Caliber / primer changes on SDB questions from new owner

[Oldgoat03]

I appreciate all the info avail here on this forum and I am loving my SDB. It is a great little press and easy to use. So far I've loaded several hundred .45ACP without mishap.

I got tool heads and dies for .40 and 9mm when I bought it but haven't switched yet. I've read that some SDB owners just buy an additional primer system and just swap out the entire priming sys between large and small rather than changing out the individual parts.

Does this make sense? On the surface it does and is cheaper than buying another press for small primer rounds. (especially since I already have the conversion kits and tool heads).

My next question is how many of you also have extra powder measures for each caliber setup? Extra powder measures are truly just a nice to have convenience that I may or may not do.

I'd really like to hear from those who have the additional convenience items I've been considering. Was it worth the extra bucks for the simplicity and time savings for caliber changes? Keep in mind if I don't do this I'm considering a second SDB for small primers.

Thanks again for your input.

Bob

[rodell]

I have both a XL650 and a SDB.

I have both primer setups for both presses. It is much faster and easier to change when you need to. I also have preset toolheads for calibers I change. Again, a convenience issue. The stuff lasts forever and I've accumulated it over a period of time. The cost is definitely worth it.

I have powder measures only on the most popular calibers, and then have a couple that "float" as I need to. I'm not as enamored with this because it seems I always have to adjust the measure when I set up a new caliber anyway. I had always hoped I could do a change, check the charge, and then start loading. In reality I always end up tweaking it just a little bit.

[Oldgoat03]

Rodell

Good feedback I appreciate it. It seems your experience is the direction I was starting to lean. I assume when you say you have both large and small primer "setups" you mean entire dedicated primer assy ... so just unbolt one and bolt up the other?!?

I notice you are in Seattle. I'm on the eastside between Woodinville and Duvall.

Thanks again for sharing your experience.

Bob

I have both primer setups for both presses. It is much faster and easier to change when you need to. I also have preset toolheads for calibers I change. Again, a convenience issue. The stuff lasts forever and I've accumulated it over a period of time. The cost is definitely worth it.

edited ... it seems I always have to adjust the (powder) measure when I set up a new caliber anyway. I had always hoped I could do a change, check the charge, and then start loading. In reality I always end up tweaking it just a little bit.

[Boxerglocker]

When I ran a SDB, I had a separate primer assembly for each small and large. definitely the easiest. Then I ran 2 SDBs one in each, then finally upgraded to the XL650.

[Oldgoat03]

Boxer Glocker

Thanks for the reply. Nice to see fellow Washintonians on here. I am serioslu thinking about ordering up a small primer assy.

Thanks again

Bob

[kevin c]

I load mainly 9mm and 40 on my SDB, on rare occasion switching over to 44 or 45. I tend to shoot only one caliber at a time for an extended period. So I have toolheads set up for each caliber, but manually switch out the primining system, and also transfer the powder measure (I almost inevitably end up tweeking the powder bar setting anyway, so that little step is not annoying to me).

If I were shooting some of these calibers fairly often, I'd get a complete large primer setup. If I were shooting all of them all the time, I might get separate measures, or get a second dedicated press for large primer cartridges.

[Boxerglocker]

Boxer Glocker

Thanks for the reply. Nice to see fellow Washintonians on here. I am serioslu thinking about ordering up a small primer assy.

Thanks again

Bob

Honestly I don't feel the cost of a new one is worth it. The only reason I got one was my first SDB primer system was giving me some issues when I called Dillon for troubleshooting, I thought they were sending me a new shuttle but ended up sending me the entire assembly. Later I had the defunct assembly and decided I wanted to send it in to Dillon to have it refurbished to a large dedicated primer system They did so free of charge. If anything save the money you would spend on the extra primer system and put it toward a 550B.