Jim M.

These are the obscure or proprietary cartridges that I load. Most of you will recognize that the majority of these cartridges are for the Thompson/Center Contender pistol. Most of these are wildcats, and a few are just regular production cartridges that are seldom seen any more. .17 Ackley Hornet .17 Ackley Bee .17 Mach IV .17/.222 .17/.223 5mm Craig (5mm Remington Magnum Centerfire) .22 Cooper Centerfire Magnum .22 Remington Jet .22 K-Hornet .219 Zipper 6mm TCU .256 Winchester Magnum .25/20 Winchester .257 TCU .25/35 Winchester 6.5MM TCU .270 Ren 7mm SuperMag 7mm TCU 7/30 Waters .30 Herrett .300 Whisper (.300/.221 Remington) .327 Federal Magnum .340 Weatherby Magnum .357 Maximum .357 AutoMag Pistol .357–.44 Bain & Davis .357 Herrett .375 JDJ (.375/444 Marlin) 10MM Magnum .414 SuperMag .445 SuperMag .44 Magnum Shotshell .445 SuperMag Shotshell .44 AutoMag Pistol .45 AutoRim .45 Winchester Magnum .45 ACP Shotshell .45 Colt Shotshell Jim

I think Canuck223 got it exactly right. If you want sub MOA ammo, I think it’s a good idea to trim your cases, especially if those cases are not exactly matched before you start. Since I like to trim my .223 brass, I do case preparation on a single-stage press. I lube, full-length size (I load for more than one .223), deprime, trim, chamfer, then tumble to get the lube off. That takes a lot more time than many reloaders are willing to put into the operation but, like you, I am trying to get the best ammo possible (within reason), not just buckets full of stuff that will go “bang.” As Canuck suggests, you could set up a separate toolhead for case preparation, but I don’t mind doing those steps on a single-stage press. I just do those steps in small batches whenever I have some spare time. The prepped cases go into the tumbler anyway, and that is going to break up the flow of reloading. The actual reloading requires more concentration, and I do that in large batches, on the 1050. Since I have already sized, decapped, trimmed, etc., on the single stage, I do not have a die in the first stage on the 1050. All the way up to the powder drop stage is the same as normal. I load Winchester WW-748 in the .223, and that flows very evenly from the Dillon powder measure. Some other powders are a bit of a problem for completely consistent loads (the large stick powders), but I don’t load any of those in the .223. I use a Dillon powder check system immediately after the powder drop, then a Dillon bullet seating die. In the last stage, I use a Lee “Factory Crimp” die. The 1050 will definitely load sub MOA ammo. And, it loads faster than I shoot it, but then, I don’t have a subgun! Jim M.

Ken8521 posted: If you take a look at the pictures on the site I linked to, you will see that the groove is fairly shallow. In my press, it came out to about .150" deep. "Right there" is about the best place on the press to have the least likelihood of weakening the press or interfering with anything else. I used an RCBS Powder Checker (RCBS No. 87590) in my old Hornady ProJector, and I wasn't satisfied with that operation. I want a system that alerts me even if I am not looking at the die exactly at the top of every stroke. I have never tried the RCBS Powder Cop. I am completely satisfied with the operation of the Dillon Powder Check system, but then, some people may have different choices. Whatever you are happy with is the best system for you! Jim M.

The Dillon Powder Check System will work on the Hornady L-N-L AP press, but it takes a bit of modification to the press. See this thread on The High Road for some good pictures and a brief description: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=324997 Although the die threads are the same, the Hornady press is a bit too wide to allow the operating rod to go straight down to contact the sub-plate. You will have to file or grind a groove in the side of the Hornady press. That isn't too big, and a Dremel tool will take care of it in short order. Once that is done and the powder check system is mounted, the washer supplied with the Dillon check system is too small to contact the sub-plate on the Hornady press. Just go to your local friendly hardware store and buy a 1-1/4" diameter flat washer and mount that on the operating rod with a couple of extra 10-24 hex nuts. I did this modification on my press, and it works very well. I hope to get around to taking and posting some pictures. I still haven't painted the groove in my press, but I understand that Ford Red paint is a good color match. Jim M.

Cascade, I will try to take some pictures of my installation (which will not be a problem) and post them (which will be a bit more of a problem). Several people have done this before I did. I mentioned reading posts in the Internet, and I looked back for one of those that I had bookmarked. This post has good pictures -- probably better than I will be able to manage. And they are available right now. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=324997 My installation looks very similar, except that I have not yet painted the slot that I ground and sanded in the side of the frame, as the poster in this thread has. The slot that I made looks a bit larger than the one in these pictures. Also, having done it myself, I know that the proper size washer that works on the bottom for me is the 1-1/4". Anyway, I think these pictures will give you an idea of what is involved. I still do want to post pictures of my installation, because I have also adapted a Dillon low primer warning system to my L-N-L AP. I'm sure others have done that, also, but my method was probably unusual. I use a Dillon RF 100 Automatic Primer Filler. That device loads 100 primers in a tube while the operator continues to load, and when the primer tube on the press is empty, the operator takes the loaded tube from the primer filler and loads those primers into the press tube. In order to do that, the primer filler tube has to match up with the press primer tube. Dillon uses a Magazine Shield Cap, Part No. 13957 (at least on the 1050), which has a cone-shaped opening in the top to guide the primer filler tube into alignment with the reloading press primer tube. Hornady uses a plastic Primer Tube Support (Hornady Part No. 398318) that fits into the primer magazine and holds the primer tube in the center of that magazine. The Dillon Magazine Shield Cap won’t fit over the Hornady Primer Tube Support without modification. I chucked the Dillon Magazine Shield Cap in the lathe and opened up the inside with a grinder and carbide bits so that it was a press fit over the Hornady Primer Tube Support. That is the only significant modification that was necessary. I know that explanation is fairly long, and doesn't really answer your question, but I hope to post information on both modifications when I get the time to write them up and take pictures. Meanwhile, take a look at the post on The High Road and maybe that will answer your questions. Jim M.

Dodge DeBoulet posted: Dodge, you're right, of course. Thanks for the correction. Jim M.

The three posters above have the right ideas, and one or more of those should solve your problem. If not, take a look at the Lee hand press. It is portable, and you can just hold it in your hands while you are sizing your cases. It doesn't have to be mounted on a bench and, in fact, can't be mounted on a bench. If you have very few cases to size, that might be satisfactory. I certainly wouldn't want to use it for very many cases, but it might get you through a small number. The suggestions above are better, but this is offered as a last resort. Jim M.

DMAC, I don't mean to throw cold water on your plans, but I do have some suggestions. First of all, I have a Dillon 1050. That is a great press, and nothing else on the market compares with it. However, it has two characteristics that you might want to consider carefully. Caliber conversions are fairly expensive. I have nine caliber conversions for my 1050, so I know how that goes. Next, the caliber change over on the 1050 is quite time consuming. I have a fair amount of experience in doing that, and it is still slow. Sure, some of the people on this forum will do it a lot faster than I do, but I always clean the press while I have the shellplate off. I am not in any hurry, so it takes me quite a bit of time. Your list of calibers and quantities that you load and plan to load does not sound to me like 1050 territory. I believe you would spend more time changing calibers than actually reloading. The 1050 is suited to fairly large quantities of one caliber, then change to another caliber. For your (relatively) short reloading runs, I think either a Dillon 650 or a Hornady Lock-N-Load AP would suit you better than a 1050. When you get up to runs of several thousand cartridges between caliber changes is the time to consider a 1050. Not just consider it -- that is the time to buy a 1050. I have loaded on a Dillon 650, and I now have a LNL AP. Either of those presses will suit your reloading needs. The main differences are in the cost of acquisition, and the cost of caliber changovers. The Dillon sells for $544.95. That includes a caliber conversion, but not dies. So, about $565 to $585 should have you up and running, as far as the press goes (after adding dies). The Hornady, LNL AP sells for about $400 from the Internet sellers. For example, right now, Natchez Shooters Supply is advertising the press for $399.99. Hornady has renewed its "Free Bullets" promotion for all of 2010, so you can get "$300 worth of bullets" free with the press (you have to pay shipping). That $300 (list price) worth of bullets would actually sell for about $200 at Natchez or a similar site. Deducting that $200 actual worth of bullets from the price you pay for the press leaves a net cost for the press of about $200. The press does not come with a shell plate, which sells separately for about $30.00. Then, adding a set of dies, you can get a LNL AP up and running for about $272 to $292 after adding dies. That includes $400 for the press, minus $200 worth of bullets, $22 for the shipping cost of the bullets, $30 for a shell plate, and the same $20 to $40 dies that I allowed for the Dillon 650. I haven't considered the cost of shipping either of the two presses to you. I will leave that to you to add in. As you can see, the Hornady is substantially less expensive. In actual use, the two presses are very similar. There are lots of differences in the two, but they both do the same things at about the same speed and quality of result (very high). In terms of caliber conversions, the Hornady press is also substantially less expensive. Caliber conversions for the 650 cost about $75.95, and the same thing on the LNL requires only a shell plate for about $30.00. Given the large number of calibers that you plan to reload, that should be a major consideration. Case feeders are one place where Dillon certainly has an advantage. Their case feeder sells for about $212.95. The Hornady case feeder costs $313.46. In addition, the Dillon case feeder seems to be of much better quality than the Hornady. (I have both case feeders, so that is a fairly objective assessment.) My Dillon case feeders have all worked flawlessly right out of the box, and the Hornady case feeder has required some tuning and repairs. It now works reliably, but it wasn't always so. Hornady makes that case feeder price difference back up on caliber conversion cost. Dillon charges $75.95 for each caliber conversion, and the Hornady requires only that shell plate for about $30.00. All of the other required parts for the change over are included with the press or with the case feeder, except case feeder shell plates which you will need for either brand of case feeder. Caliber change over on the Hornady is fast and simple. The Dillon 650 is not bad, but the Hornady is just a little bit better on that. One sentence in your question convinces me that you don't need a 1050, and also that the Hornady LNL would be better suited to your current needs: Good luck. Let us know what you decide to do, and how it works out for you. Jim M.

DMAC Posted I just got the February, 2010, issue of Handloader Magazine today, and Hornady has an ad saying that the free bullets deal is extended. I went to the Hornady website to check, and the 1,000 free bullets deal on the LNL AP is good through the end of 2010. I also got a flyer from Natchez Shooters Supply, with the press for about $400.00. (Others may have them even cheaper.) With $300 (list price) worth of bullets, that would sell at Natchez for $200, the net cost of the press is only about $200. Heck, I already have a LNL AP, but I would be tempted to get another one at that price! Jim M.

Mine took one month. I sent them off March 13, 2009, and received them back on April 13, 2009. I had 17 shellplates to convert, so I figured that time was reasonable. Jim M.

Yeah, took almost two and one-half months for me. Sent it in on April 27, 2009, got my bullets July 9, 2009. That's slow, but the free bullets are somewhat secondary. At least I had the press to use (on other calibers) while I was waiting for the bullets The press works fine, after a few early casefeeder problems, and the bullets make the financial side of it very favorable. No regrets on buying the press, and I still haven't got around to loading the free bullets! So, they didn't delay me at all. Jim M.

Jeff686: I have noticed quite a few of your posts on the Brian Enos forums, and I find them to be very interesting and informative. Your advice is always worthwhile. On at least two occasions, I have noticed comments about a "slider" that you have built that makes adjusting the Hornady LNL expander easier, and also a study of powder drop accuracy. Two sample posts are: and I am very interested in both the slider and the powder drop accuracy test that you mentioned. I have done a brief search on the forum for more information about both of those topics, but didn't find anything more explanatory. Since your posts are uniformly useful, I (and I'm sure many other members) would certainly appreciate further information about both of those topics. If you have explained the slider in any other posts that I missed in my search, I would appreciate a pointer to the appropriate thread. If not, I would certainly like to hear more – with pictures, if possible. I know that you don't owe any of us anything in this regard. You can mention a new slider without any obligation to share the details. But since your posts are uniformly valuable, I hoped you wouldn't mind sharing the details of the slider, with pictures if available. I would certainly appreciate it, and I'm sure a lot of other members would, too. Same for the details of your powder drop accuracy study. My very short and informal tests of the Lee, Dillon and Hornady powder measures indicated that the Hornady was the most accurate (particularly with extruded powders), the Dillon was second-best, and the Lee was the least accurate, although certainly good enough for most reloading applications except very critical accuracy loads. But my tests were very short and informal, and I didn't even keep the records. Your tests sound much more thorough and useful. If you can post the results and the procedure, I would appreciate it. Same understanding. You don't owe any of us anything in this regard. You can mention a powder measure test without any obligation to share the details. But, again, since your posts are uniformly valuable, I hoped you wouldn't mind sharing the details of this. Jim M.

They don't serve exactly the same purposes. The swage back-up rod/expander on the 1050 serves the two purposes of supporting the case from the inside while the primer pocket is being swaged, and also expanding the case after the sizing operation. I suppose that's why that part is called simply the "expander" in the caliber conversion charts, and is caliber specific. The same part couldn't both support the case (by pressing down on the inside of the case) during the swaging operation, and at the same time bell the case, because in some calibers the same "expander" is used for cases of different lengths, such as the .38 Special and the .357 Magnum, and the .40 S&W and the 10mm Auto. The .44 Special/.44 Magnum, the .45 ACP/.45 Colt and the 9mm/.38 Super are other caliber combinations in which the same expander (swage back-up rods) are used. Since the cases are expanded at the swage station, Dillon can use a single part (the Pistol Powder Activator, No. 13005) to bell most of the straight wall pistol cases. That is a long tapered activator, and the powder die can be adjusted for the length of the particular case being belled (and powder charged). That saves a lot of parts duplication and expense for the user. The 550 (and the 650), by comparison, expand, bell and powder charge all in one station. Those powder-through expanders are the caliber specific parts on those two presses for case expansion and belling. By the way, a 550 (or 650) powder funnel can also be used in the 1050 in place of the Pistol Powder Activator to do the same three functions at the powder drop station. Some operators remove the primer pocket swaging parts when they are loading brass that does not need primer pocket swaging. I seem to recall our host, Brian Enos, mentioning that he removed the primer pocket swaging parts when he was loading brass that did not have swaged primer pockets. I could be confused on that, though. That happens a lot, lately! If a 1050 operator chooses to remove the swaging parts, he can also remove the expander from the tool head, PROVIDED THAT HE USES A 550/650 POWDER FUNNEL of the appropriate caliber in the powder charge station. Jim M.

I have never seen anything like the Cal-Die for pistols. Ponsness-Warren made the seating inserts for ten different bullet diameters, the largest being .358, which works for the .35 Remington and maybe a few other rifle calibers. The location of the bullet window and the seating stem limits the Ponsness-Warren to minimum cartridge lengths of approximately 2". You might be able to get a slightly shorter cartridge in it and still be able to seat the bullet, but the problems outweigh the benefits. So, I guess the P-W won't work for pistol cartridges, even if you made your own seating inserts. The .358" seating insert will hold a 9mm or .38 Special bullet, by the way. RCBS made a similar bullet seating die in their "Competition" die sets. The seating inserts are slightly different, and are not interchangeable with the P-W. The P-W inserts hold the bullet in the insert when it is dropped in by a ball bearing held in place by a circular spring. That made it much easier to use than the RCBS. The RCBS seating insert doesn't have the ball bearing and spring, so if bullets are dropped into the insert before the case is in a position to receive them, they will just drop out the bottom of the die. There is also a small difference in diameter of the inserts, with the RCBS inserts being slightly smaller in diameter. The RCBS die has a minimum cartridge length that it will load, very similar to the P-W. Like the P-W, that is a function of the location of the bullet window and the intrusion of the seating stem into that window area if you try to adjust it to seat bullets in a short cartridge. I like the idea of making a die such as the Cal-Die for pistols. For such short cartridges, it would have to have some kind of a moving seating stem to allow the bullet to pass by the seating stem, be held in place by a seating insert, and then be seated by the seating stem. I think it could be done, but neither of the present dies allows for such a seating stem. Any inventors out there who want to try this? Edited to clarify that the RCBS inserts are not interchangeable with the P-W inserts, although RCBS inserts ARE interchangeable in different RCBS Competition seating dies, and to insert apostrophes where missing because I cut and pasted from a word processor, and because I can't spell!

Okay, irq23, diagnostics time! When you cycle a case normally into the powder drop stage, with the ram all the way up: Is the metering insert all the way up to the top of the slot in the powder measure? Or, does it stop a short distance below the top of the slot, with a gap between the metering insert and the top of that slot? Check the protrusion of the measure adapter below the bushing. For the .45 ACP, it will probably have to protrude a bit. Just make sure that it doesn't contact the shellplate. Since this case is so short, it doesn't have a lot of room to deal with. The measure adapter can't hit the shellplate, and needs at least .035" of clearance at the STARTING POINT. That's equivalent to about 1/2 turn of the measure adapter when you start adjusting case flare. Any LESS protrusion is good, but don't start with less than .035" of clearance. More is better, but not too much more. Try for .035" to .071" of clearance between the bottom of the measure adapter and the shellplate, with the shellplate all the way up. (Note that this point of beginning is good for the .45 ACP only. Other cases will start with the measure adapter much higher.) Be careful that you don't adjust the measure adapter too low while you are adjusting things. If you get too close to the shellplate, STOP and go to the adjustment of the Upper Bracket, below. What is the position of the Upper Bracket (Part No. 12) on the powder measure? Hornady says that these are pre-assembled at the factory, but that doesn't mean that they will fit the very short cases correctly. For the .45 ACP, that Upper Bracket should be all the way to the top of the threads on the powder measure. That means that there might be 1/8" of threads, but no more, on the powder measure ABOVE the Upper Bracket. The Upper Bracket is not threaded, although you might expect it to be since it is clamping onto a threaded lower shaft of the powder measure. Just loosen the two screws on the mounting clamp of the Upper Bracket and slide the Upper Bracket all the way to the top of those threads. That adjustment will give your powder measure the maximum depth (down toward the shellplate) and thereby the maximum amount of case flare adjustment. CAUTION! When you change the adjustment of the Upper Bracket, go back and re-establish the STARTING POSITION, and adjust case flare from that position. Otherwise, you will ruin a few cases getting the adjustment right. Re-adjust STARTING POSITION after an Upper Bracket adjustment by loosening the Hornady lock ring and moving the measure adapter UP (turn it counter-clockwise) at least as much as you moved the Upper Bracket up. Then, re-establish STARTING POSITION as described in the previous post. As you try to re-establish STARTING POSITION, keep an eye on the space between the measure adapter and the shellplate. If that ever gets too close, go back and move the Upper Bracket up some more. From that Starting Position, adjust case flare as described in the previous post. Let us know how it is going! We will get that damned thing to work! Jim M.