Marvin Gardens

I realize that this is an old topic so please indulge me. I use Imperial Sizing Wax on my 223 cases that I size in my Redding dies. Would the use of the DIllon Carbide Die make lubes such as Dillon's spray-on or Hornaday One Shot more effective as far as reducing the likelihood of stuck cases? Thanks very much. Best regards. Bob

Thank you M700. I appreciate the information. I am kind of surprised that the frame of the 650 is so much taller than the 550, especially considering that the 550 shows that it will load longer cartridges than the 650. Must be all of the mechanism in the base of the 650. It looks like some fabrication will be in order . Best regards, R.M. Horton

Greetings all. I have what i hope is an easy question. What are the heights from the bench top to the top of these machine's chassis (or empty toolhead)? I use my 550 with a funnel die rather than the powder dispenser on most of my rifle loads. I am currently loading with the throw and trickle method for my 223, 6XC, and 308, all practice and competition loads. I've been using a scale and trickler but the Mrs. is buying me a Prometheus II for our 2Oth anniversary. There is a stand built specifically for the Prometheus II for use with a 550. I won a RL750 at a club raffle but it hasn't arrived yet from the donating dealer. Dillon told me the chassis height is the same on a 650 and the 750. I like the idea of the extra die station on the 750 and want to try it with it a funnel die and the Prometheus. Just wondering how much difference I'm going to run into with Prometheus, it's 550 stand, and a RL750? I can make new bases,etc. I'm not planning on using a strong mount but Inline Fabrication products will be a definite possibility.. The space available for the reloading area will be about seven feet wide as we are now empty nesters and I'll be setting this equipment in a once bedroom, now office closet. For the first time in my nearly forty years of handloading, I'll be out of the garage and loading in climate conditioned comfort. (-: Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. Best Regards. R.M. Horton California

I have looked at the website and caliber offerings. I am in hopes that the caliber options will grow as time passes and MK7 catches up. Most of the calibers mentioned in that video are not currently on the website. Best regards. Bob

Greetings. Other than the video with the gentleman talking about loading for his Gatling,, has there been any indication of how broad the caliber selection will be? I know there is a limit to how many calibers a manufacturer can offer. However, I do load 32-20, 38-40, 44-40 and most of the calibers that have been mentioned by other posters. I shoot more .223 and .45 ACP than other calibers but do load the others in quantity. Just trying to figure out if I am still going to have to keep a Dillon. Best regards. Bob

Just want to say thank you to everyone who has asked, and especially answered questions about the new MK 7 presses. It is not an insignificant investment for me but, if all that I learn continues to be positive, I will have two Evolutions on my bench by next year. I am going to keep a Star machine that my Bullseye and Service Rifle shooting mentor gave me. I will keep it and several toolheads for calibers that I load less often and in smaller quantities. I can still easily crank out a thousand rounds of those cartridges in less than two hours. I am headed over to YouTube now to check for new videos about the Evolution. Some serious changes are happening here though. I stunned my wife yesterday when I carried in my first box of Star stuff for her to eBay. The first of it started last night and my Star / Mike Dillon .223 "Super Star" goes up tonight. A few weeks of this and I'll be calling MK 7 or a stocking dealer with my debit card. Thanks again. Bob

I agree. I'm not meaning to sound like a one-trick-pony here but I do look back on past experience. Back in ancient times (1979), I started shooting Bullseye Pistol as a nineteen year old. Other members of the club asked me what kind of reloading press I had and I proudly replied that I had a Rock Chucker. Several mentioned that they had Star machines and I remember thinking "What the hell is a Star?" About a month later our match got rained out and I ended up over at a member's house and he took me out into his reloading room. He had a Star Universal tricked out with a case feeder and an indexer and he was loading 7-800 rounds per hour with his wife filling primer tubes. That machine was the most magnificent thing I'd ever seen and I had to have one. The problem was that they were back-ordered for over a year and cost $1000 in 1979. The Dillon 450 came out and demand for the Star started to decline. The 550 arrived and even fewer folks wanted to spring for a Star machine. I got a 450, had my first squib load ever or since (my fault) and sold it. I bought a Star for $500 and still have it. I purchased eight more in various pistol and rifle calibers since. Thinking it over today, I owned six 1050's over the years. I've had great grouping ammo come out of them. I have however, never truly been happy with any of them. I frequently had some priming failure (usually) or some other problem interrupt my production runs once I thought I had sorted things out or got the machine back from Dillon. All in all, with a casefeeder but no indexer, I could load higher volumes of pistol ammo on a Star than a 1050 due to the lack of stoppages. The 1050 did have features I liked such as the swaging station, not dumping powder on an empty station, standard indexing and case feeding, and loaded round ejection. My like of these features did not equal out with the frustration I felt with fairly frequent stoppages my 1050's experienced. We are getting out of California next year. I have been trying to downsize for the move (gave away my big Axelson lathe because of the space it took up and not wanting to move it). I had decided to get rid of my bench full of Star equipment and buy two Super 1050's. Once I started looking and saw the Evolution, I won't even consider a 1050 now. If these things work like I hear they do, the difference in cost is a small price for the ten position toolhead, standard features, other improvements. I will be keeping a couple of Star machines for less frequently loaded calibers but expect to see two Evolution Pros on my bench in the next year. The 1050 has had a hell of a run. I'm sure that they will continue to be popular, not just as popular. I think it's possible that we'll see used ones for sale on eBay more frequently in the future. Best regards. Bob

I have owned four 1050's (Not Super 1050's) and one 550. I don't own any of them now. I know folks have great success with them but I could never keep a good run going on a 1050 without some glitch occurring. I hated the flex in the shellplate on the 1050. I bought my first Star Universal in 1979 (I was nineteen) and own nine of them now and about twenty toolheads. I was thinking about downsizing in my golden years and ordering two 1050's. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread. I had seen videos of the Evolution but the close up still photos really helped. I have finally found a press that has me enthusiastic (Evolution Pro) to start listing all of my Star equipment on eBay. I plan on ordering two of them Best regards. Bob

They are exempt for their duty / off duty weapons same as NJ And retired.

Actually it is. I bought it before the California Ban and registered it as an AW. I don't have any ten round magazines for it though.

Thank you Jack. I had heard something about the carbine competition but hadn't given it much thought. I do have a Colt 9MM carbine that I bought about twenty-five years ago. Thank you. Bob

I have always had good luck ordering direct from Dillon. I'll probably be looking for another source as Dillon charges California sales tax to California residents. It's not Dillon's fault but adds around $250 to the price of a 1050. Regards. Bob

Old topic I know. I am back after a long absence and was looking through the Forums. Stars are fine machines and I have been loading on them since 1979 when I started shooting Bullseye competition. I have done business with Bruce and can say that he bought a pretty shaky business and turned things around. The situation now for Star machines, parts, and service is now comparable to when the San Diego shop was still in operation. I own some single-stage presses, a few Star machines, and a couple of Dillon 1050s. IMHO, the ammunition produced on the Star and the 1050 is comparable. My groups shot with a Ransom Rest suggested that the accuracy edge went to the Star. The best 50 yard slow fire score and group I ever shot was a combination of a 200 grain Oregon Trail SWC, and WST powder, loaded on one of my 1050 presses. Dillon has always been better than their word to me as far as warranty service goes. Star doesn't have a warranty that I know of but then I've never had need of one Regards. Bob

Five years later and not much happened as far as shooting goes. I did retire. Retirement has not got as I hoped it would. I was pretty much beat to hell after twenty-five years but tore ligaments and fractured a bone in my right wrist using an expandable baton on my last day at work.. Meanwhile, my mom died after a lengthy illness, my uncle died after a lengthy illness, my dad passed after a series of strokes, and then my wife's dad passed after a lengthy illness. My wife and I took care of everyone and we have been tied down for some years. Back to me...I had spine surgery last year, a rotator cuff surgery is coming in a couple of weeks. Surgery on my right wrist is coming along with surgery on the other rotator cuff, my right knee, and finally my left elbow. During my last work physical, the department's "There is nothing wrong with you doctor" asked me how long I'd had this heart problem? That is being taken care of with medication. I haven't been doing much shooting except for off-duty and now retirement qualifications. I am hoping that when the wrist gets worked on my ability to shoot more will return at least partially. I carry a Novak Colt Lightweight Commander 45 every day. I own many off-roster pistols but couldn't get the Apeiro in before my retirement date. I am thinking that I'll stick with the 1911 platform. I have six or seven Caspian frames in the safe and am thinking of building a 1911 in .40 S&W. I don't know what changes have taken place in the sport or what is popular or a sound choice anymore. I do have a lathe, mill, and surface grinder in the garage. I study and do some gunsmithing when there is time. Finally, my wife and I are looking to move out of California in the year or so. Any thoughts, opinions, or suggestions would be appreciated. Bob

Many thanks for the responses. I plan on starting out again shooting limited, probably a STI Apeiro in .40. Eventually I might build an open gun and was wondering about the numerous mentions of 9mm open guns. The Apiero appeals to me in that the front sight would stay put but was wondering what opinions were on this gun vs. other STI limited models. I am hoping to see some competition guns at SHOT in a coupe of weeks. Thanks. Bob