Hammer1

When not changing from a given cartridge family... And having dedicated toolheads... What am I missing ?

Would like to see that. I've seen him do it. Staying within a cartridge family, e.g., 243 Win, 260 Rem, 7mm-08 Rem, and 308 Win. First, he doesn't use the toolhead rachet. It's been permanently removed. So it is not a part of the toolhead swap. He is not changing anything on the bottom. No changes to the shellplate, case feed assembly, or primer system. Just disconnect the powder bar return rod and remove the toolhead bolt. Remove the toolhead. Install the replacement dedicated toolhead Replace toolhead bolt. Connect the powder bar return rod. Done. Oh, yes, double-check the powder charge being thrown -- which is marked on the dedicated powder measure on the dedicated toolhead. Think that covers it. Within these constraints, not much more complicated than swapping the toolhead on a 550 or 650.

Assume you have adopted wet cleaning for your brass using the Frankford system. Assume you are currently running the wet tumbler for two hours with your cleaning mixture. If you were to pause the process at the one hour mark, drain the dirty cleaning water, rinse the brass, and restart with fresh cleaning mixture... Would the brass be cleaner at the two hour mark than it otherwise would be ? If cleaner was not necessary, would it be "just as clean" after, say, another thirty minutes instead of running for another full hour ? Assume you do not have to do any of the work as you have teenage children who want to be helpful.

Don't know of any link to an online complete Dillon video. Mine are on DVDs purchased from Dillon. Earlier ones were VHS.

Have a friend who has over a dozen Dillon 1050s and has been using them heavily for umpteen years loading millions of commercial reloads. Uses bullet feeders whenever they're an option. For cleaning and lubrication, and the occasional repair, he tears down his 1050s routinely. So he knows them well. He thinks that changing the top with dedicated toolheads is no problem. Can do it in a couple of minutes. Caliber changes involving the bottom and especially anything requiring primer size changes are a bigger deal and he avoids them. Personally, I keep dedicated 1050 toolheads for any caliber changes and I don't do primer size changes. And whenever I am changing the bottom, I have the Dillon video on the screen and follow it pausing between steps - sort of like an airplane pilot's checklist.

Don't think you're going to make it as a grease salesman.

Is popping brass better with movie theater butter and salt ?

You have wet-cleaned your brass. Carefully rinsed it in water multiple times both in a 5 gallon bucket and while tumbling it in a conventional media separator with a water shower. Dried it thoroughly. Will whatever residue from the Dawn, Lemishine, or other soap/detergent affect the powder or primers once the cleaned brass is loaded ?

They have been laying outside in the Arizona sun for two days now. On a screen door hung horizontally two feet above a concrete patio so air can flow freely about them. Not sure if they're totally dry yet.

Can the Dillon 1050 be used to sort primer pocket sizes on the 45 ACP ? Assume the 1050 is setup for 45 ACP with large primers. Without modifying the press at all... Will the feel of the press at the primer pocket swaging station be enough to know when you have a small primer pocket case ? Then just remove the case at that station and keep going. Assumes a slow methodical rate of production.

. What is the best kitchen oven temperature to dry wet-cleaned brass ? At what temperature is the brass itself affected by high temperature ? .

. A sealed bag of 1,000 (+/-) range fired 45 ACP brass cases labeled “Grizzly Brass” was purchased. In general the brass looked pretty good. I have sorted all the brass in that bag trying to separate out the small primer pocket brass from the large primer brass. Found 31 different brands of cases in that single bag. Aguila Armscor USA Blazer CBC DRT ELO Federal * Federal * Fiocchi Freedom GBW Geco GFL Hornady *I* ICC ICC NTF Military Perfecta PMC PMP PPU Remington RWS Speer Starline Top Brass Tulammo USA Win NT Winchester Some brands had as few as one case in the thousand. Other brands filled a small Dillon blue bin. Counted 37 Blazer cases, which may be small primer pocket. Other brands of brass could be small primer pocket too. It only takes one case with a small primer pocket to jam up the works on your 1050. Found one 40 S&W case and two 38 Super cases in among the 45 ACP cases. There were two 45 ACP cases crushed beyond usability. .

What brands can I buy of 45 ACP brass and be assured that there are NO small primer pockets ?

Case mouth expansion on the Super 1050 for 45 ACP ? In the Dillon videos and in the print manual for the Super 1050, it refers to adjusting both the station three expander die and the station five powder measure die for creating the proper case mouth. If the expander die at station three is properly adjusted, what is further being done at station five as far as case mouth belling ? Or is the case mouth belling totally done at station five with the powder measure die ?

Do any of you use your Dillon presses as coffee table decorations to impress your wife's family, her inner circle of friends, or her business associates ? If so, which presses makes the best impressions ? 550, 650, or 1050 ? Do you use them singularly or in combinations ? Have you tried using them as centerpieces at formal dinners ? Or have you mounted one on the bumper hitch of her car for her to find having after parking at work in her reserved spot ?