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I have a couple of beam scales I've used over the years . . . don't use them anymore though! The auto dispensing digital scales, though pricey at $300+, are amazing and will spoil you in a hurry. I have the RCBS Chargemaster http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=772151. You can set the weight you want it to throw, it even slows and trickles the poweder grains as it finishes each charge. You take the precision weighed powder, pour it into the cartrige case, put the little pan back on the scale, and while you seat and finish loading the case, the Chargemaster precision meters out and weighs the next load for you. For doing precision rifle cartriges on a single stage press, it can't be beat for accuracy and convenience. bumper

That automatic poweder thrower sure is nice though. Pour the powder into the funnel and place the pan back on the scale. The the RCBS weighs the next round while you finish loading the previous round. When you get ready for charging the next case the charge is sitting there waiting, all measured and accurate. Luxury? Heck no - - I NEED that!

It's not surprising at all that the primers backed out! Nor that the depth of the firing pin indentation was significant. Consider that when firing a normal round with powder, the brass is driven back against the bolt, this keeps the primer from backing out further than flush with the case. With primer only and no poweder, the force (thrust) of the primer drives it back out of the case, but the case does not move back against the bolt as it would normally - - rather it moves forward as much as it can, being first driven forward by the impact of the firing pin and then by the explosion of the primer. Meanwhile the primer backing out of the case allows the relatively soft metal cup to "form", to a degree, around the still extended firing pin. bumper

I've had no problems at all with the X-treme bullets I've purchased during the last 6 months. I've used the .38 158 round nose and the .40 cal in both 165 and 180 grain. The .40 cal 180's are over 4.7 TG. No keyholing at all out of a Sig Saur P229, bullets are consistant weight and accurate. Have no clue as to how the 9 mm behaves, but I'd think they would be fine. bumper

+1 for lanolin . . . but, there is a problem. Sent my wife out to get some, she comes back with two small tubes of the the stuff that is labeled for use on nursing women's breasts. Now, whenever I put a dab on my hands to lube the cases, I tend to get severely distracted from the task at hand . . . Yeah, I'm sick. But the lanolin does work really well! bumper

I use "way oil" on my guns and on my machine tools. Folling "lifted" from Union 76 site. " . . . is a compounded oil specifically designed for use on heavily loaded machine tool slideways. It contains a special extreme pressure additive that allows machine tool carriages to start easily and move smoothly throughout their travel, thus preventing stick-slip problems. A tackiness additive improves adhesion and prevents the oil from being squeezed off the slideways. Additional additives provide rust and corrosion protection . . ." No detergent or dispersent additives to keep dirt suspended in the oil. Sticks nicely in place. Has pressure addititives to minimize or eliminate wear. bumper

The Dillon RF-100 works well, once you add a lamp dimmer so you can adjust the intensity of the vibrator. I have mine set up for small primers, and as delivered from Dillon was getting at least 2 - 4 per hundred upside down. With the dimmer, it's absolutely flawless. Besides, it's fun to watch

I tried searching the arhives - - no joy. What's your favorite load for the 45-70 Government? I've got a RCBS 405 grain, gas check, bullet mold ordered. This is for a Marlin lever 1895 GS guide gun. Hard cast bullets for bear protection while airplane camping. Also plan to experiment with loading some cases with #6 shot. Any suggestions appreciated. bumper

Also make sure the yellow (for small primer) plastic pick-up end is fully seated on the aluminum tube. If not, it may allow enough ID for a primer to flip over. bumper

I'm sorry for what you are going through. It's one of the real sadnesse in life that such good and loyal friends live such a short while. Last year we lost our golden retriever, Bonnie, to cancer. Clyde, her brother, then went everywhere with me so he wouldn't miss her so much, just like when he was a pup - - if I left him at home when he was young, he'd have bonded first with my wife as even snakes will bond with her. Last month we lost Clyde too. He was just over 11 and had been slowing down for awhile. Fortunately it was quick, I suspect a heart attack. When he was still here, I used to worry some about how I might deal with it after he died - - I couldn't imaging how I could. There were tears, but I didn't bawl like a baby, might have been easier had I done that. My plan was for Clyde and I to grow old together, but he passed me up. I still shuffle my feet on the carpet when going to bed, so I don't step on him in the darkness. During the last few weeks he'd taken to sleeping closer to my bed than on his. I miss him. bumper

I keep my primers on the wood burning stove. Keeps 'em dry and when the occassional one goes off, it really bothers the cat. bumper

A daily dose of mineral oil is very important if there's too much lead in your diet. Mineral oil is key in helping to prevent lead fouling of the sphincter muscles. Lead build-up here can result in high peak pressures and y'all know that exceeding maximum proof test pressure would get ugly. bumper

I bought an RF-100 in spite of the negative posts I've read on the forum . . . I mean, Dillon sells it, how bad could it be? I'm using small primers and have a goodly sized stock of Federal - - probably the most problematic brand according to the posts. Well, first off, I finally got the RF fixed so it works reliably with all primers the right way up, but it didn't start out that way as received. Out-of-the-box I was getting 3 or 4 flips per hundred. They were all flipping just as they went into the little blue bushing to drop into the tube. I tried all the recommended fixes (except the mouse pad and dimmer). Putting foam between the tube and column helped, so did the "fixes" recommended by the Dillon techs (shimming the "A" thing up a bit and trying the "B" thing. This all worked to get maybe only 1 flip per hundred. Much better, but sort of like knowing you are only going to get shark bit once when you go swimming. i.e. totally unacceptable. BTW, I agree with all those previous posters who've arrived at the conclusion that the RF-100's vibration level is probably set to handle large primers. However, this level of vibration is too much for the small primer. Also, that the RF operation will be affected by how level it is (mine's level) and by how firm and stable the surface is (mine's firm). Called Dillon again and asked them about using a dimmer. Tech said they tried that and for unknown reasons didn't go with it. Down to Home Depot to get a 600 watt dimmer (the kind that goes in a single-gang box). Wired it up as part of a short extension cord so as to provide a 3-prong socket. Now the RF works perfectly, some 1000 primers later, still not a single one upside down. Now I will admit that I'm a slow learner and I still don't completely trust the RF - - so I watch it every time to make sure it behaves. This may have something to do with why it's working so good? Happy that my RF is no longer just a paper weight, I called Dillon to find out just why they do not build a dimmer into the RF since it seems like a good idea. Yup, it should cost lots to make the initial change but probably less than $10 ea for parts. It's such a simple and workable *fix* that they must have a very good reason not to have made the RF-100 more usable - right? After talking with a couple of the good folks there (none with the last name of Dillon), I was led to believe that, "Yes, they are well aware that the dimmer is the fix" and that the decision not to do it was made by someone with a last name starting with "D". I have a message in to that person, who won't be in 'till next week. I'll report back on what I'm told. Disclaimer: I'm a recent XL-650 customer (maybe 3 months). I'm really impressed with Dillon's overall quality, design and warranty. This is the reason I find the the RF-100 such a conundrum - - an elegant design that doesn't quite work properly. Dillon needs to do what it takes to make it right. bumper

I used to be a cop in Oakland California (10 yrs) . . . that's not a country to be in without a gun either bumper

Is a light dimmer a good idea for a motor speed control? I always thought that dimmers just dropped the voltage, while actual motor speed controls oscilated the power at the proper voltage. It's probably not a problem for small adjustments or for motors designed to operate at variable voltages. In this case, it's not a problem at all. The vibrator in the RF100 isn't a motor at all, it uses an electromagnet. Oh, and I agree, adding a dimmer solved my primer flipping in the tube issues. bumper