LowBoost Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 Dedicated thread for Mark7 Evolution series. No technical or troubleshooting discussion here, please. Use the appropriate thread to discuss technical issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocrrhbow Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 So as to keep the technical thread as clean as possible I will make my comment here. Thank you very much. I am certain the Mark 7 Evolution will get any glitches it currently has worked out and will represent the gold standard for consumer reloading for many years to come. I feel fortunate that I was able to get one of the first units, at a very discounted price point from the current offering. even at the current price point the quality of materials,workmanship, and versatility of the press is amazing. I would advise anyone who is on the fence about buying one to go ahead and make the purchase now. Even at the current price point I believe Mark 7 will have all the business they can handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanfastic Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 Same here, fortunate to have gotten in on the ground floor with an Evolution as far as pricing, but have also paid the price with growing pains as an early adopter, so it was a tradeoff of cost vs. time and frustration. Many of us were sort of the "Beta Testers" for this after they went into production and have spent a lot of time going back and forth with MK7 to work out the bugs. The good news is virtually all of it is worked out now, and the new parts they've come out with in the past 6 months have pretty much solidified things, MK7 has addressed all of the issues head-on and has been very willing to work out any problems that arise. Now that I have it up and running smoothly, and I've added the Autodrive to it (basically an Evo Pro now) it's SO nice. I've been laid up with some injuries for the past week and have been spending a lot of time reloading, and I'm just cranking out ammo at a pace I could never have dreamed of with my old XL650 and with fewer errors and problems. The norm at this point is for it to run problem-free for 100 rounds until I get the low primer warning to fill the tube, and that's a great feeling. Looking forward to adding the primer collator when they're available for the Evo to take that limitation off of it also. I'm hoping to get to a 300-round hands-off setup. Also I've found it really doesn't require as much maintenance as I had feared, I think the MK7 guidelines on maintenance as far as lubing every day, etc. are a little bit overkill and probably based upon commercial Revolution use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocrrhbow Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 BTW, the primer collator is available for the EVO now. I talked to Dan at Mark 7 and he told me they had scrubbed plans to build a separate primer collator for the time being and are offering the same one that is on the revolution. It is about a $2100 upgrade. I don't see that in my future at that price. I just don't shoot enough to justify it. I currently use a Vibraprime and load up 10 tubes in a session. That gives me 1000 rounds worth of ammo in a reloading session. That keeps me in bullets for 3 weeks or more, depending on the season. I can buy a lot of toys for my other hobbies with the 21 bills I would pay for the collator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanfastic Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 12 minutes ago, Ocrrhbow said: BTW, the primer collator is available for the EVO now. I talked to Dan at Mark 7 and he told me they had scrubbed plans to build a separate primer collator for the time being and are offering the same one that is on the revolution. It is about a $2100 upgrade. I don't see that in my future at that price. I just don't shoot enough to justify it. I currently use a Vibraprime and load up 10 tubes in a session. That gives me 1000 rounds worth of ammo in a reloading session. That keeps me in bullets for 3 weeks or more, depending on the season. I can buy a lot of toys for my other hobbies with the 21 bills I would pay for the collator. I'll check on that, I don't believe it's true since I have a deposit on one and was told they're in final testing with it now in-house and it should be released shortly. I'll post back what I hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanfastic Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Tanfastic said: I'll check on that, I don't believe it's true since I have a deposit on one and was told they're in final testing with it now in-house and it should be released shortly. I'll post back what I hear. Ok so the only thing different about the Evo version is the mounting plate is different since it mounts to the back of the unit instead of the side, otherwise no difference from the Revo one. And good news, the price is NOT $2100........................... bad news, it's actually $2,249.95. Best deal is still to just order an Evo Pro or Revo up front with everything you need rather than upgrading it later, since you get the package discount doing it that way. And they have been putting out specials from time to time as well, I got my Autodrive on the Black Friday promotion, and they just ran the same promotion at Shot Show last week where you get 3 sensors for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 at this price 2250 it is preferable to mount the system of the Camdex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thetimb Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Anyone have any useful 3D printed parts for the evo that help reloading? I will have my primer collator soon. I am getting the next one built apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikamarj Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 5 hours ago, Thetimb said: Anyone have any useful 3D printed parts for the evo that help reloading? I have the chute for loaded rounds and the fix for case feeder. Links available in the original Mark 7 thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 23 hours ago, Tanfastic said: ... Many of us were sort of the "Beta Testers" for this after they went into production and have spent a lot of time going back and forth with MK7 to work out the bugs. The good news is virtually all of it is worked out now, and the new parts they've come out with in the past 6 months have pretty much solidified things, MK7 has addressed all of the issues head-on and has been very willing to work out any problems that arise. ... I'm hoping to get to a 300-round hands-off setup. Also I've found it really doesn't require as much maintenance as I had feared, I think the MK7 guidelines on maintenance as far as lubing every day, etc. are a little bit overkill and probably based upon commercial Revolution use. Yes, early adaptors were kinda Beta testers, but with great support. I have spent countless hours of video conferencing. At the end I have filed down index pawl, replaced the automated powder dispenser, replaced the primer collator bowl with a tuned one (was getting 5% or so upside down primers), replaced the nut on the powder dispenser. All free of charge and they did send me a Fedex label to ship the old powder dispenser back. Now, I can run it at 3,000RPH setting (see Mark7 IG page they have linked my video), and heck of a lot more than 300 rounds hands off. Max I have run without actually stopping is about 1,000 rounds as I stopped the press to feed it brass. You can feed it bullets and primers without stopping, I guess I could feed it brass in small batches as well but figure that is a good stopping point to check powder etc.. I do check the OAL as it keeps on working. No issues running it at 3,500RPH setting when processing brass, but I was getting tipped bullets at the max setting while reloading occasionally and did not feel like tuning it more as I don't shoot more than 5-6K rounds a month anyway. I will get the 9mm conversion soon and then just load a whole bunch before going back to .40S&W, I do have a spare toolhead for it already . I shoot IDPA about 3-4 times a year so about 10K rounds of 9mm will last me a long while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanfastic Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 That's awesome, 1000 rounds in a shot would be incredible! With the Evo and standard bullet feeder and case feeder, 300 rounds is the max hands-off without continuing to feed in more components. For me that's fine, I loaded another 1600 rounds last night in just over an hour total including case-gauging it all, plenty fast for the 30,000 or so that I'll shoot this year. I'm jealous of the Revo though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowBoost Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 OK - With that price the primer collator is out of the wishlist for a while, plus I just got the roll-sizer. Does a Dillon RF still the best choice or will I experience issues that will require some tweaking with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithcity Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 7 minutes ago, LowBoost said: OK - With that price the primer collator is out of the wishlist for a while, plus I just got the roll-sizer. Does a Dillon RF still the best choice or will I experience issues that will require some tweaking with it? You will experience issues with the rf100, learn how to tweek it and I still think its a time saver. After seeing the high price tag on the evo collator I bought the rf100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allenmat Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Here are some Mods I made to my Evo to make reloading easier on me. 1. Made some brackets to hold a large Akro bin like the Dillon 1050 had. Bin sits sideways instead of jutting out into you. 2. Made ramp for bullets to fall into bin, since Evo brackets don't allow a really close fit. 3. Case collator mod. I do have the 3d printed part, but had cases coming up mouth first and getting caught on the point of the part. This simple mod works fine. 4. Made a plastic case feed tube for a friend because his feed tube didn't arrive with his Evo and he doen't know when it will come. Now he can reload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allenmat Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Continuation... 5. Primer Rod holder. Scavenged from the one I had on my 1050 6. Primer Tube holder. Scavenged from my 1050 7. Light, again scavenged from my 1050. I mounted it on the case feed post because with the die mount, there was a limited number of positions that would accept it due to the shape of the toolhead. 8. Tools. All the hex wrenches in one place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 1 hour ago, Smithcity said: You will experience issues with the rf100, learn how to tweek it and I still think its a time saver. After seeing the high price tag on the evo collator I bought the rf100. When I was using it the best possible way was to put it on a concrete floor and to run it as slow as possible while still moving the primers up its ramp. I got no upside down primers after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithcity Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 41 minutes ago, tanks said: When I was using it the best possible way was to put it on a concrete floor and to run it as slow as possible while still moving the primers up its ramp. I got no upside down primers after that. I keep running into issues with the primers flipping on their side when they reach the plastic collar at the top of the ramp right before dropping down. But yes, solid surface slow speed has been the best combination for me. Since you have the auto-collator and you have the RF100....dare I ask if the 6x-7x price increase is worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Yes. Originally I though it wouldn't be. Then, not having to stop the press to load primers was so worth it. Also, it came with the Revolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowBoost Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 Is the Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime a good alternative? Otherwise, I'll just buy more primer tubes and load them the night prior to a reloading session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanfastic Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 10 hours ago, LowBoost said: OK - With that price the primer collator is out of the wishlist for a while, plus I just got the roll-sizer. Does a Dillon RF still the best choice or will I experience issues that will require some tweaking with it? I'm using the RF-100 now until i get my collator, I have virtually zero problems with it. Maybe 1 in 500-1000 upside down, and maybe 1 in 500-1000 get stuck sideways and won't drop into tube while it's running. The caveat is that's with Federal Small Pistol primers. When I was loading WInchester primers I had a lot more issues with every aspect of it. Also, I take the plastic cover off the top and wipe the tray out with some alcohol once in a while to keep the ramp smooth and free-flowing. It's extremely sensitive to the level of vibration you use, too little and you won't get them loaded in the 2-minute cycle, too much and you'll have lots more problems with flipped and stuck primers. As Tanks mentioned, the sweet spot is around the least amount of vibration you can use while still having the primers moving smoothly up the ramp. Once you get it dialed for your setup, in my experience it's pretty reliable. I have mine on my bench right next to my press, no issues with it there. P.S. - I was using the Vibraprime before I got the RF-100, it's definitely better than manually loading tubes, but nowhere near as nice as the RF-100. Also very finicky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiller Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 11 hours ago, Allenmat said: Nice mods on your press. I was going to have my son print the case collator 3D part at school but decided that may pee off the powers that be! Was also thinking of buying a 3D printer to mess around with, but I like your mod. It looks like a piece of 1/8" plastic tube attached to the side of case collator. Can you give me some additional details on it. Thanks, Alan 11 hours ago, Allenmat said: 3. Case collator mod. I do have the 3d printed part, but had cases coming up mouth first and getting caught on the point of the part. This simple mod works fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allenmat Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 10 minutes ago, quiller said: Nice mods on your press. I was going to have my son print the case collator 3D part at school but decided that may pee off the powers that be! Was also thinking of buying a 3D printer to mess around with, but I like your mod. It looks like a piece of 1/8" plastic tube attached to the side of case collator. Can you give me some additional details on it. Thanks, Alan It is 1/4" od polyethylene tubing connected with a 1/4" cable clamp. Simple and effective. You want to have it mounted high enough near the top front, so the cases have a chance to slide into the cutouts. Otherwise, you will be mostly sending cases tumbling back down to the bottom of the case feeder hoping they will land in a cutout. Hope that helps. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stymie12000 Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 2 hours ago, LowBoost said: Is the Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime a good alternative? Otherwise, I'll just buy more primer tubes and load them the night prior to a reloading session. I've had good results with the vibra-prime. I opened up the plastic part of the tube slightly with a drill bit. Every once in a while it does jam up but that easy to clear. Btw I've had better results filling the dillon's tubes than the one that comes with it. Take the yellow plastic piece off if the tube and insert it into the vibra-prime. You do need to hold onto the tube since it doesn't lock into place. Now I haven't used the rf-100 but for the price difference I can live with having a jam 1 out of every 10 tubes I fill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Or this aluminum piece it is necessary to adjust the tip to the file so that it fits perfectly the bowl, otherwise the cases come to hang on the tip and a screw to fix. It is unacceptable for Hornady to make a bullet feeder that does not work properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiller Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 2 hours ago, Allenmat said: It is 1/4" od polyethylene tubing connected with a 1/4" cable clamp. Simple and effective. You want to have it mounted high enough near the top front, so the cases have a chance to slide into the cutouts. Otherwise, you will be mostly sending cases tumbling back down to the bottom of the case feeder hoping they will land in a cutout. Hope that helps. Al Great, thanks for the extra info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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