powder.

No need to manually turn powder on and off. No spillage of
powder can occur.

2 SHOT SYSTEM - Hull activated, no hull, no shot. No need

to manually turn shot on and off. No spillage of shot when
problems occur.

3 CASE HOLDERS - Easy removal of hull at all stations.

Universal 12 and 20 gauge case holders allows cases to
be sized down around the rim.

• The combination of the Powder System, Shot System and
the Case Holders allows the user to reload one shell
without fear of spillage.

4 PRIMING SYSTEM - Allows only one primer to feed at a

time and is an extremely reliable primer feed system.

5 STEEL SIZE RING - Provides complete resizing of high

and low base hulls. Not found in most presses.

• AUTO INDEX - Simple and very reliable automatic indexing
system that can be easily removed for manual indexing.

6 TILT-OUT WAD GUIDE - For easy and convenient feeding

of wads.

• MASSIVE FRAME - With compound leverage for smooth
solid feel.

7 QUICK DRAIN SYSTEM - Both powder and shot hoppers

have three locating positions. Off, on, and a forward drain
position for quick and convenient removal.

8 QUICK CHANGE - Of powder and shot bushings. Changes

over in less than one minute.

9 POWDER CHARGE - Is easy to check because the powder

station is directly in front of the press and it is easy and
convenient to remove the powder charge hull.

10 LARGE OPEN FRAME - Designed for convenient easy

access to all 8 stations.

• EASY CONVERSION - Changing from 12 gauge to 20
gauge is quick and easy with our convenient conversion kit.

11 SHOT & POWDER HOPPERS - Holds 25 pounds of shot

and 1 pound of powder.

THE “GRAND”

11

1

2

4

5

9

3

10

7

6

8

89001 THE GRAND, 12 ga. Shotshell Press

89003 THE GRAND, 20 ga. Shotshell Press

89005 Shotshell Press Conversion Kit, 20 ga.

89007 Shotshell Press Conversion Kit, 12 ga.

89010 Riser Stand

89100 Charge Bar

For shot and powder bushing

information see page 14.

UNPACKING THE GRAND

A. Shot Hopper
B. Spent Primer Tube Assembly
C. Powder Hopper
D. Drain Tube (Clear Rubber Hose)
E. Press Assembly
F. Wad Box

Video
Wad Box Bracket
Discharge Chute
Primer Tray

Bag 1, P

#

8 x 3/8 Wood Screw
1/4-28 x 1/4 BHCS
3/8 Detent Ball
Detent Spring
Shotshell Crimp Starter 12 Ga., 6 Pt
Shotshell Primer Shut Off Pin
10-24 x 1-1/4 SHSS
10-24 Nyloc Nut
Shotshell Press Powder Baffle
Hex Wrench, 5/32
Hex Wrench, 3/32

arts List

10-24 NYLOC NUT

189063

ALLEN WRENCH 3/32, 109635

ALLEN WRENCH 5/32, 181150

WAD BOX BRACKET

789013

PRIMER SHUT OFF PIN

789039

BAG 1 PARTS

DETENT SPRING

187153

CRIMP STARTER 12 GA., 6PT

189020

LOWER SHOT TUBE - LONG, 12 GA.

789100

#8 X 32 WOOD SCREW

189064

1/4-28 X 1/4 BHCS

189073

3/8 DETENT BALL

187152

10-24 X 1-1/4 SHSS

189062

POWDER BAFFLE 189037

Your Grand is set up at the factory for the following loads:

12 GA. LOAD INFORMATION

Federal Gold Medal 23/4"
452 powder bushing, CCI 209M primer, Federal 12S3 wad,

1

/8oz.#71/2shot bushing

1

hull, 17.5 gr. Red Dot,

20 GA. LOAD INFORMATION

Winchester 23/4" hull, 16.0 gr. Unique, 381 powder bushing, CCI
209M primer,Winchester WAA20 wad,

A Hydraulic conversion unit is also available for The Grand
shotshell press. For pricing and information, contact RCBS
direct at 1-800-533-5000.

As you remove press from box, take caution not to lay press
against primer channel.
that the primer channel extends upward as shown below. Lay
press on opposite side so that the primer channel extends
upward as shown.

(photo 1)

7

/8oz #71/2shot bushing.

Lay press on opposite side so

➞

After laying press on bench, remove plastic tie securing the
Lockout pin to the Ram of the press and remove Lockout pin.

(photo 2)

included), to secure press when not in use.

The Lockout pin can be used with a small lock (not

2

CAUTION: SHELL PLATE POSITION

Care must be taken that the shell plate is always in the
proper position.
cycling.

Press must never be partially indexed, this results in damage
to the Case Holders. Rotate Shell Plate and feel for Index Ball
to position properly.

(photo 3)

right

Check index position before

wrong

1

3

4

1

PRESS MOUNTING

Step 1 Attach Discharge Chute to the bottom of the Shell

Plate Holder as shown in photo 1. Use two 1/4-28 x
Button Head Cap Screws and 5/32 hex wrench.

Step 2 Mount your press to a solid bench. Presses mounted

to a weak or flexible bench are a safety hazard and will not
produce a consistent loaded round. The Grand press is
designed with two sets of mounting holes, three larger holes
(two of these holes for mounting to an optional RCBS
Accessory Base Plate-2 part number 09280) or four small
holes for the optional RCBS Riser Stand part number 89010.

1

/

4

5

Select an area on your bench with approximately one-foot
clearance on each side of The Grand. Install press with three

3

/8" bolts or four 1/4" bolts, length to be determined by the
thickness of your bench (mounting hardware not included).
The press can also be mounted on our optional Riser Stand,
which raises the press four inches above your bench (Riser
Stand part number 89010)

The front edge of your bench must have a minimum of 11/2" of
clearance to allow the press handle to cycle completely. The
optional Riser Stand angles forward off your bench to allow the
complete cycle of the press handle. Insure that the toggle
block does not strike the face of your bench.

(see photo 6).

LOADED ROUND CONTAINMENT

For presses mounted directly to the bench, you may want to
drill a 3" hole just off the end of the Discharge Chute and
catch your loaded rounds beneath the bench.

7

Use of the optional Riser Stand allows the loaded rounds to
drop into a container on top of the bench (Riser Stand and
container not included).

8

POWDER AND SHOT SYSTEM

The Grand 12 gauge comes with one #452 powder bushing

1

and a 1
with one
To change bushings, before powder and shot are added, just
remove charge bar locking pin
bar to the right. This allows the removal of the charge bar to
change bushings

/8oz.#71/2shot bushing. The 20 gauge Grand comes

#

381 powder bushing and a 7/8 oz.#71/2shot bushing.

(photo 10)

(photo 9)

.

and slide the charge

6

9

10

2

INSTALL POWDER AND SHOT HOPPERS

The Powder Hopper (smaller diameter tube) is to be mounted on
the left and the Shot Hopper (larger diameter tube) on the right.

Install detent spring then ball into hopper funnel assembly and
install on the press as shown in photo 11.

11

1

Install 10-24 x 1
base and into the top of the shut off plate. Install 10-24 Nyloc
nut to secure hopper funnel base to top of press. Use 3/32 hex
wrench and 3/8 wrench (not provided).

/4" set screw securely through hopper funnel

➞

14

Note: In OFF position

INSTALL SPENT PRIMER TUBE ASSEMBLY

Raise ram to the top of the press stroke and install the tube as
shown in photo 15. Tighten the setscrew to secure the tube.
Do not over tighten, use 3/32 hex wrench.

12

13

Funnels must be tightly secured but be able to pivot between
OFF, ON and DRAIN positions. Install powder baffle through
the top of the powder hopper as shown in photo 14.

15

INSTALL PRIMER TRAY

With ram still raised to the top of the press stroke, place Primer
Tray on Primer Tube as shown in photo 16. Primer Tray is held
in place by its own weight. Primer Tray body is to the left of the
Powder Shut Off Plate and does not ride on top of the plate

(photos 16 & 17)

right

.

16

wrong

17

3