HesedTech

I'm very practical with this. I shoot large frame Tanfoglios because it was recommended to me early on by a local shooter I trust. I recommend you get a gun which is not a unicorn and has parts and service available. The small frame is more limited in this than the large. BTW I have a couple of small frames and rarely shoot them, but performance wise they shoot just fine. Remember, after getting a gun with a nice trigger, shoots well and runs without failure the rest is all about your practice.

Yes. The 550, 650 and 750 presses will not adequately swage brass with this. In fact it voids the press warranty and is hard on the shell plate. There are other devices, cheap and pricey which will do a far better job. The lowest price one which works very well is from RCBS and designed for a SS press. https://www.rcbs.com/case-processing/accessories/primer-pocket-swager-combo-2/16-9481.html

I think the problem people are having with your question is how do you define flat? In USPSA pistol shooting most of us think of “flat” shooting ammo is the one which cycles the gun in a predictable way with the sights returning ASAP for the next shot. In my rifle competition a flat round is one which remains stable, accurate and has a predictable trajectory at distance. In pistol most, as the thread seems to indicate, seem to like 124 - 147 grain loads. Factory Syntec seems to fill that for many.

Nope, not often needed. I found when I have spare parts things stop breaking. In reality I stopped using the decapping feature of sizing dies and do it in a separate station using a recapping die. For my 1050 I recently added the FW Arms self center die. Priced right and a thing of beauty. https://fwarms.com/shop/reloading/f-w-arms-auto-center-decapper/

Haven't used the Lyman, but after using other single case trimmers for volume I "bit the bullet" and purchased the Dillon. Use it for bulk 223, 300BLK and 308. There's just nothing faster out there. The only limitation is the neck size for rifle brass since the trim die also sizes. If you want precision brass the alternate is a Giraud which trims and chamfers at the same time (one case at a time). But it's also expensive. https://www.giraudtool.com/giraud-power-trimmer.html

Extra thumb rest for support hand is a very common thing in Open. The goal is gun control to make a follow up shot quickly and accurately as possible. BTW it works and as always practice makes it normal. Not allowed in CO, but a stock extended safety is. I shoot CO, and at least in competition, there isn't a need for extra sights.

Did you ever consider people just like to talk, share and enjoy their experiences? And then you go and put a wet blanket on it, good work.

You know I don’t know you at all except your negative comment about poster’s advice and then you are a bit condescending in your response. I think it’s you who needs to be careful about “talking down” in your post. And after literally 10s of thousands of rounds ranging from 9mm competition to precision rifle ammo I have found the Lee FCD basically adequate but hardly the best or preferred die for the final crimp. I do use it for some of my rifle ammo which do not require a high level of precision, and they are very budget priced. And you cap it off with this. Your attempt at sarcasm is very unbecoming.

Really? Please name some given. Many if not most find when loading 9mm coated bullets, or even plated, the Lee FCD (the one with the "carbide sizer inside") swages the bullet down. Your experience may be different, but go check out out the huge amount of threads on this forum with that experience. The plunk test using the specific gun's barrel is the standard for pistol to determine cartridge OAL and then many use a Hundo (100 at a time) to check general fit and inspection before casing. And without a Chrono one is only guessing about the Power factor of the load.

Yep. That is how I learned to reload 9mm too.

Why? Personally I find reloading rifle, especially with precision in mind, takes a whole lot more attention. I think what surprises people with 9mm, at least it did for me, is the variety of OGIVEs and how much they effect OAL on different barrels.

If it's these: https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bullets/pistol/9mm-355/9mm-124-gr-rmr-full-metal-jacket-round-nose/ They have open bases with lead exposed and yes you will get some residual lead from them, but you shouldn't be having to clean the bore so often. My son shoots a PCC with a comp and the bore stays clean while the comp picks up the lead, also after thousands of rounds. To be honest I shoot all sorts of bullets, coated, FMJ, plated, HP and leading has never been a significant problem. I'm talking 10s of thousands of rounds of 9mm. If you are having accuracy problems at the end of every stage, I have to suggest it's probably not the bullets.

This With the two guide rods on the tool head the shell plate will self align if at all close or else the press will jam on the down movement. The only other thing could be debris in the shell plate causing brass with slightly damaged groove to not be a little “loose” in its groove as it aligns with the die. Truthfully for the die to come down there shouldn’t be any “alignment” problems between the head and the plate, so the problem is somewhere else. Yes the pawl need to be adjusted, but a problem here shows up because the tool head will not come down properly.

I too shoot CO these days because of older eyes. However, the gun’s accuracy is a function of barrel, lockup, and ammunition not what kind of sights are on it. Now my ability to make an “accurate shot” is a whole other issue.

Okay, I don’t have a X5 so my comment probably doesn’t count, but why? All my guns equipped with dots shoot exactly the same accuracy as with irons. Just saying. Now shooting with a rest or bag certainly helps with sight movement.

So why is there a need for a round counter on a Dillon press? Personally I feed a tube of primers in and load all in the tube, normally 100 at a time. The method works great on both automated and manual presses. But the counter does look good.

”a deformed blue tip…” I wrote this. I have had multiple worn tips with associated primer issues. Which is why I have spares. I also found warming up the tip restored them them to useable status.

I have an Ammobot for the 1050, but they aren't available right now. Years ago I had a 650 with the Mark 7 and truthfully I would never recommend it to anyone. It just didn't run well and caused a lot of plastic parts to break.

The only ways primers can be upside down are if you loaded them that way or they flipped while dropping into the shuttle. Normally they will not flip as the are dropped into the shuttle unless you have some issues like a deformed "blue tip." One fix is to put 45 brass over the follower to add a bit of down pressure on the primers. This helps them feed. With automation (1050) I do tend to soften the blue tips a bit sooner than normal with manual. Also the brass tip could cause other issues, such as a jammed primer which did not feed properly from the magazine (leading to a possible kaboom). Most do not recommend using anything other than the infamous blue tips. Just my two cents after 10s of thousands of rounds loaded with 1050, 650 and a couple of 550s.

The only reason to do this is because you got a smoking hot deal. The 650 is not a great automated press. I had a 650 set up with the Mark 7 and even though the M7 is a great system the press is not designed to be run that way. I had lots of broken plastic parts (index ring) and a kaboom because the primer set up is not the best. I recommend a 1100 with automation (I use an 1050/Ammobot but they are not available any more) or wait for Dillon's automation when it becomes available.

No you weren't. With an Ammobot drive I load 9mm at 1600 rnds an hour and could go faster, but found this is the most reliable pace. At this speed using various powders ranging from very fine, like Clean Shot and Sport Pistol to TG with zero (or at least not noticeable) spillage issues with the Dillon measure. The only spillage issue happens when the press gets a jam, normally due to brass that failed to slide properly into the shell plate, and it comes to a halt, thus throwing powder out of the open cartridge. I have polished everything possible, the top and bottom off the bar, the inside of the main funnel and the MBF funnel exterior to make everything run smooth. Have I had issues? Yes, only due to normal wear of running it hard. The main body has galled a couple of times where the bar slides causing a jam, but that's about it. I would estimate I've run close to 40K or more (I don't keep count) with this particular powder measure. Point being, you should be able to pull the handle as fast as humanly possible and expect very little powder spillage. Anything else means there's a problem with the unit or setup. Again it's really hard to diagnose anything over an internet filled with opinions. If you haven't done so already, call Dillon and they will send you new parts. BTW here's a good video of how the 1100 can run fast using good old pull power:

Looked up this problem and found this, if the steel drop funnel is not pressed all the way up to the slide it can catch powder in the gap and spill it. Check this video out he explains what was found while updating older powder measures.

This I've had both the 550 and the 650. If you are getting one press get the 750. Why, because of the indexing and ability to add brass and bullet feeders in the future. As many have stated get the biggest Dillon press you can afford. These days I load for volume on an automated 1050 and for leisurely non-volume rounds on a 550. (sold my 650 to get a 1050 years ago)

Been running a 1050 at multiple speeds and I have never seen that much spillage, even when I have a press jam. Since the press is new I suspect the shell plate is either binding or not tight enough. I would experiment with different tensions from the hold down collar. Run the press without any powder or primers and see if it jerks as you run the handle. The shell plate should rotate smoothly. Tough to diagnose over a blog though.