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David Wile · June 18, 2001, 01:54 AM

Hey Cal,

I have quite a number of metalic and shotshell presses of various brands including Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, Pacific, and MEC. I like them all, and I still use them all. Nearly ten years ago I started thinking about getting a progressive press for metalic shells. I was interested in looking at RCBS, Hornady, and the Dillons, so I talked to a lot of people at the ranges to find a few who had these progressives and were willing to let me see how each model worked.

I saw them all, and I was able to actually use them all before I actually made a decision. If you took a poll on this site, I am pretty sure you would find there are more Dillon users out there than anything else. I did not, however, choose any of the Dillon models.

Everyone talks about how good the Dillon warranty is and how quickly Dillon replaced or repaired something that went wrong and that it did not cost anything. If you listen to such comments, you have to conclude the Dillon users are having a lot of problems that Dillon is fixing for them free.

I did not find that to be the case with the Hornady Lock n' Load. Hornady also claims to have a good warranty. I already had owned and used two Hornady progressive shotshell machines for quite a few years. Since nothing ever went wrong with my Hornady shotshell presses, I never had to have anything fixed or replaced under warranty.

Many of the Dillon users seem to have chosen Dillon because they can change shell heads and not have to change die sets. I suspect that Hornady came out with its Lock n' Load feature in response to the Dillon removable head feature. Both features do the same thing, but, quite frankly, I do not care for either of them. Not that they do not work, but rather, because I prefer to change my dies and reset a powder dispenser the old fashioned way.

The Hornady L&L is a massive five station press that works well and is a lot less expensive than a comparable Dillon. I would suggest that you actually see the different presses in operation before you make a choice. At that point, you might prefer a Dillon or some other press, but at least look for yourself. Do not take my word or anyone else's word for what they do.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

June 18, 2001, 01:54 AM	#3
David Wile Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2001 Location: Mechanicsburg, PA Posts: 585	Hey Cal, I have quite a number of metalic and shotshell presses of various brands including Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, Pacific, and MEC. I like them all, and I still use them all. Nearly ten years ago I started thinking about getting a progressive press for metalic shells. I was interested in looking at RCBS, Hornady, and the Dillons, so I talked to a lot of people at the ranges to find a few who had these progressives and were willing to let me see how each model worked. I saw them all, and I was able to actually use them all before I actually made a decision. If you took a poll on this site, I am pretty sure you would find there are more Dillon users out there than anything else. I did not, however, choose any of the Dillon models. Everyone talks about how good the Dillon warranty is and how quickly Dillon replaced or repaired something that went wrong and that it did not cost anything. If you listen to such comments, you have to conclude the Dillon users are having a lot of problems that Dillon is fixing for them free. I did not find that to be the case with the Hornady Lock n' Load. Hornady also claims to have a good warranty. I already had owned and used two Hornady progressive shotshell machines for quite a few years. Since nothing ever went wrong with my Hornady shotshell presses, I never had to have anything fixed or replaced under warranty. Many of the Dillon users seem to have chosen Dillon because they can change shell heads and not have to change die sets. I suspect that Hornady came out with its Lock n' Load feature in response to the Dillon removable head feature. Both features do the same thing, but, quite frankly, I do not care for either of them. Not that they do not work, but rather, because I prefer to change my dies and reset a powder dispenser the old fashioned way. The Hornady L&L is a massive five station press that works well and is a lot less expensive than a comparable Dillon. I would suggest that you actually see the different presses in operation before you make a choice. At that point, you might prefer a Dillon or some other press, but at least look for yourself. Do not take my word or anyone else's word for what they do. Best wishes, Dave Wile