Cuz

Thank you for doing this.

For those of you using the Arredondo shell stabilizer, how well is it working for you?

Hogrider, when I watched the video I didn’t think I was going that fast. But, as with shooting, the timer doesn’t lie, so I broke out my timer app and checked. Best I can tell from watching and timing different sections of the video is that he is cycling the press at a rate of 6.5 cycles / 10 seconds. Then 12.5 cycles / 20 seconds, and then again at 18 cycles / 30 seconds. So, 18 cycles/30 sec = 36/minute = a rate of 2160/hour. When I experienced all my spillage, I was timing my rate at 40 cycles/minute which equals a rate of 2400/hour, so, yes, I was going faster than he was going in the video. I will research that Arredondo stabilizer, but will probably try the zip ties first since I have some. I will most likely also slow down a bit and save the high speed yanking for when I’m just processing brass.

900 rounds/hour may seem fast, but it’s only 15 rounds a minute. That’s actually pretty slow compared to my times which is why I thought I was going too fast. At your current pace, how many rounds do you load in 1 minute?

Ok, I have more information. Apparently, this may be a "loading rate" issue. When I cleaned everything up, and pulled the handle very slowly to watch where the powder was falling, there really wasn't any, at least not for the 30 or so rounds I watched before I got bored. I would say my rate was basically 6 seconds for a full cycle of the handle. That's 10 rounds/minute, which is 600 rounds/hour. While that may sound like a decent clip I can promise you it was painfully slow. So, I started timing different rates and observing powder spillage. I increased my rate to 20 rounds/minute (3 seconds/cycle) and still had virtually no spillage. So, then I set the timer again and cycled like I normally load and it turns out I was pulling the handle at a rate of about 40 rounds/minute, and the spillage was back. Maybe I was just going WAY TOO FAST. So, now I'm wondering, for you manual loaders, how many rounds per minute is your normal loading pace? I did this by setting a timer for 1:03 so I had 3 seconds to hit the start button, and then grab the press handle and wait for the timer to hit 1:00 before pulling the handle. I'm not asking you how many rounds you can load in a minute, but rather, I would like to know how many rounds per minute is your normal loading pace. It would also help if you let us know what you have for a press. I guess the rate would be different on different presses. On my RL550, the fastest I could ever go was about 400 rounds in an hour. I will say, that with the bullet feeder full, and a couple hundred cases in the case feeder it is HARD to go slow.

What size are those zip ties? And, what exactly do they do? Stabilize the case between stations? Is that the only two places you use them? Thanks.

Thanks, I'll definately check it out when I get home.

Totally agree with having to find the source. I figured using video might be better as I could study it closely to see what’s going on. Looks like I’ll have to clean it again tonight and pay close attention.

Is the general consensus that powder is spilling out of the case during shell plate rotation? Or leaking out of the powder dropper? I guess I’ll need to shoot some video of the powder drop and bullet drop section after another cleaning. That’s the only place where there is a case with powder and no bullet.

AHI, im not using a powder check die, and my pace is pretty slow. I’m coming from 20+ years on a 550 press, I’d guess my pace is about 10 minutes per 100 rounds which is pretty slow for this press.

Damn, I knew I blew it when I had SVI build me a 40 cal limited gun back in 2007.

It seems my manually operated press is spilling powder everywhere. After thoroughly cleaning the press, the attached pic is of my shell plate after loading 100 rounds. Yes, just 100 rounds! What is going wrong? I’m using TightGroup and dropping 3.6 grains so the cases are barely half full. Randomly weighed charges are all between 3.50 and 3.70 which I think is acceptable. Scale is accurate to 0.02 grains. I’m using the Mr. Bullet Feeder powder funnel, and One Shot case lube so there is very little sticking. Brass is dry tumbled clean and pre-processed to deprime and size. All advice is greatly appreciated. I will give Dillon a call later in the week, but am hopeful someone here can help. Thanks, Cuz

I’m still chasing my tail on this. I have a 17 with Toni System frame weight and Carver heavy mag well that adds a significant amount of weight. Then I have a 34 with just a Dawson Ice magwell, and a relatively stock Gen5 34. They all have red dots on them. I keep going back and forth and back and forth. I keep hoping there is something I can buy that will improve my shooting without having to practice. I haven’t found it yet.

I think a scoop draw is one of those things that seems faster as your starting, but as you get better you realize you can draw faster (with practice) the traditional way.

PM sent.

I would just be ecstatic to have her shooting with me and would happily do it all myself if she didn’t want to help. She can help out in other ways, like not caring when you want to spend $5k on an automated loading system, or making and packing lunches and drinks for match day.

from below the waist, if your not bringing your hands up, and then down onto the gun to grip it, then it sounds like you may be scooping it out of the holster. Hopefully you don’t scoop it up and toss it someday.

This seems to always be the case because you can whip your hands down faster onto the gun, rather than raising them up over the gun and then down onto the gun to get your grip before drawing. I don't know of anyone who is faster from "hands relaxed at sides" than they are with "wrists above shoulders". But, then again, we are just a bunch of B, C, and D shooters. And, my draw is still faster. I really wish I wasn't too lazy to get some dry fire practice in. I understand the "Burkett Reloads" drill is great, but there is always something else that needs to be done...

I look forward to an update after you put a few hundred rounds through it. Thanks.

yeah, Carry Optics is about as close to Open as you should let your Glock get.

I had good luck going to each of the preferred online dealers listed on the Trijicon website and requesting a notification when the item was back in stock. In two cases it took less than a week for one of them to email me. Actually, there was a third too, but by the time I saw the email they were gone. If you do this, you should also create an account on each of those sites to speed up checkout when you get notified. It’s more than likely they will get a dozen or so in, and send out 100 email notices so you have to act fast. Mine were both the 5MOA dot size.

I got an email notice from MidwayUSA saying they had a limited quantity of Mark 7 auto drive Pro for Dillon 1050/1100 press in stock. I opted not to order one. The more I use my press, I only find I’d like to automate when I’m processing brass. During the loading phase I tend to stop too often to either make an adjustment, verify a charge weight, etc. During last nights loading session, out of about 1000 rounds, there were exactly 6 times that the bullet wouldn’t stay on the case when the shell plate rotated. At first I was annoyed, until I found that in all 6 instances, it was due to a cracked case. I think I am still learning too much about how this press works to consider automating. For now at least, I’ll stay in manual mode.

Yup, and every single one of us has a box of parts in our loading room to prove it.

Anxiously waiting for your review… My PCC has about 6,000 rounds through it since it’s last cleaning and is absolutely filthy. Having a new trigger to install might be just the motivation I need to clean it before it hits 10,000. But, I will say it is still running flawlessly.

“were sold”??? Damn, now your teasing us with something we can’t get. When will it ever end???