Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Which Dillon?

I went ahead and made a short video of the 650 and how it works. If you are not in front of the camera and listening to tunes while you load, you can crank out a bunch of loaded ammunition in a short time...

Wow, I had to watch that 4 times before I ever saw the press, don't think you will run out of anything for a while. Thanks for taking the time to do a video.

I have some blue(black?) and some red ones.

Used two Hornady Projectors loading for my High Power Rifle habit. One for deprime, size/trim and a M die to open the neck up. The second one just prime, powder drop and seat bullet. Cleaned cases and debur as needed in between.

Later on I traded in one of the Projectors and $200 for a new LnL. Mostly use it for 9mm now. Kept the other Projector, it still works great. The new LnL required some tinkering to get it working decent.

Have a Super 1050 that most always is set up to run .45acp. I love that press. Its a little more complicated to set up and cost more but has a few features the 650/750 don't. Mainly it has a station to swage crimped primer pockets. That is a great feature for stopping the press when a small primer .45 case slips in. Also the primer is seated on the down stroke and the depth is adjustable.

Everything cost more now but I think I'd still go for a new RL 1100 if your budget allows, especially if you load a lot of the same ammo.

If cost is a thing the 750 will get it done just as quick.

I like Mr. shrapnel's primer tube filler, I'm using one of the pistol grip buzzers that don't work so well.

Good luck

I have a year to decide, they are all impressive, my grandson won't be back from Africa for a year. I plan to teach him on my single stage press, then surprise him with the automatic, might even buy him 2, I want him to have what I wish I would have had when I was young. At this point, money is no object. I just don't want my stuff sold in an estate sale. He only shoots 9's and .223 now, but as he gets older, that will change. I even heard scuttlebutt about sniper school in his future. Yes, I did study the 1050 and 1100. I read the reviews on every site that sells presses, it is a learning curve for sure. BUT the only negative I have read was on the LnL.

blind shooter,
I have to ask, what are those PVC pipes with the wire in them for?

IF you have really deep pockets the Mark 7 series of presses have a good rep in in the USPSA community.

The link below leads to their budget option.

https://www.markvii-loading.com/apex-10r.html

They are cleaning rod tubes. Not wire, para-cord so the PVC threaded caps don't get lost. Learned the hard way cleaning rods in a pile of match shooting gear will get ruined.

There are some wires hanging down from a LED light used on the press.

My shop is a mess.

The LnL IMO is hit and miss, some work great out of the box some not so much. Here is a thread worth reading if you're trying to fix one thats buggy.
https://www.ar15.com/forums/Armory/...d-AP-progressive-press/42-414607/?page=6

ETA, I would go blue all the way if I had it to do again. I got the red presses used for cheap.
And I like to tinker on chit like that anyway.

Dillon makes carbide dies and the 223 is available in carbide. You do not need to use lube but I give a couple spritz of Dillon case lube.
I have had 2. 550’s, 1. Square deal, 5. 650’s.
I prefer the 650’s especially loading pistol cases.
Hand rotation leave a possibility of a double charge in pistol rounds. Also avail is a lockout die which is a added safety measure. I wouldn’t wait until he returns, get it now and learn to use it. It will make loading with your Grandson more
Pleasurable in my opinion. In that time you will become proficient and be able to teach him the ins and outs of the press.

These are something else.

I pretty much have decided on the 1100 Dillon, with all the amenities. Will get it with the carbide .223 dies. I have the 9mm dies and a rather large box of brass. All the primers and powder. Now, I have to admit to my ignorance on loading 9mm. Never shot a 9 or loaded for one. Being old school, I'm a revolver man. I know my way around .38/.357, 44mag/special. My confusion is bullet weight for the 9. Should I order 115, 124, 147gr? I know it comes down to what the gun likes, but I do not have access to his gun. I want to get a couple thousand and be ready when he gets home, we will just load plinking, practice rounds for now. I do know he has a Beretta 92, but I have not seen it. He lives 1100 miles away when he is home.

I was pretty much in the same boat a couple of years ago. I ended up going with 124 grain. For your use the 115 or 124 would be more than good enough. Whatever you can find the cheapest, in stock and in bulk. I haven't used them myself, but Rocky Mountain Reloading is often recommended on here as a good source for bulk bullets. I'm still burning through some Xtreme bullets I bought before seeing the Rocky Mountain stuff.


https://www.rmrbullets.com/

I started out with a Dillon 450. No Tool Head, and no Star Wheel. Other than that it worked very well.
I sold it to a friend and replaced it with a 550. It was a very good reloader. Probably four or five years ago I got a chance to pick up a couple of as new 550's. My old 550 was sold to another friend, and I upgraded to the newest version of the 550, and my brother picked up the other one.
I have added Dillon Dies over the years in 38 Special, 40 S&W, 45acp and a second set for 45GAP. I also have 44 Magnum, I believe my 480 Ruger dies are still RCBS.
I prefer to index the rounds myself. I have a light so that I can check the case for powder. I also like the slower pace which allows me to check each primer to make sure it is in place and facing the correct direction before seating.
I am perfectly happy with the 550, and have no plans to upgrade to a faster press.

Bob R

I researched here before I bought mine I decided 750 and don't regret it at all great machine

I have two Dillon 550s and a square deal press .I have used them for 25 years they are far from perfect to say the least .Their famous for spilling powder and flinging the powder measure off .I actually stretched my 550 press trying to form brass on it so you need a regular press if you are going to format rifle brass. I WORE my first one out from that brass forming not made for that .They work pretty good with new brass if it's starline but alot of brass will give you total fits seating primers that's the other thing bad about them that primer system is not that good I has tons of problems with it too. HORNADY brass and dies gave me fits on my Dillon I stay away from them total junk .starline brass is awesome no problems from it It's hard to load little cases on the 550 too will wear your fingers out on anything littler than 357 .It's giving me total fits with 10 mm about to give up loading it .I had good luck loading 454 with starline brass 41 mag with starkine 357 rem max with rem brass .223 is terrible to load on it if you have once fired range brass I just quit loading it