Bob DuBois

I've had one for a four years now. Bending the nose up on the magazine spring will help along with a throating the barrel rolling the edge at the lead of the chamber. Polish the feed ramp and chamber. Loading your ammo go to Lee's U die it will size closer to the extractor groove and tighter than other brands. Mine seems to run the best with 1.135 to 1.140 OAL. Any shorter it will stovepipe. Magazines, I've tried MetalForm ten round mags, same as Dawson except for the base pads but prefer Wilson and they have two coils removed from the bottom and the inside is well polished. Out of the box MetalForm ran better. Have a Spartan in 9mm it prefers MetalForm. Have a couple of Tripp built guns but have not tried tried Tripp magazines in the Trojan. Went with an Aftec extractor, Ed Brown magazine extended release and spent some time with recoil springs. Have a 15 lb main spring and a 10 lb recoil spring in the gun for the last two years.It would not run with a lighter recoil spring. No issues on primers using Winchester Small Pistol Primers. My ejector broke the first year and STI replaced it with a 38/40 ejector. Put a slight angle cut so it would throw brass behind me. Using stock hammer,sear and trigger with a trigger job. Trojans are a blast to shoot, good buy for the money and come with good parts and most STI's need a little tuning to get them to run. Only other way I'd go is an Eagle 2011 in 9mm.

+1 deerassassin I use and recommend Lee's U die 40 S@W is where it shines the best. Seen several S-I pistols that wouldn't run start running by going to the U die. Sizes the brass closer to the extractor groove and tighter than other brands. Will do the job with one pass through the press. Always lube cases.

Had a Lyman in the closet for almost 20 years. Look hard at a 550 best entry level loader out there you'll be glad yoy went that route.

Once I learned to back the adjustment screw that holds the little blue primer guide out one turn it works great. Use mine 90% of the time on small primers. Change it over to large primers about 10% of the time.

Retired and work PT at an indoor range. We do an indoor IDPA shoot twice a month I do set up usually. I also sort and package brass. I have seen lead levels as high as 29 in the past but last check a few weeks ago was 15. We keep D-Lead soap in the rest room and at home. One of the keys is to shower when you get home. Lay down without a shower the lead residue on your face will be on your pillow. There's also a D-Lead soap for laundry. Wash hands before before and after when using the rest room. Reloaded lead for a long time never had issues till I started shooting indoors. Don't shake dust mops when sweeping up brass. We put a sticky pad at the exit door of the range to pull some of the residue off your shoes but a pair just for shooting makes sense. Lead levels is an issue get them checked during your annual blood work.

I'd go with the CED 7000 purchased a pocket Pro but like the CED 7000 as it's real easy to stick in a pocket when scoring.

Work PT at an indoor range seen it a few time scary found a whole box of spent brass like this once you would think they would have noticed it after the first shot fired.

Using the U die it will size the brass tighter. Put the powder funnel in a drill press and lightly sand the area before the bell with fine paper. A sized piece of brass should slide easly onto the first part of the funnel. Polish to a smooth finish and install back in the tool head. Polish the area that powder flows into also helps consistant drops. Small amount of polish on Q Tips works well here. I have seen brass that's been sized with a standard Lee die that the powder funnel needed polishing. Eliminates chigger bites on the case mouth.

Cut some 1/8th in screen using the cap as a guide. Place the screen over the inside part of the cap trace out with a sharpie then cut with a pair of snips. Remove the plastic tube push the screen in the tube just above the divider in the bottom of the tube. It should be just a little oversized tension will hold it in place. The screen will catch any trash that gets into the measure. Piece of screen 1ft by 36in was under three bucks at the hardwear store. This is also a good time to clean and polish some of the lower parts. polished the funnel part of the measure using a small piece of 600 paper the Simichrome polish. Inside where the powder bars move lightly polish don't remove metal just smooth it up a little along with the powder bars. Will make powder drops more consistant. Always replace the cap after adding powder.

Put one in my Trojan 9mm and 38 super open gun solved extractor issues with the pistols. That said I have a Spartan that runs great with the stock extractor.

Federal for S@W Revolvers with tuned actions and Glock's with lightened trigger parts. Winchester for Auto pistols, My Trojan has a three year old 15 lb main spring and no issues with Winchester primers. CCI is the hardest of the three will work well in stock sprung guns but not in guns with tuned actions. CCI small rifle work great in 223. Try and seat primers below flush .004 to .006 deep. Tuned action on a Smith can come down to 6.5 lbs with well seated Federal primers and run 100%. Use Winchester and you'll need just over 7 lbs to set the primer off. CCI small pistol primers and your looking at 8 lbs maybe a little up from that. The older Russian brass primers worked well, newer plated primers are hard as a Coke bottle.

Loading on Dillon 550 and 650. Lee's 1st stage sizing die is in the the tool head for every caliber I load. More than half have Lee's seating die. Lee's sizing die has an excellent primer punch design and will size closet to the extractor groove than other brands. Lee's seating die, for a few bucks you can send Lee a bullet and they will cut an insert that fits that bullet. I went with a flat insert that a local shop cut for me. Now the seating plug pushes on the nose of the bullet helping OAL. There's also a small adjustment knob that helps with fine tuning. That was pistol calibers. Use Lee's 223 rifle dies with good results just bought a set that had the full length sizing die and a neck sizer will try these out on the next 223 loading session. Have been using Lee's full length sizer only again with good results. Don't care for Lee's locking nuts and would order a set of 1 inch nuts from Dillon. Any brand standard die set will work in your press. Don't care what the box says lube cases makes the whole process easier on the dies, brass, press and the operator. With Lee's dies press needs to be in time as the mouth of the die is smaller in order to size closer to the extractor groove. Lee's rifle dies are not carbide unless your loading a huge amount of ammo it won't matter.

Fan of range brass in 9mm minor. I do an inspection using three factory bullet trays. Place two in a box pour brass in most will land mouth up. Look for chigger bites [small cups on the case mouth] anything in the brass that it needs to be trashed then. place the empty tray over the one with brass and use it like a primer flip tray to look at the headstamp. I'll trash any that are swagged, S@B, Amerk or Military. Military cases have a smaller case volume. Turn the tray sidways and look for .380 or Super cases that have worked there way in. I'm loading on a 650 so don't have the swagger on the press. There's enough 9mm range brass to trash anything that you deam not worthy of loading. Inspection goes quick and the press runs a whole lot better.

I've had the spring break in the part that pushes the case into the shell plate.

I like to load long 1.220. Use the Lee U die and have never had feeding issues.

One of my favorite pistols is a STI Trojan mine has lots of rounds through it took a little tuning to get it to run with the loads I like heavy bullets 147 and 160's. Light recoil cheap to shoot compared to other calibers. Trigger job, mag well, Dawson front sight and your ready to play. For IDPA all you need is the minor floor so 9mm is the route to go. There's a reason most custom pistols are built on STI frames and parts. Once tuned they stay and run for some time. These little pistols are a blast!

While it's hard to find and you may not find what you want. Sportsman's Warehouse had a 8lb can of Red Dot for $122.00. Works well in 9mm minor, 40 S@W and 45acp. Might not be you favorite choice but would keep you in the game. $lb was $71.00. Fair prices in today's world. They had small amounts and you needed to be there the morning it was put on the shelf. Haven't seen 231 or HP-38 on the shelf for some time now.

Check extractor tension that's the heart of a 1911

In order to use the U die and I do had to spend some time getting the press in time. If the Redding or U die won't work then the press is out of time. Assuming you correctly used the alignment tool. There is a small adjustment to the cam that advances the shell plate under the bullet tray held in place with two allen screws. By watching the cases going into the tool head small adjustments here will help. Lee's sizing die and the U die will size brass tighter and closer to the extractor a plus if you have a pistol with a tight chamber. Had to polish the powder funnel till a piece of sized brass would slip into the funnel to stop chigger bites, little cups on the case mouth. Took me a couple of times with the alignment tool and aligning the cases with the adjustment at the cam that advances the shell plate to get it dead on once there it runs like cutting butter. Be sure the machine is lubed small shot of grease on contact points makes it run smoother.

I seat the locking ring on Lee's U die from the bottom of the tool head and would order a set of Dillon 1 inch nuts as Lee's locking nuts are weak. 40 S@W is the place where the U die works the best. Have a gun with a tight chamber the U die will usually solve feeding issues. Using the U die you'll need to lube cases. I prefer Lee's seating die also and had a flat insert cut so it pushes on the nose of the bullet keeping OAL tight. Also has an adjustment knob for small adjustments. Don't care for the FCD and use a Dillon crimp die. Lee sizing dies have an excellent primer punch and more times than not will just push up if something is in the case. If is does break replacing the punch is easy and quick but it always pays to keep a few spares on hand. Used the U die in both my 550 and 650 with good results. A Lee sizing die is in the first station on every pistol caliber I load. Powder at present is what you can find not what you want so do the research there's lots out there that will work. Put a lot of rounds down range with Titegroup and 175 gn cast bullets. VV320 with jacketed or plated bullets.

Fan of Lee dies really like Lee's sizing die and seating die though I have modified the seating die with a flat insert that pushes on the nose of the bullet. FCD if used is backed off to only give a light crimp. Ammo is accurate and consistent. More times than not a Dillon taper crimp is in the last station. Sizing die holds the bullet, crimp lets the round chamber easier. Need to size brass a little tighter try a Lee carbide sizing die or in some cases Lee's U die. Works Great in 40 S@W.

40 S@W is where the Lee U die shines. Lube cases before loading I polished the powder funnel so a sized piece of brass just slipped on the funnel, stopped chigger bites, small cupped bends on the edge of the brass. One pass through the press will do it all.

I like Solo 1000 in 9mm minor it's a light flake powder that dosen't meter well and I've been on a quest to make it work better. First was the bearing kit and it helped next was the nitrate bearing and light spring this again helped powder build up on the shell plate. next was the roller follower on the cam that moves the case into the shell plate. I use Lee's sizing die in station one and timing is an issue because of the small opening on Lee dies. Lee's seating die in station two with a flat insert that pushes on the nose of the bullet. The bearing kit along with the insert keeps OAL very close it will stay with four thousands using range brass. Dillon crimp die. Machine is in time also well lubed. Polished the inside of the powder measure first with 400 paper then Simichrome for a bright finish. Inside where the powder bar slide was brightened up with Simichrome and a light polish on the bars. Tried a Xsmall powder bar from Dillon when charges were in the three grains area. Dillon powder check with a little weight (washers) added to the top. Last run checked several cases during a 400 round run and all were dead on. Did a home made spent primer catch using a 44 mag case held in place with the factory cup bracket. Drilled a hole in the case attached a clear vinal hose and spent primers go into a catch bottle on the floor. Modified a pill bottle with a hole in the top and drilled a hole in the live primer cute, blocked the end with a small piece of cardboard now all live primers go into the bottle. All the above ideas came from the net or the forum and it was a cold winter. Machine runs like cutting butter producing really good ammo. Very little spillage on the shell plate.

Bring your OAL out seems to me the longer you load the more accurate. I'm using Frontier 147 with 3.4 of Solo 1000 OAL 1.145. tight groups out of my STI Trojan.

40 S@W is where the Lee U die shines, seen several S-I as well as custom built pistols with a tight chamber start running just by going to the U die. I like Lee's seating die also but replace the insert with a flat one made by a local machine shop. Pushes on the nose of the bullet instead of the sides so OAL stays tight. For 40 S@W STI guns I would load long 1.220 is the OAL that my guns run the best. Don't care for Lee's locking nuts and would order a set of Dillon 1 inch nuts. The U die will size tighter and I put the powder funnel in a drill press and polished it till a sized piece of brass would just slip over the funnel. Spend a little time setting your dies and you'll get good results. Don't care what the box says lube case. Makes the whole process easier on the dies, brass, press and the operator. 30 min. back in the tumbler will get the lube off just a little goes a long way. Put a little powdered graphite on the primer slide you can find it in the lock dept at any hardwear store or Wal Mart. Main reason to reload is quality ammo second is cost savings.