So, I have been reloading for shotguns since I was a kid, and for rifles since I was in my early twenties. But I have never reloaded for handguns.
Coincidentally, I have recently caught the 1911 bug, and have just about decided to jump in feet first for a lot of reasons, among them the fact that I live in Cali.
I'll take all the input I can. Almost bought a Dillon 550 in the Free Classifieds here last week, and may regret not having done so, but ...
OK, so what machine for the long haul?
I take it buying 1000 rounds of factory .45 ACP ammo and saving the brass is a plan with some merit.
What should a newbie know going into this?
I have loaded on Dillon presses, and were I to go high-volume and a single chambering, I'd buy one. I ended up buying a Hornady LNL a few years ago, mainly because:
1) Price.
2) Ease and cost of changeovers
3) I wasn't going to do high volume (with automatic bullet and brass feeding)
I went from 50 rounds an hour on my Rockchucker to 200 rounds an hour, and that was what wanted. I now load 45 ACP, 357 Mag, 9mm and 223 REM on the Hornady LNL AP and do everything else on the Rockchucker.
If faced with your case, here is what I'd do.
1) Buy 500 rounds of whatever you want, and save the brass. That will hold you until you've got the loading down pat.
2) Buy a Hornady LNL AP, a Powder Cop die, and a Lee 45 ACP die set with the Factory Crimp Die.
3) Set up the press as follows:
Station 1: Size and decap
Station 2: Powder with a PTX (powder through expander) insert
Station 3: Powder Cop
Station 4: Bullet Seating
Station 5: Factory Crimp
4) Buy 1000 rounds of once-fired brass
5) Buy a bunch of Berry Plated Bullets of a type that will cycle through your pistol
If you price out what I just lined out, you'll find you are significantly under what Dillon is asking. The real kicker is when you go to your second chambering-- the cost of changeover, is much higher with a Dillon and requires more work. I'm also a big fan of the Lee Factory Crimp Die, and I could not find a better place for it than at Station 5 on the Hornady LNL AP.
Have fun. I can do 200 rounds of 45 ACP at a sitting, and that does me just fine. I'll load a bunch on a Saturday, do the changeover to some other chambering on Sunday, and have it ready for 200 rounds of whatever the next weekend.
Now, let me also say that my experience with Hornady LNL AP has not been perfect, but I can still attribute most of the trouble to the nut holding the handle.
