Lock-n-load bushing conversion. How to prevent bushing from rotating?

EnjoyTheWilderness

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Minuteman
Sep 21, 2018
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I am new to handloading. I have a Rock Chucker with the Lock-n-Load conversion and am having issues with it. So there are two bushing. One that screws into the press and one that holds the dies. If I remember correctly, the factory RCBS bushing that screws into the press has a hex head so that you can tighten it to the press. The special Lock-n-Load conversion bushing has a round head, so there is no obvious (or easy) way to tighten it down short of going at it with a large vice grip or channel locking pliers (which will mar up the bushing in an ugly way). So if I am removing a die via the lock-n-load system, I am just as likely to spin out the conversion bushing as I am to remove the die from the bushing itself.

I expect others have had this issue and solved it. I am curious as to what others have done. My thoughts are to mill two small parallel flat edges onto the bushing so that I can tighten it down with a wrench. It probably will not need much torque. If that alone doesn't work, then include some blue 242 Loctite before torquing it down. So removal would still be doable without drama.

I suspect once I no longer have the issue of spinning the bottom bushing out of the press, I will now be accidently spinning the die out of the upper bushing when trying to remove the die from the press. Is the answer to setting enough torque on the die nut the answer to stopping rotation of the die within lock-n-load bushing? Somehow that doesn't seem right, but that is the obvious solution.

Regardless, it seems like I will need to mark an index on the die and the top bushing to show the correct position once die depth is correctly set. I plan to marry a single lock-n-load bushing per die (not reuse bushing for multiple dies).

Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
After some digging online it seems to the solution to tightening the bottom/press bushing is to screw something (threaded rod, or die) into the top/die bushing and then insert that into the bottom/press bushing and then using a wrench on the die lock ring to tighten it all up on the press. So no need to machine flats onto the bottom/press bushing. Opinions vary on the need for blue Loctite or not.

I still welcome comments as to how tight to tighten the lock rings on the die. I think I need them tight enough to prevent them from unscrewing easily from the lock-n-load top/die bushing Note I am likely to use the Hornady clamp style lock rings on my dies.
 
I basically did what you found in your searching. After removing the factory reducing insert from the press, I screwed the press bushing down until it bottomed out on the press head. I then inserted the Hornady die insert bushing into the press bushing about half way and used a pair of channel locks on the top of the die bushing insert to lightly tighten down the press insert. I used a piece of leather between the jaws of the channel locks and the bushing to prevent damage. As you said, it doesn't take much to snug it down to where it won't loosen when using the die and bushings.
 
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