New Press!

[Gdawgs]

Well I've been thinking about upgrading to a progressive press for years now, but never pulled the trigger. I've been using my trusty Lyman turret press for many years and have many thousands of rounds through it.

Today I went out and picked up a new Dillon 550. Got it mounted and mostly put together. Going to finish the job tomorrow and start cranking out some rounds. Can't wait to give it a try.

[Nick_C_S]

Enjoy your new press. Let us know how it goes.

(I've been loading on single stage for 30 years. Been thinking a lot lately about going progressive.)

[USCS]

Great choice! Now go buy another. That way, you can set one up for large primers and the other for small. This saves a lot of time when switching between .40 and .45.

You will find Dillon makes a great product, and they damn well stand behind it. Through absolute stupidity, I managed to crack a shell plate. They replaced it free of charge. I have also found their tech. People to be well versed in their products and prompt with answers to questions.

[Shootest]

Through absolute stupidity, I managed to crack a shell plate. They replaced it free of charge.

Same thing happened to me, and the tec didn’t even tell me how stupid I was.

[1stmar]

Been loading on mine for 20+ years, I've yet to replace any part, best made piece of machinery. Switching between small and large primers takes about 5 min at most. Prior to my Dillon I was reloading off two lee pro 1000. At that time you could get one for $99.00 at midway. I was going to have one for every caliber. The shell plate and primer feed was giving more fits. Finally switched to Dillon, initially very disappointed. I was expecting auto indexing as the lee (this was well before the 650. But once I started loading, I easily exceeded 500 rds per hour, without ever having to "fix" anything and quickly fell in love. Best damn reloading product out there. It just runs. Makes you want to buy everything blue.... When will they make a single stage ! Enjoy ,,, great decision

[l98ster]

I can actually take their customer service one step better. I had a problem with the primer feed tube on my 550. After the tech insisted he stay on the phone with me while I take the primer system apart, we found that it was just dirty.

He then directed my attention (unprompted by me) to certain "wear items". Even after I told him that they looked in good condition, he told me that they would eventually wear, so he is going to send me a small parts kit!!

Dillon has me as a customer for life!!!

-George

[Gdawgs]

Well I got it setup and loaded up a handful of 9mm. Going to take them out to the range and test fire them before I do any more.

Initial setup is a bit of a pain and it's going to take a bit of getting used to this thing.

1 question for you guys, if you have some primers left over in the feed tube, what is the best way to get them out(besides loading more rounds)? I'm not seeing an easy way to do it.

[Vance]

No easy way to do it. You can remove the primer assembly and invert it over a tub (not reccomended). You can inver the entire press over a tub (not recommended either). You can remove one primer at a time by pulling down on handle without any cases in it and then push foreward on handle and primer punch will raise the primer up so you can grab it. repeat that as many times as neccesary. Or you can load only the number of primers you are going to use in the first place.

[Nick_C_S]

Addendum to Vance's suggestion: Do not grab primers with your oily bare hands. Use tweezers, foreceps, or hemostats. Or use gloves. It could be a non-issue, but I don't think it's a good idea to potentially contaminate primers with hand oils. As any electrician will tell you, hand oils are corrosive as all getout.

[Nick_C_S]

Gdawgs: Thanks for coming up for air and telling us how it went

[pete2]

On the primers, load all that are in the hopper. No easy way to dump them. You need the ammo anyway, right? Changing the primer from one size to the other turns out to be no big deal on the 550,, I haven't even had to adjust anything. Do keep everything clean tho.

[Gdawgs]

Yeah the primer thing probably isn't a huge deal, just something that crossed my mind while I was adjusting everything.

Do most of you use a separate seating die and crimping die? For the most part, I use one die to seat and crimp. I have a few calibers that I use two separate dies. For 9mm, my RCBS seating/crimp die, doesn't seem to play as well with the Dillon funnel expander as it does the RCBS expander. So I'm thinking of buying separate crimp dies for this thing.

[1stmar]

I use separate dies for seating and crimping

[Mavrick79]

I always have a set number I am going to load and make sure I have the components to do that and load in increments of fifty unless I'm working up a load.

I seat and crimp in separate stations

Changing the primers from small to large is no big deal, takes about 5 minutes, just make sure you get everything lined up and have NO feel when the primer cup goes through the shell plate base.

[Beanie-Bean]

GDawgs,

Congrats on the new 550! That was my first press, followed shortly thereafter with a Hornady single-stage. I've recently added a 650, but find myself loading on the 550 more than the others. It just feels more like home for me.

If you're going to be loading up some test rounds, just pick up the number of primers for what you'll be loading. That way, nothing will be left in the tube.

If your primers are still there and you haven't removed them, go ahead and remove the locator at Station #2. Load the empty brass and size/prime as you normally would, then pull the case off the shellplate at the next station after you advance. Do that until all of the primers have been loaded. When you're ready to load up some more, just start with the sized/primed cases at Station #2. Main thing to watch if you have to do this is to be sure that the case you're fixing to charge is in the shellplate all the way and pretty much centered, otherwise you'll crush or ding the case mouth when the platform goes up.

[pete2]

AS to seating and crimping with the same die, I used an RCBS die for a long time and it was flattening the nose on my 124 Berry plated bullets. I had RCBS make a nose punch to fit the bullet BUT the real problem was seating and crimping in the same operation. When I switched to the Dillon I bought the Dillon crimp die(still use the RCBS to seat w/o crimping) this eliminated the flat noses even with the old nose punch.

[Mike1]

Think you made a good choice. I load a bunch of stuff on my 550 (have over 30 conversion kits). I try to plan my loading based on primer size, since that, for me, is the most time consuming change. For the cartridges I load the most, I have a dedicated tool head, set up with powder die, and dies adjusted for the bullet I use the most. Saves a lot of time switching calibers. For many calibers I use a Lee Factory Crimp Die instead of trying to adjust one die for seating and crimping.

You didn't say what you're loading other than handgun. I use my press for both handgun and rifle loads, as well as for load development using one case at a time.

I normally have at least three extra primer tubes filled up before starting handgun or varmint rifle loads, since I usually load 300-400 rounds at a time.

When loading a lot, be sure to keep watch on your components, so you don't run out of something in the middle of the batch.

The little press on knobs that fit on your powder measure make adjusting very easy. Available at hardware stores.

Keep the press clean and lubed and you'll have trouble free loading.

Mike

[Crunchy Frog]

I have a Hornady progressive but most of my friends who have progressive presses have Dillons. Everyone that I know personally who has a Dillon sings its praises.

Brian Enos (reputed to know a thing or two about shooting and handloading) recommends the 550 unless you intend to add a casefeeder.

One of my oldest friends has been loading on a Dillon 550 for decades. He loads a lot of black powder cartridges these days and the 550 is great for that.

As for seating/crimping, I use a single die for both operations when I load revolver cartridges like .38/.357, .41 Magnum and .44 Special. For autopistol cartridges (9mm and .45 ACP) I prefer to seat and taper crimp in separate stages.

[Gdawgs]

Mike1, I pretty much just reload handgun rounds. I reload 327 mag, 380, 9mm, 38/357, 40, 44sp/mag, 45ACP, and 45C/454/460.

I started dabbling in a couple rifle rounds, although they are for handguns. I have a Rem XP100 chambered in 35 Rem, and another one in 7mm BR. My dad also has a couple E.Arthur Browns chambered in 6.5mm BRM and 7mm Ultimate Silhouette. If the weather ever warms up, I'd like to give those a whirl. But I have no intention of ever reloading these on the Dillon, or any of the big bore calibers, since those are pretty low volume. I'll just use my Lyman T-Mag for those.


So anyway, for now, I only have setups for 9mm, 38/357, and 40. That's what I shoot the most, so I figured I'd start there and add others later, most likely 327 and 45 ACP. I think I will pick up crimping dies. Seems like that's the way to go.

Thanks for all the info everyone!

Oh, Mike1, what does the powder measure knob that you put on look like? Got a picture of that? Sounds like a good idea.

[kerreckt]

I have used a Dillon 450 since 1983. Recently, bought a 550B and it is great. Nothing was wrong with the 450...it is still going strong after 100k+/- rounds reloaded over the years. I just decided to expanded my operation. I use the 550B mostly for handgun rounds and the 450 for .223. Works for me.

[Vance]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLUE-ROSETTE...item1c39b24287
This is what I got for mine.

[Mike1]

For knobs, see post 21. They are in hardware stores in the specialty nuts and bolts sections.

[Vance]

Yeah, only buy the ones off ebay if you can't find any at your local hardware store. Needs to fit a 7/16" bolt head.