Can't Go Back...

[mcracco]

I've been reloading 9mm on my 1050 for the last 5 months so I have been shooting my 2 M&P 9's exclusively for practice and matches. I have a M&P 40L sitting in the safe and I just picked up a M&P 45 with 4.5" barrel. I only have about 150 rounds loaded for either one and I would like to start shooting them.

I don't want to screw with converting the 1050 to another caliber as the 9mm will still be my go to gun. And I just cannot see myself loading any quantity of pistol ammo on my RCBS Rock Chucker which is still mounted on the bench.

So....I'm thinking my surprise birthday present next month will be a Dillon 650 in 45ACP. Hope it fits on the bench and hope the Rock Chucker doesn't feel too bad about retiring.

[ScottyPotty]

I picked up a Lee cast turret for smaller batches of off calibers. U

[Tom Freeman]

Just load up a boat load of 9x19 ammo and get a couple more complete toolheads. They might seem expensive, but in the long run it is money well spent. I have a few...

After 10-15 years of loading on 1050s, a caliber change only takes a few minutes. If you changes primer sizes as well, 10 minutes tops on a bad day.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Tom Freeman

[warpspeed]

I'd get a caliber conversion for the 1050 too. Less money and like Tom said, the conversion is not that big of a deal.

[jfrey]

If you're not gonna run thousands of rounds at a time, I would consider the SDB. Great little press and will produce quality ammo at a reduced price but tremendously faster than a single stage. I've got two and love 'em.

[RePete]

Like Tom, I bought extra toolheads (3) along with powdermeasures and dies too, along with the conversion kits. In otherwords they are setup complete.

Oh yeah, I use a KISS Bulletfeeder and have the drops on too. I need one more for .223.

[mcracco]

All right, so if I go the 1050 route I would need (going from 9mm to 45ACP):

1050 Quick-Change Toolhead $270

Dies $64

Casefeed Plate - Large Pistol $39

Powder Check Conversion $25

Pickup tubes $24

1050 Primer Conversion - Large $106

Total $548

Anything else? How about converting primer feed to large pistol?

But it's starting to look like $550 to convert the 1050 to 45ACP and maybe $400 for every caliber thereafter. The dressed out 650 was $1,150 with caliber conversions more in the $225 range.

Bottom line:

Existing 1050 with 2 new conversions: $950

New 650 with 1 additional conversion: $1,375

I don't think economics alone will decide this one. Still thinking though.

EDIT: added primer conversion

Edited May 7, 2012 by mcracco

[D.Hayden]

You'll need the primer conversion for the 1050

http://brianenos.com/store/dillon.conv.1050.html

What's the volume of 45 you want to reload?

Another option.. get a dedicated 550 for it

I swap tool-heads on the 1050 and just load a few thousand of each at a time, but still have a couple 550s for low volume stuff. I can load about 300-500 an hour on the 550, but the 1050 is just so smooth.. lol

[Steve RA]

As suggested above, get a couple of SDBs, if you should decide later to reload more .40s and .45s you can always sell them and upgrade some other way.

[98sr20ve]

I use my LCT for loading small batches. But they are small batches of guns I seldom shoot. How much .45 and .40 you thinking of loading?

Might want to find some .45ACP in SP to avoid that entire part of the conversion. It's becoming more popular.

[benos]

Also, with the 650 you will be "going back" to pushing in the primer on the upstroke.

be

All right, so if I go the 1050 route I would need (going from 9mm to 45ACP):

1050 Quick-Change Toolhead $270

Dies $64

Casefeed Plate - Large Pistol $39

Powder Check Conversion $25

Pickup tubes $24

1050 Primer Conversion - Large $106

Total $548

Anything else? How about converting primer feed to large pistol?

But it's starting to look like $550 to convert the 1050 to 45ACP and maybe $400 for every caliber thereafter. The dressed out 650 was $1,150 with caliber conversions more in the $225 range.

Bottom line:

Existing 1050 with 2 new conversions: $950

New 650 with 1 additional conversion: $1,375

I don't think economics alone will decide this one. Still thinking though.

EDIT: added primer conversion

[mcracco]

You'll need the primer conversion for the 1050

http://brianenos.com/store/dillon.conv.1050.html

What's the volume of 45 you want to reload?

Another option.. get a dedicated 550 for it

I swap tool-heads on the 1050 and just load a few thousand of each at a time, but still have a couple 550s for low volume stuff. I can load about 300-500 an hour on the 550, but the 1050 is just so smooth.. lol

I was up and down that page and couldn't find the primer conversion. Thanks. Edited prior post to include...and at $550 for a caliber conversion I think I would rather have a second machine.

Compared to 9mm the volume of 40 & 45 will be low so a SDB or 550 will certainly get the job done. But I keep coming back to; what if I fell back in love with the 45, what if I wanted to start loading 223, etc.

Narrowed down to 550 or 650 and really leaning towards the 650. Real big fan of the powder check position.

Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it.

[mcracco]

Brian; I know...I know......

[latech15]

I have a 550 and a 1050. I load 9mm and 40 on the 1050 and 38 special and 45 on the 550. I would not do a primer swap on the 1050. I would set up a 550 for the large primer stuff.

I would stay away from a sdb because I like seating and crimping in two separate stations.

I am trying my darndest to only shoot one gun this yer and i am doing good so far. I load 1500-2000 rounds at a clip on the 1050 and have enough round to last a while. Changing from 9 to 40 takes 3 minutes if I take my time.

[jfrey]

Sorry latech, my SDB's seat the bullet at one stage and then taper crimp at the last one. SDB's are great presses. I don't know why people seem to think they are inferior to other Dillon presses. They aren't.

[floater]

Swap the 1050 over to 45, load a couple thousand rounds, swap back to 9mm and do the same. I ordered my 1050 in 9mm and the large primer conversion plus a spare tool head, after changing over to 45 the first time I can not believe that for 12 years I loaded 45 on my 550, not that I don't love my old 550 but holly smokes, the 1050 and 45 are made for each other.

[AlamoShooter]

Just load up a boat load of 9x19 ammo and get a couple more complete toolheads. They might seem expensive, but in the long run it is money well spent. I have a few...

After 10-15 years of loading on 1050s, a caliber change only takes a few minutes. If you changes primer sizes as well, 10 minutes tops on a bad day.

Thats just wrong! in so many ways. I lived in the same house now since 1986 do you have any idea how much smaller a house gets with each new hobby?

[Linear Thinker]

So....I'm thinking my surprise birthday present next month will be a Dillon 650 in 45ACP.

Don't do it. A 650 will feel like a giant step backwards compared to your 1050. 650 is a fussy press with lots of plastic parts and a tendency to spill primers on the floor (unless you watch the primer chute like a hawk).

Save yourself the aggravation and either get another 1050 or the large-primer conversion with a spare toolhead.

LT

[mcracco]

Don't do it. A 650 will feel like a giant step backwards compared to your 1050. 650 is a fussy press with lots of plastic parts and a tendency to spill primers on the floor (unless you watch the primer chute like a hawk).

Save yourself the aggravation and either get another 1050 or the large-primer conversion with a spare toolhead.

Wish you guys would start telling me what I want to hear instead of trying to confuse me with truth and logic....

[mcracco]

What exactly is included with the primer conversion? Is it the entire assembly so you remove the 2 screws on the base block? Or does one need to transfer the operating mechanism from the tube body from the small to the large?

[RePete]

1050

To convert from one to the other, the primer tube, primer swage rod, primer slide.

[pmclaine]

I faced this same dilemma some 4-5 months ago.

I have a 1050 that I bought with the intention of loading .45 ACp, 30-06 and .308. All use the same shell plate and same primer size. I feared messing with my 1050 because it runs so well I didnt want to mess it up. These three calibers were the only ones I wanted to load for and I figured any other guns would be such low volume I'd just buy ammo when needed.

Than I bought a Smith and Wesson 52-2 .38 wadcutter gun and fell in love with shooting it. I needed to reload .38 special wadcutter.

I thought about buying a SDB to dedicate to .38 special. Priced up with all the bells and whistles I was around $700 to get a dedicated SDB.

Tooling up for the S1050 with all the bells and whistles was about the same. I asked the same question you asked and got similar answers. I am not an experienced reloader so the suggestions of "just convert the 1050" concerned me because I have heard so many stories of them not running right. I didnt want my ignorance to detune a well running machine.

But than I looked at my bench and tried to figure where am I going to put this extra press. In the end I decided to go with the 1050 conversion.

I bought more ammo storage boxes and just load bigger batches of ammo before converting. The conversion was not bad at all. I cleaned the machine while doing it and I learned alot about how it runs. It actually runs better now than when it was set up by the factory.

You have a great machine use it to its full potential.

[kalaur]

Also, with the 650 you will be "going back" to pushing in the primer on the upstroke.

be

This is reason in itself to get the 1050 conversions. I recently tried loading again on my 650 and its painful compared to the 1050

[benos]

A hearty +2 to the last two posts.

be

[angus6]

Also, with the 650 you will be "going back" to pushing in the primer on the upstroke.

be

This is reason in itself to get the 1050 conversions. I recently tried loading again on my 650 and its painful compared to the 1050

This, I'd rather change the 1050 over then use the 650 for anything