I’m thinking about buying a progressive for loading handgun ammo, primarily 38sp but probably 45acp and 9mm too. I don’t shoot jacketed bullets, not sure if that matters. Mostly use Unique but could be persuaded to switch to ball powders if necessary. I know next to nothing about progressives. Don’t want to spend tons of $$ if I don’t have to.

Recommendations?

I'd get a 550.

Are you sure the volumes you're wanting to load necessitate a progressive?

You didn't say how many rounds you want to make in an hour but a 650 is more faster'er.

I generally load a couple hundred each 38, 44, 45, and 32mag on Saturday and burn them up on Sunday. Tired of sitting at the Rockchucker for half a day at a time

I've been using a Dillon Square Deal B for a couple of decades, still happy with it. Crazy thing though, I just looked at their website, the SDB is as much as a 550.

A Dillon 550 will crank that couple hundred rounds out in an honest 30 minutes pretty easy, and is a quality piece of gear. There are cheaper options, but most people never regret buying a Dillon.

The 550 works fine with lead bullets; you have stations to flare, seat, and crimp with separate dies so it goes pretty seamlessly. You should be able to use the dies you already have, but will need a powder die (and the matching powder funnel in the caliber conversion kit) for each toolhead you set up. You'll set the dies for each caliber into a toolhead, and can then swap out the toolheads to change calibers. The cadillac way to do it is with a separate powder measure that stays with each toolhead, but you can get by with just one powder measure if you want.

Most people advising that the 650 is a lot faster are comparing a 650 with a case feeder to a 550 without. If you don't use case feeders or bullet feeders on either one, the 650 is marginally faster but not by a lot. Downside to the 650 is cost and additional setup time. Case feeders are available for the 550 as well.

I occasionally time myself when loading large batches on the 550 - if I pre-load primer tubes and don't count that time, I can do 550 rounds per hour. Counting the primer tube refills (which is the actual real time spent) I'm at ~475 rounds per hour, maybe 450 depending what I'm loading and how smoothly it goes. That's without a case feeder.

^^^^^what he said^^^^^

I had 10 presses at one point, including a 650 and 1050B...now down to two 550s for hangun and a Redding T7 for rifle....

Unless you are a competitive shooter the 550 will make all the ammo you need...

Bob

I don't regret my Square Deal B at all.

Dillon.

Well, I would bet that even with conversion set ups you're going to spend the same amount of time doing that each Saturday because that's a lot of swapping on one press.

Unless you mean you're going to buy a few thousand brass for each cartridge and load once every three months or so. You'd see bigger benefits then I'm sure.

Reading your OP again I think I'd get a square deal for the .38 and .45 and buy all my 9mm.

I have owned a 550 and now own a Hornady. Both are great presses. I liked my Dillon 550. It is a great press.

Do consider the Hornady press as it has 5 stations which sometimes is an advantage when using Lee crimp dies, I like Hornady's powder set up better, I found it easier to go between small and large primers easier and it auto indexes. To get 5 stations and self indexing, you have to go to a Dillon 650. It also easier to remove cases from Hornady's shell plate for inspection.

For me, Hornady has matched Dillon's no BS warranty if a part breaks. It just took a call to their customer service and I explained the part breakage was my fault. They shipped a replacement part ASAP at no charge.

^^^^^^^^^
This. They are getting pricey. I have had mine for about 20 years. Dillion's customer service s top rate. I load 9mm, 38, .357, 45ACP. I have loaded 44 mag,but needed to run the bass thru a single sage press to size it first. The SDB is too light weight to do that.

I have used W231, Universal Clays, Unique, 2400, they all metered well

200 ea of 4 different rounds?! If you are single-staging 800 rounds per week then you are my hero! And...you're wasting a ton of your life, but that's why you're here, asking the question.

Your answer is a Dillon 550 with with extra heads so you don't have to lose time setting dies. Given current ammo prices, I'd still buy factory 9mm at $8.50/box. Save the brass for when the market turns.

Good luck!

My Square Deal has kept me happy for a couple of decades. Loading 45, 38, 357
Shot PPC for quite a few years so the SD has provided me with quality ammo in the tens of thousands over the years.

Typical loading session would be a 5 gallon bucket of 45s.

Hope this helps.

I recently gave my Hornady to my middle son, new to handloading. He loaded a 100 manually, read up on it and watched YouTube videos and is now spitting them out in earnest, 45 ACP and 10mm at this point. It is a solid option.

Anybody use an RCBS? Just asking in case I run across a deal on one.

I have a SDB for 38/357 used Unique in it no problem but hardcast SWC's worked with less hassle than my normal wheel weight mix. If your going to go a progressive route you need to get more brass period 1-2k each cartridge. MB

Using Hornady's lock and load bushings, set requires no adjusting of dies.

Dillon 550 and have plenty of brass on hand.

Load the high volume cartridges by the ammo can or two and you will be making full use of the press and you rtime.

I get this rig set up I’m going to have to buy a bigger lead pot and bigger than 2 cavity molds. I’ll probably need to start powder coating to save time too. I can see this costing upwards of a grand in no time.

I'm partial to the Dillon SDB, mainly because I use one to load 9mm, 45acp & 44mag. But given the cost and speed, I'd recommend a Dillon 650xl. I don't recommend a 550 because it is not auto indexing, and brain farts cause double charges.

I've been using the same Dillon 550B for about 30 years and think it is a great press. But, I have to agree with deflave that loading 4 calibers, including different primer sizes, is going to result in multiple shell plate changes and at least 1 primer tube change (for .44 and large primer .45 cases) that is going to eat into the time savings unless you crank out higher volumes of each caliber. At some point I am going to get another one and keep one set up one for large and one for small primers.

The initial cost of the tool heads and shell plates are going to run up the initial cash outlay. Also pay attention to the pieces/parts of the shell plates and pins. Some work across different calibers if you just swap out the powder funnel and, sometimes, locator pins. A .45 ACP shell plate and pins also work with .308 and .30-06 class guns with just a powder funnel change. A .223 shell plate and pins work for .380 (edited to add: use the powder funnel for 9mm). They don't tell you that stuff, so you can wind up buying duplicates of the same stuff if you don't look at the individual parts list before ordering.

About a year and I/2 back I found a 5 cavity gang mold at the local gun show made Arsenal Molds used a Lee gang mold handle. Man alive that thing will turn out mega bullets in a hurry. MB

I have the XL 650 but if I just wanted to reload 38 Spl, 45 ACP & 9 mm, I'd get the SDB.

I think initially I’ll probably just get setup to load 38s. I have more revolvers chambered for it and shoot it the most anyway. All the tool heads and stuff will add up pretty quick. I have two single stage presses, need to get jr trained up and running one!

I feel your pain Thekid, I still load them one at a time too.

One of the Dillons. Look at their website and you can probably figure which will best serve your current and future needs.

Tag / bump

Haven't used any brand of progressive but Dillon. I used to shoot enough that I had a pair of 550's, one set up for small primer and one large, mainly because it's a PITA to change over the primer feed and get it running smoothly again. 300 rounds per hour is an easy relaxed pace on the 550, and the Dillon powder bar gets along with Unique pretty okay, though Universal meters better.

Cheyenne (and, as much as I hate to admit, 'Flave too) makes great points about caliber changes, it's not a drill I'd want to do for 4 different cartridges every Saturday. My large primer setup turned out 45 ACP on a continuous basis, with the small primer job filling an ammo can with 38 Special a few times a year. If you've got enough brass I'd go the ammo can route and stagger the caliber changes by week or month as needed.

My XL650 has made 9mm and 40 so much more enjoyable to load.......$$ well spent!

This or a 650 and source all small primer .45 brass to avoid swapping primer sizes. Or two 650's, one j. Small and one in large primer.

Get a Dillon 550 and don't look back.

For whatever reason, the shooting sports and reloading tends to attract cheapskates who will try to squeeze a two nickles and a penny out of every dime if they think they can get away with it. The smart play in the long run is to just get a Dillon 550, and not end up upgrading later.

I am a very long ways from wealthy. In fact with 3 kids (one who rodeos) a dog and a wife, I don't have a dollar to spare at the end of the month, but I learned early that reloading on Dillons was the only way to go if I wanted to shoot much at all.

Turret presses for precise rifle loading, and Dillons for volume pistol stuff and .223.

This.

You really do have to rethink how you load to get the most out of one of a progressive loader. Use any other type of press for working up loads, but once you find a keeper, get 5-10k pieces of brass and load all of them before you swap to another caliber and do the same. Otherwise, you'll spend more time converting/adjusting the press than you do loading.


Okie John

Kid, gonna go out on a limb and guess that you're using an RCBS Rockerchucker ATM.

I have and use an old RCBS Case Kicker that I bought decades ago. Unfortunately no longer made by them.Quite literally load as fast as you can pull the handle.Not too hard to cobble up a reasonable facsimile if you want.Love my Dillon Square Deal BTW just putting up an alternative that's inexpensive.



Or buy the current aftermarket version .

Had one. Didn't care for the non indexing.

YMMV.

How about the Square Deal if it's for handgun ammo?

The non indexing of the 550 is blown up on the internet to be a way bigger deal than it really is. It just doesn't make that much difference, except the non-indexing 550 is easier to deal with when something goes wrong.

Some of the guys in this thread are making a way bigger deal about caliber changes than it needs to be as well. It takes about 2 minutes to swap calibers if you have them already set up in toolheads; it's really no big deal. Swapping primer size is also pretty easy, and getting it lined up again is automatic if you think about what you're doing.

Interesting choice of words. The 550 is THE best 38spl revolver destroyer ever devised. And busted plenty of pretty 1911 grip panels, and sent many a Glock to the garbage bin.

I'm a big believer in auto indexing because machines don't have senior moments.

Certain people should just stay away from reloading.

This is absolutely true.

To the OP, Dillon 550.

Two if you can afford them.

Another one recommending Dillon's 550
Great Press for sure

Nothing wrong with the very fine Dillon 550 but I must wonder how many of those recommending actually own one.

Sounded like the OP in his first post was looking for a dedicated pistol progressive.

One of the guys that used to work for me as well as his wife are very high volume shooters using the Square Deal to feed their guns. They told me long ago it's their custom send their SD back to Dillon every 20,000 rounds for a checkup. Rarely does it need anything.

JMHO

I bet most of the people in this thread recommending them own them. Don't try to discredit people just because recommend something different than you.

Given the cost difference between the SDB and 550 is pretty small these days, I see very little reason to tell anyone to get a SDB instead. Might as well get the bigger/better press that's more versatile if a guy's starting from scratch.

The 550 is certainly the better all-around press vs the SDB. But that is an apples to oranges comparison. What I like about the 550 is more space for fat fingers and you can load more than pistol rounds.

I encourage people to cause double-charges so they understand how it can happen (it can happen on the SDB too). And if you shoot revolver, learn how to cause squibs too.

Agreed.

I did T&E with several progressives before I bought my first Dillon. Exemplars included Lee, RCBS, Hornady, and Dillon. I went with Dillon and am a confirmed Dillon customer. Top quality equipment is always a good investment, and Dillon's customer service is second to none.

I did not by a 550. I think it's a great press, and if you're only going to buy one quality press for all your loading needs, it's a great all-around performer. But it's a lot slower than a well set-up progressive if you're looking at volume reloading. If your primary reloading mission is hi-volume quality pistol ammo, it's not the best choice.

So my first Dillon was a 650, which is a phenomenal piece of equipment. Mine was purchased when I was shooting a lot... as in 10K to 20K rounds of a single caliber every summer. One year I shot almost 30K rounds of 45 Auto and 38 Special in competition and practice. The 650 was the only way I could get that done with decent economy of dollars and time. The Dillon 650 is the best press I've used when it comes to high volume reloading. You need to set it up with the case feeder to get the most out of it, though. It can be set up for rifle or pistol ammo, too, so it's versatile in that respect. But it takes at least 30 minutes to switch over from one caliber to another, perhaps another 10 minutes if you're changing primer sizes. I typically set my 650 up for one load and caliber, then load a ton of ammo over a period of weeks. Currently mine is set up to load .223, but I'm running low on 45 ACP so will be making the caliber switch soon, and it will probably stay set up for 45 for a while.The progression of the 650's shell plate is rock solid reliable, so double charges just can't happen. And the low-powder sensor station makes squib loads a non-issue. I have never had either an overcharge or a squib come out of my 650, and we are talking about many thousands of rounds. That reliability is absolutely worth the price of the press.

My other progressive is the Dillon's SDB. I keep mine set up for 38/357 most of the time, but I'll switch it over 9mm in minutes when I need some little bullets. It's a nice way to crank out a couple hundred rounds in a hurry if you want to go shooting later the same day. Dillon's Square Deal B gives you a lot of bang for your buck if you want to load pistol ammo only. The toolheads can be set up and left in proper adjustment, and once you've got that done,caliber changeover takes about 15 minutes. It's not as fast as the 650 but unless you're loading for an entire season of competition, you won't notice the difference. I know guys who keep one SDB set up for large primer and one for small primer, which isn't a bad way to go if you're shooting a lot of ammo that needs both.

Thanks for all the info guys. I’m thinking the SDB is going to be the best fit for my needs and budget right now. I’m not planning to load anything but handgun ammo on it so that’s not an issue. Probably buy one setup for 38s to get off the ground and buy tool heads for 45 and 32 down the road.

Depending on the die sets you own now the SDB might not be cheaper - the SDB uses special dies and you would have to re-buy the dies you currently own.

I think you will be happy with an SDB and there are some good deals on CL and some on Ebay if you want used.

I bought three SDB's with boxes of parts, tool heads, dies and plates, put one together and sold it and the spare dies and paid for the whole lot <<< so FREE

I am not into high volume rifle shooter and if I was, I would not touch the the 550 and go straight to the 650.

One SDB is set up for small primers for 380 and 9mm and the other large primers for 10mm.

In my opinion, there is no real need to send a SDB back to Dillon, buy a small parts kit and replace the parts and be back in business in a few hours.

Enjoy and be safe.