The Present & Future of RCBS Engineering & Product Development

I am here at RCBS headquarters in Oroville, California, touring their incredible manufacturing facility. During my visit, I was absolutely blown away by everything that happens under these roofs. To truly understand the true scope of what RCBS is capable of, I sat down in the tool grinding room with Joe Dunning, one of the lead mechanical engineers at the company, to discuss their product development process from initial concept to final retail packaging.

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Unmatched In-House Capabilities

One of the most impressive aspects of the RCBS facility is the sheer amount of manufacturing independence they possess. Where many modern companies farm out specific steps to third-party vendors, RCBS handles nearly everything in-house.

This includes their tool grinding room, where they can take a brand new cartridge specification, grind custom reamers, produce the reloading dies, and literally have them sitting on a retail shelf within two weeks.

Beyond grinding and machining, RCBS maintains complete control over their finishing processes.

This includes high-volume powder coating, laser engraving, low-temperature black oxide treatments, die heat-treating, and bead blasting for that beautiful satin finish we all recognize.

A Row of Powder Coated Rockchucker Supreme Presses at RCBS

By controlling the entire manufacturing pipeline, from assembly to packaging, they ensure incredibly strict quality control across the board.

The New Product Development Cycle

The product development cycle starts in the engineering office. When a new product idea is approved by the development team, engineers like Joe begin the CAD design work.

Gavin Meets with Joe Dunning at RCBS Inside the Custom Tooling Shop

From there, RCBS leans heavily into rapid prototyping. Utilizing an array of advanced 3D printers allows the engineering team to test ergonomics, function, and geometry incredibly quickly, disqualifying poor concepts right out of the gate. Once a 3D-printed model is refined, the design moves to the physical model shop.

Machined Dies from the CNC Machine at RCBS

Unlike companies that suffer from “over-the-wall engineering”—where engineers toss a blueprint to the factory floor without understanding the machining constraints—RCBS emphasizes face-to-face collaboration. The engineers work directly with the machinists.

If a CAD design cannot physically be manufactured efficiently, they catch it immediately. In fact, RCBS will often pull a full production machine off the line to run prototype components, ensuring that the final program will work flawlessly when the product moves into full-scale manufacturing.

The Future of RCBS

RCBS has built its legacy on legendary, bulletproof products like the Rock Chucker press. While they continue to produce these core items, the manufacturing technology behind them is constantly evolving. Today, the surface finishes coming off their modern CNC Swiss lathes and screw machines are better than ever before.

Parts off of the Swiss CNC Machine at RCBS

Looking toward the future, the RCBS engineering team is focused on implementing the latest in CNC capabilities, advanced 3D printing materials, and even machine learning to optimize production. By actively bringing in young engineering interns, the company stays at the cutting edge of manufacturing education, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Furthermore, this engineering team is deeply tied to customer service. If a customer reports an issue, the engineering team stops what they are doing, identifies the root cause, and adjusts the manufacturing process to fix it immediately. This level of dedication, combined with a workforce passionate about hunting and shooting sports, proves exactly why RCBS remains a titan of American-made reloading equipment.