PRESSES

[5akman]

But you are NOT doing 400/hour because you have to include priming off the press?????

Correct, that is after I have the primed cases ready to drop into the case feeder.

I always tumble my cases after each firing so I decap/size, tumble, prime then head to the Loadmaster.

 

[Green Frog]

Froggie, who sells their stuff these days? Not really looking for speed as much as the range fodder need not be single stage. THANKS!!!

JRW, head over to the Star Reloaders website and you should be able to find what you need. I had found my Progressive about 20 years ago when they were at a low point in availability, but it needed a few parts to be up and running. I found what I needed through that website.

Froggie

 

[huthike]

Dillon 650 with any dies you want.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wee Hooker]

LOVE my LEE Classic Turret Presses. They run great and give me a solid 150-180 quality rounds an hour. However based on my experience with both Lee Progresives, I would advise against both the Lee 1000 and Load Master. In my ownership experience , both models were temperamental with case and primer feeding( and prone to stoppages for a whole lot of reasons.) To be honest, I don't think I ever came close to 300 rounds an hour with either model.

p.s. I also had a early Dillon Square Deal that wasn't much better. IF I wanted another full Progressive (which I don't) I'd go right to the Dillon 650 and be done with it.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Correct, that is after I have the primed cases ready to drop into the case feeder.

I always tumble my cases after each firing so I decap/size, tumble, prime then head to the Loadmaster.

3 extra steps before going to the progressive loader? Good progressives handle all that but the tumble with 1(one) pull of the handle.

 

[oink]

I had/still have a Lee 1000 (I think). I could really crank out some ammo with it during the shot periods of time it worked correctly. I finally just stuffed it in my cabinet. Hopefully Lee worked out the bugs with their progressives but they lost me with that one.

I do use some Lee dies. And I use a little Lee hand press for working up loads at the range. I just size, prime and flare (if appropriate) and then bring scale, powder and bullets and the little hand press with die. I'm not bashing Lee. I like Lee but that progressive stank.

I love the Dillon 550 and I loved the 450 I had first. I actually still have the 450 but it just stays on one caliber. The 550 is really a pretty quick caliber change.

I don't want an auto indexing press. I don't want to go that fast. I check powder weights fairly often and I can still crank out plenty of ammo for my use and that of my family. I can understand some people needing a 650, etc. but that's not me.

 

[5akman]

3 extra steps before going to the progressive loader? Good progressives handle all that but the tumble with 1(one) pull of the handle.

Agreed but for many hundreds of dollars less money, I'll opt for the Loadmaster. And from what I've heard, sounds like Lee has the priming snafu's solved with the newer Loadmasters.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Agreed but for many hundreds of dollars less money, I'll opt for the Loadmaster. And from what I've heard, sounds like Lee has the priming snafu's solved with the newer Loadmasters.

Mine may be a lemon but my 9mm loadmaster (bought on a whim at 50% off) is only two years old. It has been ANYTHING but reliable. Priming issues are still there and the case feeder is unusable. Even powder management has given me grief. Even though I'm no novice at reloading ( and have a Mechanical Engineering degree) I'm honestly unable to get 50 rounds out of it without a stoppage. I'd be happy to box it up and sell it CHEAP to anybody who thinks it will treat them better.

 

[dogdoc]

Overwhelming choice of competitive shooters is Dillon . They just work with less “fiddle factor” . I would push you toward a 650 with case feeder but 550s are fine, just slower (but not slow).

 

[5akman]

Mine may be a lemon but my 9mm loadmaster (bought on a whim at 50% off) is only two years old. It has been ANYTHING but reliable. Priming issues are still there and the case feeder is unusable. Even powder management has given me grief. Even though I'm no novice at reloading ( and have a Mechanical Engineering degree) I'm honestly unable to get 50 rounds out of it without a stoppage. I'd be happy to box it up and sell it CHEAP to anybody who thinks it will treat them better.

You might have a lemon. I know I bought mine used from a guy who was "done" with it and then watched a lot of youtube videos on how to get it running. I'd like to try some updated primer feed parts but don't mind the process that I do now as I like "shinny" brass. I realize that it has nothing to do with the quality of the finished product or how accurate I am, but I always tumble after each firing so the off press priming works for me.

If anyone is in the Kenai Alaska area, the "Bargain Basement" thrift store had a nice Dillion set up for sale at a reasonable price. It was a 650 if I remember correctly. I'd have bought it but then would have needed to ship it home to CA.

 

[fredj338]

Jmo, using a progressive is severely degraded when you move priming off the press. I understand clean, shiny brass, just dry tumble before sizing, which you should do before sizing to protect your dies. Then do everything on the press.
Priming is the short coming of most progressives. Even the dillon 550, a good press, has priming issues because of the design. The 650, almost flawless priming but still not perfect. The redt fall inbetween.
Money spent on tools is always funny to me. Buy good tools, You only buy them once & they do the job required w/o unnecessary bs. When you look at the cost of ammo vs even a fully kittted 650, its a small amount over say 10y. With some calibers, time vs money, I am making money reloading at 600-700rds per hour. Yes great thing about a progressive though is you choose your speed. 100rds an hour with 104 handle oulls, or 700rds per hour with 704 handle pulls. Shoot a lot, those handle pulls add up & A few $100 more, not an issue.

 

[oneounceload]

If I were buying a progressive press it would be the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP Press. The RCBS progressive press looks great but at twice the price, it doesn't look that great.

I think the Hornady press has some great features not included in the Dillon 550.

I use a Lee Classic Turret Press for loading handgun ammo and I can safely load between 180 to 200 rounds per hour.

Finally got my LnL set up after moving; been running 38s through it for now and will soon switch it over for 9mm; beats the heck out of the single stage I used for decades (which will now be used for rifles)

 

[SRG]

Buy a Dillon press and never look back. I've owned numerous Dillon presses since buying my first one in 1983. Great presses and absolutely the best customer service in the business.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

No BS Warranty / No Risk Life Time Warranty. Can anyone tell me the difference besides one is Blue and the other is Red?

 

[oink]

I think experience would be the best determination on the quality of warranties. However, I've never had anything break on my Dillon. Maybe someone else has had to actually use them and can comment.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

Can anyone see a problem with this photo?

 

[Skeet 028]

Sure...too much R...no B or G!! LOL

 

[Engineer1911]

Anyone that gets a Lee progressive press to run for 200 rounds of ammo without a jamup is either 'mentally gifted' or incredibly lucky and should immediately buy Lotto / Lottery tickets.

 

[fredj338]

No BS Warranty / No Risk Life Time Warranty. Can anyone tell me the difference besides one is Blue and the other is Red?

All of the reloading industry has great CS. I have never had to pay for a part from any of them, but Lee was the most difficult, wanting me to return the defective bullet mold, my dime, before they would replace it. So paying for shipping w/o compensation kinda sucks.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

O.K. after 24 hours no one is going to get it.

When I got my new Hornady Primer Pocket Swage Tool I mounted it right away and saged 100 pieces of .223 only to find out that I had not removed the V- Block. In the prosses, I crushed the snot out of the Case Slide Rod Guide Spring. I sent this photo to Hornady telling them that I needed a new spring and because it was the loose nut pulling the handles fault The Bone Head wants to pay.

Now, this is what she told me "No charge the instructions for the swage tool didn't say HEY BONEHEAD REMOVE THE V-BLOCK" Not only did they send the spring they sent the next higher assy.

Now, Mr. OINK "I refuse to call anyone from LEO Oink"The only reason I posted this is to let everyone know that most of the other manufacturers have just as good of a warranty as Dillon.

 

[Skeet 028]

I posted this is to let everyone know that most of the other manufacturers have just as good of a warranty as Dillon.

You know....I've been reloading since way before Dillon. Before He came out with his reloading tools and before he adopted the no BS customer service model. Way before. Used RCBS equipment...Pacific,Lyman, Bonanza CH and many others. There was no warranty like Dillon's back then but you knew if ya broke something you would have to pay something for repair parts etc. There was no email/internet or even toll free calling way back then. But quite often you actually got to talk to the boss...or maybe the boss's son. if you did make a toll call. Sometimes you were taken care of for free..mostly not. Mike Dillon changed the Industry to what we have now. As the previous poster said..heck I boneheaded stuff too. and usually paid unless it was really stupid so I could be held up as an example(LOL). Not knocking that fact...just pointing it out...The real no BS policies truly started with Dillon. As was also pointed out Some companies are pretty good on their CS. Others not so much. Lifetime warranties?? Break a part for a discontinued press or whatever. Your lifetime or the machines? I did get great service from Fred Huntingdon way back in the early 60s. Made me a die for my mostly complete bullet swage set. The charge was minimal too...but I did expect to pay for it..We are honestly spoiled in the manner which CS has evolved. We surely can say that Customer Service in the reloading industry is absolutely the best. It would be great if it was universal with all companies for all their stuff.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

I would be a fool in not giving Dillon the credit in starting the warranty that most of the manufacturers offer now. But the fact remains that most do give a great warranty, Dillon and Hornady are all almost identical and RCBS is just as good for the person that bought the press and the lowly Lee warranty is as good as the Dillons 1050.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Agreed but for many hundreds of dollars less money, I'll opt for the Loadmaster. And from what I've heard, sounds like Lee has the priming snafu's solved with the newer Loadmasters.

You might as well use a single stage press. If ANY product you buy doesn't perform as advertised........IT'S JUNK...Buy once -cry once. Quality prevails. Always.

 

[Rodinal220]

My first Dillon press was a RL-450 that I bought in 1984/85. I paid something like 184.00 freight paid back then. I have never had a broken part(yet),I just keep it clean and lubed. Judging by Ebay sales I know what they actually sell for. I can get more today than what I originally paid.

Dillon's CS has always been good and when I visited their AZ store staff was friendly and attentive.

The 550 series would be more versatile for you, I never cared for the
SDB, I have loaded thousands on the SDB and much preferred the 450/550.

 

[jim lock]

IMO Dillon 550 is the best bang for your buck and the most versatile. Use it as a progressive or as a single stage. Case in mind-- Received a pail full of really crusty 45 amp brass, used my 550 as a single stage and knocked out all the primers so they could be cleaned.

 

[oysterer]

Dillon

Dillon and end it

 

[jim lock]

I believe all reloaders work well but its what we get used to and have confidence in. I have single stage and progressive, each have a place. I use a dillon 550 for 38 spl., 44 and 45acp. The 550 gives you an advantage of use as a single stage and progressive by this I mean you have to rotate by hand every stage, no problem pulling a case at any stage for inspection, powder chge, etc.. I personally like Dillon for the ease of one stop shopping, their dies etc. the accuracy is great for what I do. don't think you can go wrong with any of your choices. Jim

 

[gwpercle]

To answer your question...No , they don't come all set up , self contained and ready to go.
You still have to set it up , adjust it and work out any bugs.

I'm not good at fiddling and adjusting so after 50 years I still use single station. I find simple suites me best .
Gary