Boxerglocker

Added the "NOT" in my original post.... BTW, the Failsafe Shoulder Washer is a standard part in the XL650 spare parts kit. Good to have a kit handy minimizing downtime.

Powder funnel.... the wet tumbling essentially make the brass too clean and extremely skeptical regarding your choice of case lube (I use HOS) I would give your powder funnel a good polish and change your lube or go back to dry media cleaning.

Most likely over torquing the wing nut. Set it with a case in station #2 that has a spent primer in it. Push the handle forward and hold. Tighten the wing nut to compress the spring but NOT completely, leave a little room. I use a credit card and place it between the 2 coils, tighten so they barely hold the card.

The ring impression around the center, meaning on the ogive? If that is the case just knocked the edge of the stem cup with a couple swipes using 600-800 grit sandpaper to smooth the sharpness off, then polish with a dremel. If the ring is at the center (point) suggestions above are in order for a custom stem.

Most seating dies are the same with the exception of the Redding and a couple others. The Redding completion not only gives the convenience of micrometer adjustment, it also has a floating stem and sleeved thus reduces bullet run out. The Hornady seater is also available with a crude but effective micrometer knob and also has a floating bullet alignment sleeve and stem considered to be the poor mans Redding Competition Seating Die.

Centering your dies withing the threads of your toolhead bores will help. Load all stations with dummy rounds and/or empty cases. Pull handle down, hold (having someone do it for you makes it easier. Loosen all dies slightly, pull the handle up/down until the toolhead moves a 1/4 inch or so a couple times. Hold the handle down again and torque your dies back down.

Yes, all the mentioned ones will work. I personally prefer Dillon dies for my 9mm, although I have a Redding Competition Seating for easier adjustments. Some prefer the Lee sizing die stating it sizes lower down the case. I machine the bottom of my Dillon sizing die down a little to do the same. I prefer the Dillon taper crimp die and loath the Lee Factory Crimp as it sizes down the bullet and creates accuracy issues (more so for Lrn, plated or moly rather than FMJ) YMMV

You can most certainly, remove the decap pin and resize those cases.

After setting my dies and final torque with a an actual torque wrench. I stripe each nut with inspectors anti-sabotage putty http://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Tool-Supply-Torque-Seal/dp/B005VR212M. If the nut loosens even the slightest bit the stripe will crack/ break. Instant visual indicator. Before switching over to loading 9mm on the S1050, I used my XL650. I did the same with my dies on that tool head and never touched them for years.

How do you run the Lyman M die in #5 with the trimmer in #4? I run a full length die in #1, my trimmer in #3 (RT1200) and an M die in #5. I set my full length die to size about 60% of the case (removes the primer, shapes up the neck and starts the sizing process). I like this set-up because the trimmer seems to do a better job (more consistent OAL) when the brass has a good neck and is close to being fully sized but still never spins. I have also tried a number of dies and I like the Lee .223 die for station because of how the depriming rod works (helps with the slightly smashed necks) and it is sufficient for the partial sizing. I use a Forster for my loading set-up which ensures everything is sized properly and their is no debris/pins in the flash hole. Sorry Typo, station #3 is where I had the trimmer. I used a toolhead with uniquetek threaded inserts and low profile allen head screws instead of the pins.

In the entire time I have use my previously mentioned set-up. I have never had this happen. Dillon FL dies are essentially small base, I set up my die to within 0.001-2 of my final shoulder bump at station 1 and the final bump and trim with the RT1200 trim die. Remember the RT1200 size and trim die is a little tight in most cases anyways, hence some such as myself using a Lyman M die.

My XL650 .223 brass prep toolhead.... FL Dillon sizing die at Station 1, Dillon RT1200 at Station 3, Lyman 22 cal neck expanding (M) die at Station 5. Never had a problem with this set-up, FL and Trimming dies matched using a case gauge and verified with a Hornady case comparator. I cleaned my brass is 50/50 corncob and walnut prior, lubed with Dillon case lube and tumbled again to remove it for one hour afterwards. These days I use my Super 1050 for all my case prep with the same die set up, obviously advantage is adding the swage.

Try "centering " your dies in their threads. Pull the handle, hold it down, platform full up. With dummy rounds of cases in all stations, loosen all the die nuts slightly. Allow the dies to center within their threads and retorque.

Safariland ELS is the easiest switching, most versatile system for 3Gun by far. I have 7 plates and add or remove, AR and Pistol mag pouches and Invictus shot shell carriers as required. My pistol holster is on a QLS so it's nice to pull it off the belt and place it in the bag. You could get away with a battle belt set-up for smaller local matches but as round counts increase along with more complex stages, ELS is priceless IMO.

Make sure the triangle block that pushes the case into the the locator has not loosened and moved back. Place a primed case in station 2, with a shell in station 1, push forward on the handle and hold. Loosen the allen head screw, push the triangle block in the fully forward position and torque the allen head screw tight.

If you concern is just for load development. I have both the Uniqueteks and the Hornady Auto Charge never thought of using it for pistol load development as your describing but that would work. The micrometer is pretty accurate though when plotted on the spreadsheet, does not take long to bust out batches of 10 test loads.

If this is the case then the XL650 is the way to go. The 550B with a case feeder will get you maybe a 25% increase. The XL650 with the casefeeder and AUTO INDEX will get you 50%

I had my XL650 set-up in the spare room of my apartment for a couple years. 4 inch convex mirror from walmart auto section $1.99 stuck to the ceiling with a little double backed tape. Worked fine and came off easily and unnoticeable that it had ever been there once removed. If your not sure about the double back tape, use those 3m wonder stick on products.

The one and only time I've had this issue discussed is prior to adjusting the metal tab as show in the pic. I wanted to add that, when I first got my case feeder plate. I noticed a sharp flashing on the cutouts, a little swipe with 500 grit sandpaper wrapped in a dowel smoothed those out.

Based on your said requirements the XL650 would suit you well for LOADING both .223 and 9mm. However, rifle is a 2 stage loading process, brass prep and then loading. I started loading .223 with a XL650, for the first couple thousand rounds it was fine... hand swaging military crimp brass with a super swage. I quickly realized that swaging brass in a separate step just was very inefficient. I bought a 1050 and haven’t looked back. I know fully process all my .223 brass in 4-5K batches on the 1050 with a RT1200, then load it on the XL650. I have found complete conversions / cleaning / lubing the press not to be too bothersome. It take me about 45-60 minutes. I leave the press set up for brass processing for a couple weeks then convert it back to 9mm. I really like loading 9mm on the 1050 as the swaging helps alleviate stoppages when I come across any military crimped 9mm.

The case feeder on the 650? Cause they have one for the 550. Its a little better value to put a case feeder on a 550 than it is on a 650 which sways me to the 550. Only better value if you stick with pistol only calibers... 650 you can do either or, and you get auto indexing, plus and extra station for a powder check or even bullet feeder later down the line.

That's only one factor... I believe that the amount of time the individual wants to spend behind the bench is the major issue. I personally prefer spending only 16 hours to load 15000 rounds of 9mm on a 650, rather than 30 hours. (550-500/hr, 650 900/hr).

I don't know about the Prairie Dog but I own the Uniqueteks and have done a spreadsheet for every powder I own and it's pretty dang consistent, providing you do your final adjustment clockwise.

I own 2 of the UniqueTek Micrometer Powder Bar Kits and wouldn't go without them. Two differences I see that would concern me with the Prairie Dogs, the knurled dial is plastic not metal, the end A-Corn cap nut rather than a machine screw in the UniqueTek.