Best Locking Die Rings to use on a 1050

[Phlier]

So I've had my 1050 for just over a week, and I love it.

One thing I don't like is Dillon's die jam nuts. Wow, just garbage.

I'd like to buy some die locking rings. Right now I'm looking at the Hornady or Lyman locking rings, as they don't work by forcing a brass bolt into the threads like the RCBS die locking rings.

I'm concerned about whether or not these rings will actually fit. Yeah, I know that they'll thread onto the dies no problem, but will there be adequate room between adjacent dies to fit all the dies with die lock rings, and if they will fit, will there be enough room between them to actually adjust them?

The tool heads for the 1050 are just too darn expensive to buy in quantity, so I'd like to be able to, for example, load a tool head up with 9mm, get all the dies adjusted, lock in position with the die lock rings, unscrew them, then screw in another set of dies in a different caliber.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Phlier

[oteroman]

Well I have a 1050 and just want to say IMO forget the Hornady rings, the flats suck...I like the small RCBS, if the Lyman are the same size as RCBS and lock by not going into die threads that would be best...

[oteroman]

Trying to unlock the Hornady lock rings to make an adjustment is too tight on a 1050 toolhead.

[rjacobs]

Dillon lock rings are fine.  Their wrench sucks.

Get a real wrench: 1", 6 point, closed end.

Hell an adjustable end wrench is better than Dillon's wrench.

[Phlier]

It's the ability to lock the rings in place on the die itself that makes them unacceptable.

Thanks, Oteroman, I'll order f few of the Lyman ones and give them a try.

[pmclaine]

I like the Sinclair stainless steel rings with a locking set screw. Work great on my S1050.

Edited September 4, 2016 by pmclaine

[NicoR]

I use Hornady locking rings on my 1050 and I used to use them on my 650 too. I love them but I'd never recommend them to someone who plans on removing the dies often, which is not my case as I only reload 9mm.

[Phlier]

Thanks, gents. I'll order a few of each of the recommendations and see what works the best.

[ToddKS]

I am running 6 calibers on one tool head using the Hornady dies. I would recommend those.

[reloader901]

I am no a commercial reloader.  I love love love the Hornady Sure-Loc on my S-1050.  I use them on all stations.  I have 2 tool heads, but reload several calibers.  I can unscrew the dies, change calibers without having to reset any dies.  They are a little tight, but I ground down the Hornady wrench to suit my needs.

 

 

[NicoR]

34 minutes ago, reloader901 said:

I am no a commercial reloader.  I love love love the Hornady Sure-Loc on my S-1050.  I use them on all stations.  I have 2 tool heads, but reload several calibers.  I can unscrew the dies, change calibers without having to reset any dies.  They are a little tight, but I ground down the Hornady wrench to suit my needs.

 

 

 

What did you do to it? Could you show a picture of it, please?

[reloader901]

 

What did you do to it? Could you show a picture of it, please?

Nothing fancy. Just ground the outside of the Hornady aluminum wrench using a bench grinder to make it fit better between each die. It isn't pretty but it works well enough. If you still want a photo remind me tomorrow and I will try.

I would love to have a plasma cutter to make my own steel wrench.

[Phlier]

10 hours ago, ToddKS said:

I am running 6 calibers on one tool head using the Hornady dies. I would recommend those.

 

1 hour ago, reloader901 said:

I am no a commercial reloader.  I love love love the Hornady Sure-Loc on my S-1050.  I use them on all stations.  I have 2 tool heads, but reload several calibers.  I can unscrew the dies, change calibers without having to reset any dies.  They are a little tight, but I ground down the Hornady wrench to suit my needs.

 

 

Thanks, guys, much appreciated. It's nice that they're the less expensive option, too, as I'll be ordering about 30 of them.

reloader901, which Hornady wrench are you referring to? I'd really like to duplicate your setup.

[reloader901]

13 hours ago, NicoR said:

 

What did you do to it? Could you show a picture of it, please?

 

12 hours ago, Phlier said:

 

Thanks, guys, much appreciated. It's nice that they're the less expensive option, too, as I'll be ordering about 30 of them.

reloader901, which Hornady wrench are you referring to? I'd really like to duplicate your setup.

 

Like I wrote the wrench isn't pretty, but it works.  I would grind off more if the aluminum was 6016 T6 or harder, but this wrench is made of fairly soft aluminum.  If I had a plasma cutter I would make my own out of steel.  Sometimes I have to remove an adjacent die to get to another, but it's no big deal because the dies don't have to be reset.

(The blue/white thing is a cheap pedometer I made into a round counter.  It is held onto the large bolt head in the center of the tool head by a rare earth magnet from an old hard drive.)

 

 

[Phlier]

3 hours ago, reloader901 said:

 

 

Like I wrote the wrench isn't pretty, but it works.  I would grind off more if the aluminum was 6016 T6 or harder, but this wrench is made of fairly soft aluminum.  If I had a plasma cutter I would make my own out of steel.  Sometimes I have to remove an adjacent die to get to another, but it's no big deal because the dies don't have to be reset.

(The blue/white thing is a cheap pedometer I made into a round counter.  It is held onto the large bolt head in the center of the tool head by a rare earth magnet from an old hard drive.)

 

 

Perfect! Very much appreciated.

Now if I can just find a place that sells that Hornady wrench...

Fantastic idea for the round counter, dang. I saw that one of the companies that makes Dillon upgrade/aftermarket accessories sells one, but they want like 120 bucks for it. Too much for a round counter. Why Dillon didn't include round counting functionality into the press is a bit of a head scratcher. They build a high volume machine with no convenient way to count the production.

Edit: found the wrench in stock at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-396495-Deluxe-Die-Wrench/dp/B004EXTJXI

Edited September 6, 2016 by Phlier

[reloader901]

I don't remember where I got the wrench (either ebay or Amazon). 

EDIT:  ya made me look.  I got it here from this seller last year for $20 and change.  Now it is $21 shipped

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hornady-Die-Wrench-Deluxe-396495-/162021135395?hash=item25b9365423

The round counter works well.  That is a stainless steel bolt you see in the crimping die, and a micro switch above it.  (About $5 or $6 total).  I used a different length stainless bolt for .223. 

Some day I might use a fancier LCD or LED display that has a button I can click to remove a few from the count if I need to without resetting it to zero, but it is not important to me.

Edited September 6, 2016 by reloader901

[NicoR]

Thanks for the pictures!

 

Regarding the round counter, I use the PressCounter II built by Alan from SA Developments. I think he is a member here, too. He quit producing this units because they weren't profitable to him but I think he still has some laying around. IIRC, the plain counter was $50 and the statistics version was $60.

[Weber]

I use the hornady lock rings as well, except on the 300 blackout size/trim die.

[ams30gts]

I use the Hornady rings on mine and they work fine.

I do use the Dillon rings on trim dies though as you generally need to run it on the bottom.

Edited September 6, 2016 by ams30gts

[BeerBaron]

the alloy wrench is pretty but really alloy wrenches on steel nuts are not great. you really only use them for alloy fittings...

hornady make a steel one which is cheaper and a little narrower. you could easily file it down too. the downside is it doesn't look nice. it's functional though and less than half the price...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/154534/hornady-die-locking-ring-wrench

[Phlier]

So much great information to be had on this forum, thanks again gents.

BeerBaron: yeah, I had ordered that wrench before reloader901 posted the pictures of his, so now I'll have both wrenches.

I've ordered enough of the Hornady locking rings to put them on all of my dies.... well, almost all. I won't be putting one on the .223 resizing/trim die I use with the RT-1500 case trimmer, as that die screws down so far, there wouldn't be enough room for the Hornady locking die to work. Not a big deal, though, as I have a dedicated tool head for the RT-1500, so that die never gets moved.

Going to see if I can cobble together a round counter, too.

Would be nice if one of you guys that have put one together using available parts did a "how to" thread for those of us who can't figure it out on our own.

Edited September 7, 2016 by Phlier