1050 users...a few questions

[diversmith]

Hello all...I am on the fence about just going all in and getting a 1050 to go next to my 650. I am looking for a little input from actual users. I am thinking of getting the 1050 just to load 223 on and keep my 650 to load 9 and 40 in large batches to keep the switchovers to a minimum. I bought all of the 223 accessories for my 650 and the 600 swager, but I will just list them for sale here if I get the 1050 and put the money towards the 1050. My questions are as follows:

1. Can you run the 1200 trimmer on the 1050 and be able to just dump cleaned brass into the casefeeder and have all aspects of caseprep done and have finished rounds pop out in one pass? Is there enough room on the toolhead to have all the dies and the trimmer too?

2. With the primer swager on the 1050, what happens when you run commercial brass thru it with no primer crimp? Does it just leave it unaffected?

I am really thinking of doing the 1050 to save time and handle brass as little as possible. Being married with a baby, I actually have more money than time and am looking to maximize my time reloading.

And yes, I shoot a pretty good volume per year to justify all the reloading gear so it will pay for itself.

Thanks for any help and insight you can offer

[RiggerJJ]

two head process;

1st head sizes, decaps and trims.

2nd head reloads.

clean the lube off the brass inbetween the 2 steps.

leave the swager in play in both passes.

totally remove the primer system during the 1st pass, including backing off the primer punch adjustment.

turn the top of the swage backer rod down so it doesn't bell the neck on the 1st pass only! you will need a 2nd unmoded swage backer die/rod for the 2nd pass.

(Note; the dillon trimmer die is a full length sizer, so lube is necessary! if you trim on the 2nd head (I would do it on the 1st head) you will have case lube on finished rounds that needs to be cleaned off)

call dillon and get the scoop...they told me most of the above and it works great.

some use of the search function here and in "rifle/shotgun loading" sections will lead you to more details...

jj

[Canuck223]

Ditto. The best set up I found was one dedicated processing toolhead, and a second just to load processed brass.

[angus6]

remove the primer system during the 1st pass, including backing off the primer punch adjustment.turn the top of the swage backer rod down so it doesn't bell the neck on the 1st pass only! you will need a 2nd unmoded swage backer die/rod for the 2nd pass

JJ why the removal of the priming system ? and more info on the unmoded and moded swage backer setup please

[noylj]

Unless you are using way too lube or loading in excess of 60 ksi, the lube will not hurt any thing.

Personally, if I can't do it all on one head, I would get a cheap single stage press for the trimmer.

Of course, my rifle needs are not enough to worry about it as I have problem trimming 100-200 cases at a time.

[RiggerJJ]

remove the primer system during the 1st pass, including backing off the primer punch adjustment.turn the top of the swage backer rod down so it doesn't bell the neck on the 1st pass only! you will need a 2nd unmoded swage backer die/rod for the 2nd pass

JJ why the removal of the priming system ? and more info on the unmoded and moded swage backer setup please

I figure when I am processing FOUR 5 GALLON buckets full of 223 brass at one time, I don't need the wear on the primer system, so I remove the primer bar and primer mag tube...and have the primer seating depth adjustment pin on the head backed out to the point where it doesn't engage the rocker...that system if for seating primers, and if I am not seating primers I see no need to have it in the mix.

I have the swager engage each case in both heads, doesn't hurt to re-swage a piece of brass that is already swaged, it just won't do anything. On my processing head (1st head) I have turned down the top of the swage backup rod so it doesn't bell the case mouth. The very next die the case goes to is the trimmer, which is a full length sizing die, which removes the bell along with sizing the case. no need to over work the brass... (which is the 2nd sizing die my cases see on the processing head, the 1st being a dillon full length carbide sizing die with decapper in the 1st position.)

Then on the loading head my swage backup rod is un-modified, so it puts a slight bell in the mouth to avoid shaving copper off from the sides of bullets for the seating process.

here is my setup;

processing head; (cases MUST be clean, sorted and lubed, I recommend dillon case lube)

1 - dillon carbide size/decap die

2 - swage (with NO BELL backer rod)

3-4 empty

5 - dillon 1200 trimmer

6-7 empty

(clean cases and sort if needed)

loading head;

1 - universal decap die - clears out tumbling media from primer pocket

2 - swage with BELLING backer rod

3 - primer

4-5 - powder and powder check if desired (I leave 4 empty and do powder in 5 with RCBS powder system WITH micrometer adjustment for consistent throws with stick powder like varget, and I don't have to deal with the nightmare powder system with fail safes, engagements, blue thumb screws, powder bars sticking, etc )

6 - redding competition seat die

7 - dillon crimp die adjusted for very minimal crimp, just bairly removing bell from #2 and a tiny bit more for setback prevention in auto loaders...

this is my system for 223 and 308, seems to work fine for me. as we all know, there are many different ways to get to point b from point a, I just choose this route...

jj

[Jim Watson]

I am with noylj.

The primer feed on my 1050 was enough trouble to get adjusted, I will not disturb it for purpose of running a trimmer.

[RiggerJJ]

I am with noylj.

The primer feed on my 1050 was enough trouble to get adjusted, I will not disturb it for purpose of running a trimmer.

removing the primer system and putting it back on does not disturb the adjustment. Believe me, I know the nightmare of going thru adjust the thing, and don't want to screw that up. Just pull the 2 hex head screws that mount it to the machine and remove it. It has to be done without a head on the machine.

jj

[angus6]

JJ , Thanks for the walk through was the second time I'd caught about using 2 different swage dies so thought I'd ask

[Simon]

Thank you for the info JJ

Can I not swage on the trimming stage so i don't need to have a modified backer rod.

Then just swage on your 2nd stage?

Thx

Simon

[RiggerJJ]

Thank you for the info JJ

Can I not swage on the trimming stage so i don't need to have a modified backer rod.

Then just swage on your 2nd stage?

Thx

Simon

yes, you can just swage/expand on the loading head.

I swage on both heads because;

I want to make sure the swage is actually done (eliminating that sneaky case that gets in the bucket of processed brass that isn't processed).

I do, on occasion, load rifle (223 and 308) on a 650 using already processed brass, when the 1050 is busy with something else. I swage in the 1st head so it can be loaded without having to swage before loading on the 650.

back when I was getting my 1050 going, I had a hell of a time getting the primer seating set up. I eliminated the swage being part of the problem by swaging twice.

I want all the brass reforming/sizing/etc to be complete before trimming (with the exception of the case mouth belling/expanding just before bullet seating).

jj

Edited December 28, 2011 by RiggerJJ