reloader901

Is this real? If they make a reliable XDM 10mm I will buy one.

Wow! That primer switch looks cool. If I had known about it I probably would have kept my 650 in addition to upgrading to the 1050. The primer system on the 650 drove me nuts. The SBD, 550, and 1050 all have a better priming system in my opinion. I wonder why Dillon went to that silly disk system on the 650. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Where can I find a link to these products you guys are talking about? Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I bought the SDB in the mid 1990s. I sold the SDB, and bought an XL650 in 2012. The 650 was okay, but I didn't like the priming system and had wanted a 1050 for 20+ years, so I bought a 1050 and sold the 650. I do not miss the 650, but I sometimes miss the SDB which was a fantastic machine! If the SDB did rifle I probably would have bought a new SDB (or probably would never had sold it). The Super 1050 is great for large runs of ammo, and just for giggles too. However, the 1050 caliber changes are labor intensive and not worth the time for small runs of ammo. The 550B is very flexible and caliber changes are very fast, so a small run of ammo is easy. I had been using a Lee single stage for 50 - 100 rounds, but it was too slow. With the 550 100 rounds is about 15 minutes (I am using different toolheads with powder measures for each caliber). With the single stage 100 rounds was usually costing me 60 minutes or more. The only extra thing I would like to have on the 550B is the option to switch back and forth between manual indexing and auto indexing.

I've made a few hundred rounds with my 550B since buying it a couple of weeks ago. i am beginning to get used to it, but after 25 years of progressive presses SDB, XL650, S1050 I still sometimes am expecting it to auto-index. I'm still experimenting with the last two step you mentioned above (bullet then brass). Yesterday I was doing (brass then bullet), but I think your (bullet then brass) might be better.

Yeah I'm in no rush and am going slowly with the 550B. When I want to make lots of ammo fast my s1050 makes me smile.

My first press 25 years ago was a used Square Deal B, my next press a few years ago was a new XL650, and most recently I upgraded to a new Super 1050. (I also have an inexpensive Lee single stage press) A few days ago I bought a used 550B. I used it today for the first time. I works great, but it is really strange getting used to it not auto-indexing. My brain isn't used to it yet, and is expecting it to auto-index on the handle upstroke.

While I have you guy's attention..... I'm going to need 2 or 3 extra toolheads for my 550B. There are billet toolheads on ebay for about the price of Dillon's or slightly less. Are there any good reasons not to buy them? I love Dillon, but I'm not a fanatic who needs to only buy Dillon.

I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Will try. Thanks! This used 550B I bought is in beautiful shape with very little wear, but is the older type without the grease fittings. Someone at Dillon told me the older machines had more toolhead play than the new ones, because of older machining technologies. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. This machine wasn't made in 1900. Do the newer 550Bs toolheads fit tighter?

Yeah I think you're right. Drilling and tapping for small set screws (3mm) like you mentioned might be the most simple, effective, and inexpensive option since I have tons of tools. I can set the screws to reduce the play while still allowing the toolhead to move a bit sideways, or tighten them down to eliminate any movement. Thanks!

I'm not new to Dillon. Used to have a SDB. Now have an XL650 bought new 5 years ago, and an s1050 purchased new a year ago. I purchased a used 550B recently (my first 550). The machine is in great shape even though it is probably an older model (does not have grease fittings). The toolhead has a bit more play than I like and am asking for good/simple ideas to shim the toolhead. I'm not trying to eliminate all play so I don't want to bolt it into the frame. TIA

RIP DILLON - THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE

I'm making a wet tumbler this week. 5 gallon bucket with a large screw on lid. I've seen a bunch of YouTube videos and plan to skip pins. Jerry Miculek uses a cement mixer. I'm making something similar, but on a smaller scale and should know the results soon. Here is Jerry's brass cleaning....

I know. I'm so ashamed. I know I can kick this Dillon monkey on my back. Maybe a 12 step program would help. Anyone want to be my sponsor? Oh! Wait! Screw it. I see a shiny Dillon SL900 over yonder with my name on it tempting me like some sorceress... with big American breasts........

I ended up buying the Dillon, because I got a deal on it for $27 shipped. It works great. The Lee is less expensive, but I drank the Dillon Koolaid 25 years ago and occaisionally need a Dillon fix for the monkey on my back.

I got the auto-drum a couple of weeks ago. It looks cheap, but it works very well.

I don't remember where I got the wrench (either ebay or Amazon). EDIT: ya made me look. I got it here from this seller last year for $20 and change. Now it is $21 shipped http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hornady-Die-Wrench-Deluxe-396495-/162021135395?hash=item25b9365423 The round counter works well. That is a stainless steel bolt you see in the crimping die, and a micro switch above it. (About $5 or $6 total). I used a different length stainless bolt for .223. Some day I might use a fancier LCD or LED display that has a button I can click to remove a few from the count if I need to without resetting it to zero, but it is not important to me.

Like I wrote the wrench isn't pretty, but it works. I would grind off more if the aluminum was 6016 T6 or harder, but this wrench is made of fairly soft aluminum. If I had a plasma cutter I would make my own out of steel. Sometimes I have to remove an adjacent die to get to another, but it's no big deal because the dies don't have to be reset. (The blue/white thing is a cheap pedometer I made into a round counter. It is held onto the large bolt head in the center of the tool head by a rare earth magnet from an old hard drive.)

I'm toying with the idea of a 12 gauge loader (shot and slugs). The SL900 is **MUCH** more than I need, but so is my Super 1050. I've looked at Ponsness/Warren, MEC, something Gold, Lee, etc..... *yawn*. It must be the Blue Dillon Koolaid, but the Dillon and its mechanism interests me more. What is difficult about loading slugs with the SL900? I'm not looking for accuracy. Thinking of making slugs using the Lee molds. I would think rather than placing a wad in the press a wad/slug combination would work fine if the "thingy" that pushes in the wad was readjusted or replaced with something fabricated. Not possible? (I haven't read the manual yet).

Nothing fancy. Just ground the outside of the Hornady aluminum wrench using a bench grinder to make it fit better between each die. It isn't pretty but it works well enough. If you still want a photo remind me tomorrow and I will try. I would love to have a plasma cutter to make my own steel wrench.

Middle one (if I remember correctly). Not with it at the moment.

I sold my SBD a few years ago, and bought an XL650 (since sold). Now have a S-1050 I bought last year. My following question applies to ONLY resizing (no other functions happening). My methods for cleaning .45acp haven't changed in 25 years, so it isn't that. Also, I am using the same dies I had in my 650. The force required to resize (nothing else happening) seems higher than my SBD and XL650. It isn't very difficult.... just requires a bit more pull. Does that make sense? Is the mechanical advantage of SBD and 650 greater than a 1050?

I am no a commercial reloader. I love love love the Hornady Sure-Loc on my S-1050. I use them on all stations. I have 2 tool heads, but reload several calibers. I can unscrew the dies, change calibers without having to reset any dies. They are a little tight, but I ground down the Hornady wrench to suit my needs.

I want a universal decapping die. It don't expect I will be using it often. I drank the Dillon kool-aid decades ago, but in this case I'm wondering if the Dillon universal decapping die is worth twice the price of the Lee. I plan to use the die mostly in a Lee single stage press, but might need it on my Dillon S-1050 from time to time. Is the Dillon die worth twice the price of the Lee?

LOL. I can relate to too old for new tricks, AND I'm glad you're not my surgeon.