Tokarev

Anyone know a shop offering the Dawson DPO cut to 2011 slides as an aftermarket option? I tried Dawson who told me to call Staccato. Staccato told me to call Dawson. TIA!

I have been shooting a DR920 since this model was introduced. I've used it primary with factory Glock mags. The gun has been fine and I don't recall ever having a malfunction with it even during the so called break in period. I'm running a TLR-1 light and Holosun 508T on it. I recently picked up one of the new XR920s that is directly milled to accept the Aimpoint ACRO. I am running a Steiner MPS on it. I don't have a ton of rounds through it but it has also been trouble free.

In case anyone's looking, Hodgdon has quite a bit of data on the Reloading Data Center. Lots of powders to include the Ramshot line. I've been using a milsurp 4895 powder and hydro-formed 7.62x39 brass. Mixed head stamps so case capacity is a bit all over the place but I'm happy with the results so far. One of these days I'll make it out to the nearest 1K spot and see what my loads will do at distance. Just for reference I'm using a Faxon 16" barrel. 100-ish grain bullets are running 2,450-2,500.

So where are we now in the waning days of 2020? Is the ZEV worth buying for any reason at all? To me the Compact or X is the pistol to buy. As I understand it, the Compact is a G19 format and can be used as a 19, 17 or 34 by swapping out the appropriate ZEV slide and barrel and grip shell. Recoil spring assembly remains the same across the platforms but the spring itself may need to be changed. I don't know if ZEV makes a G26 frame module but that might be a nice option as well. Some of this is marketing hype as I assume most people will configure the gun into one format and leave it as such. Still, it might be nice to have the option to convert to something else later on down the road.

I see Lee and RCBS both offer dies now. Anyone seen non-Hornady brass yet? I assume Starline has brass on the way.

Maybe old news for some but it is new news to me. It is about time Dillon sought a factory automation system. They should have probably done this years ago. https://ammobot.us/ Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Not really. The Lee FCD is hardly a special die. Heck it comes standard with many of their die sets. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

My Redding dies look they they were stored outside after just a few years in VA humidity. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Maybe I will give him a call and backorder 30 Carbine. With that said, do I really need to? The Lee trimmer with cordless drill adapter works pretty well. I'm talking about the Quick Trim or whatever they call it and not the trimmer deal with the decapping pin case length deal. What I do is full length size and deprime then trim using a Lee hand press and a cordless drill motor. To save some aggravation I have taken the deburr and chamfer blades out of the Lee cutter and am just using it as a straight up trimmer. No real need to chamfer since cases are getting flared prior to bullet seating. The above works okay and goes pretty quick although it is a complete extra step that's done off press. Fortunately I don't shoot tons and tons of Carbine so it isn't a huge hassle. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

That's what I was afraid of. He says he's OOS on the 30 Carbine die and won't make another run for probably 18 months. I guess I'm stuck with the Lee Quick Trim for the foreseeable future. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Who's 30 Carbine die are you using? Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

So here's a hypothetical for those like myself who'd like to have a trim option. It doesn't sound like a Dillon trim motor will fit into the top of the press. Or more correctly the handle won't clear the motor. So what would happen if the trim motor was placed in the bottom of the press? Could a shell holder adapter be put into the top of the press? This would mean the trimmer would hang upside down and the cases would be plunged down into it. Obviously the case feeder system wouldn't work so cases would have to be manually inserted. The other thing I kind of wonder about is the vacuum manifold. Would it fit underneath? Does the press overhang the bench enough for all this to fit underneath? Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

I figured the trimmer was a Mark 7 product even though it is on the Lyman site. I poked around on the MK7 site but didn't see anything about a trimmer or dies. What do we know about it so far? Similar design to Dillon with a plastic vacuum hose adapter that clamps around the die? Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

It would seem so. I don't see anything about the press mounted trimmer online yet but the trim dies themselves appear to be available. So far it looks like 223, 308 and 300 BLK. https://www.lymanproducts.com/brands/lyman/dies-die-sets/pro-dies/lyman-pro-trim-dies

Just a guess but I don't think that new handle will clear the vacuum adapter. It would be nice if it would but does Lee even remotely care about Dillon compatibility? You'll probably have to make something or hope Inline Fab comes out with something that will work. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

A new Dillon tool head is about $35. Aftermarket ones from Jofer and similar are a little cheaper. But a tool head isn't part of the standard change kit. The standard kit comes with a shell plate and the little brass case pins, case feed bits and a powder funnel. Another plus to the Hornady; I like the spring that runs around the shell plate. No small pin to accidentally drop into the trash or have bounce across the floor and roll under the loading bench. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

I know H has shims. Personally I'd like to see something entirely different. A Dillon-ish tool head. Or maybe something like Lee's bushings with the spring-loaded detent. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

I see the benefits in certain situations. Yours, for example, is the perfect reason to be able to swap seating and expanding dies. Personally I've found the bushings sometimes so tight they're hard to lock and unlock. Sometimes they are the opposite. I've had a powder measure unlock and come up with the case. The key is probably to have spare o-rings and swap them out when bushings get a little loose. Even then I've seen some bushings are still relatively easy to turn. Hornady makes a brass washer/shim that's supposed to fix loose bushings. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Finally someone who uses the twist out bushings. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

That manifold might work. Who wants to be a Guinea pig? Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Don't sell Hornady's warranty short. It doesn't seem to get talked about much but I'll put it against anything. Long story but I inherited a LNL AP that was missing many parts. All it really was was a stripped press and a #1 shell plate. I could have simply ordered the parts needed to get it all running but I decided to send it to Hornady to let them clean and service the press. As part of this, they installed a new primer system and primer catch bottle and tube and a set of bushings for the tool head. Cost to me? Shipping. Who can argue with that? Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Nothing. But it can take some fiddling. Once set it works fine. The Dillon requires no fiddling. Just change the shell plate and the associated colored plastic bits and it works. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Last I was using a P1000 I sized on the press then primed off using a hand tool. I'd prime up 500 cases or so. Then I'd set the press up with powder at station 1, seater at station 2 and crimp at station 3. With the Lee's short little throw and not having to fiddle with the primer system the little press will sing! Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Again, I think the only advantage Blue has over Red is the case feeder. But the Hornady can be used quite well w/o the feeder. The 650 not so much. Otherwise both machines drop out a loaded round with each pull of the handle. Both the machines both are 5 station so no benefit there either. Both primer systems hold 100 primers and both factory powder measures hold about a pound of powder.... The other benefit, perceived or real, is aftermarket support. All kinds of mods for Blue that aren't even a thing with Red. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

I think that's right. As I said in one of the other threads; I like the LNL and think it is a capable machine but it is a little long in the tooth. It is based on the Pro-Jector (and Pro-7 I believe that even older press was called) and could use an update. The last update I can remember was the new subplate with the case feed arm and the shell ejector bump. The primer linkage was changed to a breakaway system sometime in that timeframe. All of these are probably 8-10 years old now. What I'd love Hornady to do is come out with a 6-station press so guys running feeders can still have a powder check die or taper crimp die, etc. And work with AmmoBot or come out with their own motor drive while they're at it. Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk