New "S-Press" from Corbin: built for smoothness and precision, this reloading press stands head and shoulders above the competition

Guns Magazine, Nov, 2002 by Jim Gardner

If you've been in the handloading game for very long, odds are you will be familiar with the Corbin name. Dave Corbin, of White City, Ore., has been supplying an interesting variety of reloading products for over 25 years.

Most of Corbin's products are for swaging precision bullets. His offerings have spanned from mid-1800s type "bump dies" for uniforming soft cast paper-patch bullets, to exotic hydraulic-powered bullet swaging machines for the commercial trade. One of Corbin's more novel and popular products is a die set to convert fired .22 LR cases into bullet jackets for .22 or 6mm varmint bullets.

Corbin has offered several different hand presses for use with his swaging equipment, but he recently brought to the market a very nicely made press suitable both for conventional reloading as well as for swaging. Called the "S-Press," it offers a level of refinement that has not been available to handloaders previously.

Looking Good Doesn't Hurt

The first thing that will catch your eye when you see the S-Press is the beautiful finish. The press is covered with a textured, copper-colored finish that is uncommonly attractive.

The next aspect you will notice is that this press is constructed entirely of heavy machined-steel components. This is rather a departure from the norm, as reloading presses have traditionally been formed from rough iron castings.

The S-Press would be classified as an "0" type press. The plate into which the loading dies are threaded is secured to two heavy steel uprights. This system prevents the flexing and misalignment that can occur when "C" type presses are subjected to heavy loads.

Double-Duty Design

As the S-Press is built to do double duty as a swaging press, it's built hell-for-stout to accommodate the heavy force that is required for that usage. Also necessary for this dual use is a unique method of changing the leverage and stroke of the press.

The bottom plate of the press, to which the handle is attached, offers two separate locations at which to pivot the ram. The upper pivot point provides a shorter ram stroke and immense leverage for cold forming projectiles using swaging dies.

It's the work of a moment to reposition the pivot pin to the lower hole. This location permits a much longer ram stroke, and places the point of greatest leverage just where is should be for loading and case forming operations.

I used the S-Press to perform some heavy case forming--reducing the base diameter of .38-55 cases for an old single-shot rifle--and the Corbin press made short work of this task. The extra leverage and heavy duty construction of the S-Press makes it ideally suited to such heavy work.

The mounting flange of the press is wide and deep, and carries holes for three attachment bolts. Once mounted on my bench, the press showed perfect stability, even under heavy load. The press handle is long, giving good leverage, may be mounted on either right or left-hand side of the press, and is nicely padded at the operating end.

No Comparison

What I consider to be the most notable feature of the S-Press is not visible from the outside, but you'll certainly notice it the moment you operate the press. The S-Press operates on four Torrington [R] roller bearings in the links, as well as two oil-impregnated bronze bushings guiding the ram. The ram bushings are precision bored after insertion, ensuring perfect ram alignment. An additional bronze bushing is used between the ram and its pivot pin.

Combined, all of this careful attention in design and construction makes the S-Press by far the smoothest operating reloading press I've ever used.

One thing that should be pointed out is that the S-Press lacks any means of priming cases. This is hardly a fault. Anyone who has done much loading knows that press-mounted priming operations are uniformly unsatisfactory. They are usually mounted in such a way that the leverage of the press is at its lowest level. Sensitivity, the most important factor in correctly seating primers, is usually poor.

There are a wide variety of bench mounted and hand-held priming tools that will do a far better job of seating primers than any press-mounted priming station. They more than make up for the lack of this feature on the S-Press.

Highly Adaptable

A number of accessories are offered for the S-Press. I used the "CSP-C" Handle Retainer. This is a simple safety device. Given the unprecedented smoothness with which this press operates, it is feasible to bump your reloading bench and have the press handle fly downward to strike you smartly on the knee.

I'm not sure how likely this really is, but regardless, the Handle Retainer gives a pleasant, secure-feeling detent when the press handle is returned to the upright position.

Another interesting accessory I've yet to try is the "CSP-A" anvil set. These adapt the press for use with ultra-precision benchrest type neck sizing and bullet seating dies. They should also be useful in reducing base diameter when case forming.