RCBS

The origins: Fred Huntington and the Rock Chuck Bullet Swage

The story of RCBS begins in 1943, in the middle of World War II. Fred T. Huntington was an avid hunter and shooter from Oroville, California, but wartime production meant it was nearly impossible to buy quality bullets. Every factory was running at full capacity for the war effort, and civilian shooters had to make do with whatever was left over.

Huntington wasn't the type to sit around and wait. After reading an article about swaging .22 rimfire cases into bullet jackets using a die, he decided to make his own. He did this in a room barely 12 by 6 feet in the back of his father's laundry and dry-cleaning business in Oroville.

The bullets he produced were used to hunt rock chucks, a type of marmot common across western North America. He named his dies "Rock Chuck Bullet Swage", shortened to RCBS. That abbreviation would eventually become the name of one of the most iconic brands in the reloading world.

From laundromat to factory

Huntington's dies quickly gained popularity among fellow hunters and shooters. By 1948, he moved to a dedicated workshop, but even that was soon too small. Production spilled over into his garage and then into a new building in 1954. By 1958, RCBS had its own factory of over 7,500 square feet, which rapidly grew to more than 50,000 square feet.

Beyond the original swage dies, Huntington also began developing reloading presses and other equipment. One of his most important innovations was the first removable shell holder for reloading presses. Until then, shell holders were built into the press ram, meaning the entire ram had to be removed to switch calibres. Huntington's solution made reloading multiple calibres far more practical and efficient.

The Rock Chucker: an icon since 1967

In 1967, RCBS introduced the Rock Chucker, a heavy-duty single-stage reloading press that replaced the earlier A-2 press. The Rock Chucker was made from cast iron instead of cast steel, resulting in a stiffer and more durable construction. Its central pivot design provided outstanding leverage, ideal for sizing the toughest cases.

The Rock Chucker has since become the most popular reloading press in the world and is still produced in Oroville. The current Rock Chucker Supreme features a large 4.25-inch loading window, an ambidextrous handle, and the signature enclosed frame that delivers virtually flex-free performance. There are Rock Chuckers from the 1960s and '70s that still function flawlessly today, a testament to the build quality RCBS has delivered for decades.

Ownership changes and the return to family ownership

In July 1976, the Huntington family sold RCBS to Omark Industries. This was followed by a series of acquisitions that took the company through various corporate hands. In 1985, Blount, Inc. acquired Omark Industries, and in 2001, Alliant Techsystems (ATK) purchased Blount's brands, including RCBS. In 2015, RCBS became part of Vista Outdoor when that company was spun off from ATK.

The most significant moment in RCBS's recent history came on 2 May 2024, when Hodgdon Powder Company acquired the brand from Revelyst (a segment of Vista Outdoor). This brought RCBS back to family ownership, and it was more than just a business transaction. The two families had known each other since the 1950s: Fred Huntington and Bruce Hodgdon, the founder of Hodgdon Powder Company, were close friends. Together, they travelled across the United States in the 1950s and '60s hosting "Reloading Roadshows", workshops where they taught reloaders the finer points of the craft.

J.B. Hodgdon, co-owner of Hodgdon Powder Company, put it aptly when announcing the acquisition: he believed that Fred Huntington and his father Bruce would be proud to see the two brands reunited in 2024.

RCBS timeline

Hodgdon Powder Company: the perfect match

Hodgdon Powder Company was founded in 1952 by Bruce E. Hodgdon and started out as a supplier of surplus gunpowder to reloaders. The company grew into the largest American supplier of smokeless powder and black powder substitutes, with brands including Hodgdon, IMR (acquired in 2003), Winchester (distributed since 2006), Ramshot, Accurate, and Blackhorn 209.

The 2024 acquisition of RCBS brings two complementary brands together under one roof: Hodgdon supplies the powder and RCBS provides the tools. For reloaders, this means a future where load data, powder development, and tooling innovation are more closely aligned than ever. Hodgdon has announced that their ballistics laboratories will develop additional load data specifically for RCBS customers.

The MatchMaster product line

With the MatchMaster product line, RCBS targets the most demanding reloaders. The name says it all: this is equipment for those who build ammunition at competition level. The line now includes several products:

The MatchMaster Powder Dispenser uses patented dual-tube dispensing technology and delivers powder charges with an accuracy of 0.04 grain in match mode. With Bluetooth connectivity and a companion app, you can fine-tune the dispensing process for specific powder types.

The MatchMaster Competition Dies are machined from proprietary RCBS steel with a deep blued finish that you'd normally only see on high-end firearms. The seater die features a micrometer adjustment at .001 inch increments and a unique window that lets you observe the seating process.

The latest addition is the MatchMaster Precision Case Trimmer, developed in partnership with Henderson Precision. This motorized case trimmer trims, deburrs, and chamfers in one motion with repeatability down to .001 of an inch. We got hands-on with this trimmer at the IWA trade show and were immediately impressed by the solid build quality, tight finish, and complete absence of play. CNC-machined from 6061-T6 aluminium and 303/416 stainless steel, this is a machine that won't be leaving your reloading bench any time soon.

Made in the USA

What sets RCBS apart from many other tool brands is the fact that over 97% of their products are designed and manufactured in the United States. The factory in Oroville, California, the same location that Fred Huntington built up in the 1950s, remains the beating heart of RCBS. All presses (including the Rock Chucker), dies, shell holders, powder measures, trimmers, and bushings are made there. The company employs over 150 people and their customer service is widely regarded as one of the best in the industry.

A nice detail: Huntington's Sportsman's Store, run by Fred's son Fred Jr., is still located right next to the RCBS factory. There's even a small museum showcasing the brand's history.

Why RCBS at hop.nl?

At hop.nl, we believe in offering reloading equipment that truly makes a difference at the bench. RCBS fits that philosophy perfectly. Since the Hodgdon acquisition, we've seen a clear focus on innovation and quality improvement at RCBS that excites us. The new MatchMaster products prove that this brand, after 80+ years, is still looking forward and developing tools that set the standard for the industry.

We spent considerable time at the IWA trade show in Nuremberg examining and testing the latest RCBS products. The finish, material choices, and engineering of the MatchMaster line are impressive. This isn't mass production, this is equipment built by people who understand what precision shooters need.

Browse our full range of reloading equipment and discover what RCBS can do for your reloading process.

Sources

• RCBS About Us, rcbs.com/about/
• "RCBS: Forged in America, Trusted by Generations", rcbs.com
• "Built to Last: Why RCBS Leads the Way in Reloading Presses", rcbs.com
• "Hodgdon Powder Company Acquires RCBS Reloading", hodgdonpowderco.com, 2 May 2024
• "RCBS Celebrates 80 Years", American Rifleman, 2023
• "10 Things You Didn't Know About RCBS", American Hunter
• Hodgdon Powder Company, Wikipedia
• "[SHOT 2026] RCBS MatchMaster Precision Case Trimmer", The Firearm Blog, January 2026
• "RCBS MatchMaster Precision Case Trimmer", Ultimate Reloader, January 2026
• Own findings hop.nl, IWA trade show 2026