Mark 7 Evolution - General Discussion

[kamber]

Just wanted to post this here in case anyone else finds themselves in the same boat and would prefer to purchase a bare Mark 7 Evolution press at a lower price-point than the default configuration on the website:

 

- A Mark 7 Evolution WITHOUT case feeder, mechanical powder measure, and standard priming system costs $1899.95 + shipping.

(I opted for this bare bones configuration to save some money since I'm planning on purchasing their Oscillated Automated Primer Collator when it is released this summer, 3D printing my own case feeder, and installing a Hornady powder measure kit from MidSouth which is rougly 1/3 the price of the Mark 7 powder measure)

 

- Mark 7/Lyman will discount their products 10% for military service members (active duty, veteran, etc.)

 

There isn't an option to buy a bare system or receive a military discount on their website, but if you email Mr. Joseph Angelo at joea@lymanproducts.com, he will get you taken care of. Thanks much to @DJRyan13 for putting me in touch with him. Joe is a Gulf War veteran himself, and was extremely timely and thorough with responding to my emails and questions; I cannot recommend him enough.

Edited April 15, 2020 by kamber

[HOGRIDER]

16 hours ago, kamber said:

Just wanted to post this here in case anyone else finds themselves in the same boat and would prefer to purchase a bare Mark 7 Evolution press at a lower price-point than the default configuration on the website:

 

- A Mark 7 Evolution WITHOUT case feeder, mechanical powder measure, and standard priming system costs $1899.95 + shipping.\

(I opted for this bare bones configuration to save some money since I'm planning on purchasing their Oscillated Automated Primer Collator when it is released this summer, 3D printing my own case feeder, and installing a Hornady powder measure kit from MidSouth which is rougly 1/3 the price of the Mark 7 powder measure)

 

- Mark 7/Lyman will discount their products 10% for military service members (active duty, veteran, etc.)

 

There isn't an option to buy a bare system or receive a military discount on their website, but if you email Mr. Joseph Angelo at joea@lymanproducts.com, he will get you taken care of. Thanks much to @DJRyan13 for putting me in touch with him. Joe is a Gulf War veteran himself, and was extremely timely and thorough with responding to my emails and questions; I cannot recommend him enough.

kamber:

After seriously looking at the Mark7 Evo, you have really caught my attention with this discounted price which removes the case feeder, pm, and standard priming!

 

In my situation, I would want the standard priming system to start with; can you guesstimate the additional cost for this?

 

Also, I'm thinking as you that the Hornady PM kit from MidSouth would work fine.......does it offer the same accuracy as say the standard Dillon powder measures?  I mostly use N320.....

 

Finally, my choice for a case feeder would be a Dillon Case Feeder.  In your opinion, would that be a wise choice to start with?

 

Thanks for your feedback!

 

Stuck in the RL1100/MK7 Evo tossup!

 

[DJRyan13]

Hornady PM measures stick better than Dillon. Some complain Hornady has trouble with ball powder but I have never come across that. Dillon seemed to do better with some flake powder for me. Not sure how that is.
I have been moving Hornady PM across all my presses over the years (except 1050 cause it don’t fit). They have been in RCBS, Dillon and M7 presses without issue. 

 

priming system wasn’t cheap unfortunately... about $500 for just one size. I wasn’t happy about that. I complained a bit but did get 10% off due to shot show. Always ask for a discount! 
 

I have the collator on my two Revo’s and love it. But I didn’t want electricity near the black powder on my Evo. I probably should have left the priming system off and hand primed. I enjoy that while watching TV. I won’t be making more than 200rnds at a time on Evo anyway...

 

you can always opt out of priming system now only to buy the cheaper version of by collator later. That is what I would do if I were buying an Evo for smokeless powder.

 

Dillon case feeder works fine on Evo. You will need to make or buy the stand for it... and buy some clear tubing. 
 

Edited April 15, 2020 by DJRyan13

[kamber]

19 hours ago, HOGRIDER said:

kamber:

After seriously looking at the Mark7 Evo, you have really caught my attention with this discounted price which removes the case feeder, pm, and standard priming!

 

In my situation, I would want the standard priming system to start with; can you guesstimate the additional cost for this?

 

Also, I'm thinking as you that the Hornady PM kit from MidSouth would work fine.......does it offer the same accuracy as say the standard Dillon powder measures?  I mostly use N320.....

 

Finally, my choice for a case feeder would be a Dillon Case Feeder.  In your opinion, would that be a wise choice to start with?

 

Thanks for your feedback!

 

Stuck in the RL1100/MK7 Evo tossup!

 

 

Hey @HOGRIDER, good questions man! I went through similar deliberations myself and would be happy to share why I ended up making the choices I did. I'll preface all of this with these two important acknowledgements: I am completely new to USPSA & competition shooting in general; I am also completely new to reloading as well. From my time spent in the military, I know that I enjoy shooting enough to where I'm comfortable buying into the sport & reloading at not-so-entry-level price points off the bat, despite that being of questionable advisability to someone as new as I am to all this. So, take what I have to say with a grain of salt, because you definitely have more personal experience and perspective than I do!

I too was thinking of adding in the standard priming system if it wasn't going to be too much additional cost. When I asked Joe @ Lyman how much it would be to add it, he quoted me $549.95. I was quite surprised at this number, as it is more than what their upcoming Oscillating Automated Primer Collator is going to MSRP for ($499). I plan on shooting USPSA Open and do not have a gun yet; I intend to purchase a Phoenix Trinity Honcho if they run another "+2 free barrels" holiday sale by July 4th, otherwise I'm just going to be going with a full custom build by one of the reputed builders recommended on these forums. So, I'm in no rush and can wait until the new automated primer collator is released since I don't even have a gun in hand yet to load-test with anyway. Thus, getting a standard priming system to hold me over for the time being isn't really necessary in my case.

 

A couple Brian Enos forum members that have used both the Mark 7 mechanical powder measure and the Hornady AP powder measure kit have commented that they are equally as accurate, which is what convinced me to choose it over the Mark 7 at 1/3 the price. I couldn't find any specific comparisons to the Dillon powder measure, but it appears that satisfaction among Hornady AP powder measure users is very high in general. See this thread here for more details: https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/283822-hornady-ap-powder-measure-kit-vs-mark-7-powder-measure/

 

For case feeders, it appears you have the following options available to you:

     - Mark 7 case feeder (modified/slightly improved Hornady case feeder)

     - Hornady case feeder

     - Dillon case feeder

     - Feedinator case feeder

     - 3D printed case feeder

 

Multiple users on this forum have expressed dissatisfaction with the Mark 7 / Hornady case feeders, some citing a varying degree of success with improving reliability/jams by adding a particular 3D printed part. Some have said that adding the part alleviated their issues, and some say that even with the part they still experience frequent jams. Being that I purchased a 3D printer already to print my own bullet feeder instead of dropping $470 on a MBF, printing myself a case feeder was just the most logical choice by extension, since the sunk cost of the 3D printer was already going to be made regardless.

 

I appreciate smooth, beautifully built, excellent quality, high functioning machines and simply feel that the RL1100 is inferior to the Mark 7 Evolution, despite the fact that either would be more than enough for me. I bought it because I wanted something that would be a joy to use, not because I needed it; truthfully, I probably wouldn't need anything more than a Dillon 650. The RL1100 is definitely less expensive than a Mark 7 Evolution to a certain degree, but personally, I don't consider it cheaper by enough to justify the step down in terms of functionality/capacity (Mark 7's 10 stations vs the Dillon's 6 stations) and construction/material quality (Mark 7 being fully CNC'd, while the Dillon is largely cast). I'd rather go with Mark 7's ground-up design than Dillon's latest edition of a platform originally created in the 80's, despite how long it's been heralded as the "golden standard" of presses in the past. Mark 7 also offered me a 10% veteran discount; I'm not sure whether Dillon offers a military discount. It's also worth noting that RL1100's seem to be going through an absolute shitshow of backorders and shipping delays right now, with multiple users reporting less-than-stellar customer service experiences as of late. I know Mark 7 went through something similar when they first came out, but machines are currently stocked/ready to ship and I've had nothing but stellar customer service with Mark 7 thus far.

 

My particular cost-comparison break down looks like this:

 

Mark 7 Evolution (assuming 10% military discount on Mark 7 products):

- Mark 7 Evolution Press ($1709.95)

- Mark 7 Oscillating Automated Primer Collator ($449.10)

- Hornady AP Powder Measure Kit ($124.38)

- $50 worth of materials to print my own case feeder

- $50 worth of materials to print my own bullet feeder

- $100 budgeted towards anticipating the need to buy miscellaneous auxiliary parts to mount/attach my 3D printed feeders to the press

Total before shipping/taxes = $2483.43

 

Dillon RL1100 (assuming no military discount):

- Dillon RL1100 Press ($1999.99)

- DAA PRIMER-PRO primer tube filler ($199)

- $50 worth of materials to print my own bullet feeder

- $50 budgeted towards anticipating the need to buy miscellaneous auxiliary parts to mount/attach my 3D printed feeder to the press

Total before shipping/taxes = $2298.99

 

The Dillon comes with a set of dies included, the Mark 7 does not unless you add $299.95. This didn't make a difference for me because I would want to purchase my own set of individual dies instead of using the Dillon ones. I suppose I could re-sell them and subtract that $ from the total cost, but I'm not sure which dies are included so I can't speak to their total resale value. I asked Joe which dies come with the Mark 7 "optimized die pack" and his response was: "For the pistol dies you will get one each of the following; Mighty Armory Universal Decap, Mighty Armory Universal Hold Down Die, Mighty Armory Carbide sizing die, Lee case flare die, Redding micrometer adjust seat die, Redding Micrometer adjust crimp die.  Rifle will add in Redding National Match Die set." (NOTE: Double check this at your time of purchase, it may change as the Lyman Pro Series Stainless dies become available)

 

I didn't include it in the total, but if I went with a Dillon, I'd also budget an additional $100 to $200 towards future 3rd party aftermarket upgrades to ensure that the press is running as smoothly and trouble free as possible, since this seems to be necessary for nearly all previous Dillon presses to date if you want to achieve the best possible performance.

 

My perception is that the Mark 7 Evolution is a far superior machine; the Dillon ends up being nowhere near less expensive enough for me to even remotely consider it over the Evolution. Plus, I'd much rather not deal with primer tubes, so that's a big advantage awarded to the Mark 7.

Hope some of that info is helpful!

     

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by kamber

[HOGRIDER]

Quote

My perception is that the Mark 7 Evolution is a far superior machine; the Dillon ends up being nowhere near less expensive enough for me to even remotely consider it over the Evolution. Plus, I'd much rather not deal with primer tubes, so that's a big advantage awarded to the Mark 7.

Hope some of that info is helpful!

kamber:

Just wanted to chime in and say THANK YOU! for all the detailed information you and others have provided!  

 

This will truly be helpful as I start down that rabbit hole towards finalizing my decision between the two presses.

 

Thanks again, and THANK YOU for your Service to our Country!

 

[DJRyan13]

As I posted in another thread, you can also do this same thing with a Revo press. I opted out of the case feeder on my second purchase of a Revo. I opted out of the bullet feeder as well (already had). 
 

that monster case feeder works wonderfully but it is a PITA to convert. Shaves about $1500 off. Also, you can skip the PM on it as well. 

 

you could always shave off the primer collator too and water for cheaper one. At the time, that wasn’t even announced so both my Revo’s have the original collator. Works great.

 

This the feed tube I use on my Revo with Dillon case feeder. The inside diameter is great for larger cases but not good at all for small stuff like 9mm as the tilt in case tends to stall the feed at the bottom funnel. Used a dremel on funnel and it helped. 
 

Small Parts - TPC-063/12-36 Clear Polycarbonate Tubing, 5/8" ID, 3/4" OD, 1/16" Wall, 3' Length https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OMJ50K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hq1LEbDWFW6S8

[kamber]

4 hours ago, HOGRIDER said:

kamber:

Just wanted to chime in and say THANK YOU! for all the detailed information you and others have provided!  

 

This will truly be helpful as I start down that rabbit hole towards finalizing my decision between the two presses.

 

No problem, glad it provided some insight.

 

Do keep in mind that the negligible price difference between the two presses in my cost-breakdown widens substantially if you:

- Opt to buy a ready made case feeder for the Mark 7 Evolution vs. 3D printing your own (+$300 to the price difference)

- Opt to hand-load your primer tubes with the Dillon instead of buying an automated primer tube loader (+$200 to the price difference)

- Opt to use the included Dillon dies that come with the RL1100 vs. assembling your own set from other companies (+$300 to the price difference)

 

Case feeders arn't cheap. Like bullet feeders, they are quite inexpensive and simple to make, but command incredibly high profit margins. So if you're not up for 3D printing your own, the fact that the Dillon comes with one included becomes a significant advantage in terms of cost.

 

With the Mark 7 Evolution, you can't really save any money by going with a non-automated priming system; infact, for some strange reason, the "standard priming" system costs $50 more than their upcoming automated system. However, with the Dillon, if you want the cheapest priming option possible, you can just hand-load the included primer tubes instead of purchasing an additional automated tube loader such the DAA PRIMER-PRO ($199) or Dillon RF100 ($379.99).

 

The RL1100 is advertised as coming with a die set. I'm not sure how many or what dies you get in that set, but personally I know I'd opt to assemble my own set of dies from MA, FW, Redding, etc. over using the Dillon dies anyhow, so this didn't really make a difference to me. I did edit my previous post to include this information though, which it did not contain originally.

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by kamber

[mikey_golds]

On 4/14/2020 at 9:49 PM, kamber said:

Mark 7 Oscillating Automated Primer Collator ($449.10)

 

I am only seeing the primer collator for like 2K am i missing something...

[kamber]

On 4/7/2020 at 11:35 AM, MNJoel said:

Here's what I got from M7... sorry, B Enos would only let me upload a tiny file size. 

 

@mikey_golds They have a less expensive one coming out this summer. Estimated availability is June/July timeframe. Ultimate Reloader has a video of the new unit in action, check it out.

Edited April 16, 2020 by kamber

[Intheshaw1]

That new primer system seems amazing. May push me to an Evo over the 1100 for sure especially with the military discount.

 

Gotta start saving to jump on this after the release.

[DJRyan13]

Buy a press now with no primer system. Wait till a few people report on the new collator before you buy. Don’t want this to be another DAA collator fiasco! 

[mikamarj]

On 4/15/2020 at 4:20 AM, DJRyan13 said:

Dillon case feeder works fine on Evo. You will need to make or buy the stand for it... and buy some clear tubing. 

Stand is easily made from 1" square tube, just need to drill a couple of holes.
Instead of clear tubing I 3D-printed an adapter for the Mark7 spring-thingy.
 

[DJRyan13]

Nice

[HOGRIDER]

5 hours ago, mikamarj said:

Stand is easily made from 1" square tube, just need to drill a couple of holes.
Instead of clear tubing I 3D-printed an adapter for the Mark7 spring-thingy.
 

 

Awesome!

[sardo67]

On 4/16/2020 at 8:45 AM, kamber said:

 

@mikey_golds They have a less expensive one coming out this summer. Estimated availability is June/July timeframe. Ultimate Reloader has a video of the new unit in action, check it out.

 

when did they release that info?

[kamber]

57 minutes ago, sardo67 said:

 

when did they release that info?

 

A few months back, early 2020 I believe. I found out about it from a few posts here where forum members mentioned it.

Edited April 21, 2020 by kamber

[mikey_golds]

On 10/24/2019 at 11:54 PM, Stymie12000 said:

You might contact them. I have the manual powder throw. Nothing but problems when I first got it. Mark 7 ended up traded out my old problematic one for a new mechanical one. This was about 2 months ago. The new one is awesome very consistent throws.  About .04gr on my gem pro scale. And much smoother.

 

I had one of the first EVO. Misty at Mark 7 has treated me very well. My press always gave me problems.  However M7 totally rebuilt the press with pretty much all new parts. They even shipped packaging and return label. So I could send it back to them. Customer service has been top notch. And they are really trying to solve the issues of their early released products. 

 

 

Old comment, but did they ever allow anyone to exchange the mechanical for the digital? I have two mechanical one for rifle one for psitol UNUSED, and id love to return em for credit for 2 digital and pay the diff. 

[Stymie12000]

On 5/16/2020 at 1:43 PM, mikey_golds said:

 

 

Old comment, but did they ever allow anyone to exchange the mechanical for the digital? I have two mechanical one for rifle one for psitol UNUSED, and id love to return em for credit for 2 digital and pay the diff. 

I'm not sure. I'd give them a call.

[mikey_golds]

I'm not sure. I'd give them a call.

Emailed misty. Hopefully will hear back tomorrow. Gonna ask if I can send my press in also unused cause no dies anywhere for the primer install


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[DJRyan13]

20 hours ago, mikey_golds said:

Emailed misty. Hopefully will hear back tomorrow. Gonna ask if I can send my press in also unused cause no dies anywhere for the primer install


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I just called customer service and got right to Misty. She was very helpful. One of my bullet sensors wiggles. Other one is rock solid. She is sending me another mount.

 

let me know how they treat you.

[mikey_golds]

 
I just called customer service and got right to Misty. She was very helpful. One of my bullet sensors wiggles. Other one is rock solid. She is sending me another mount.
 
let me know how they treat you.

She rocks. Can upgrade no issue at all


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[DJRyan13]

33 minutes ago, mikey_golds said:

She rocks. Can upgrade no issue at all


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fantastic... yeah, she finally is getting me my 45-70 caliber conversion too. Emailed others with no response. Still waiting on the 44-40. 
 

guessing I will be the first to load black powder on a Mark 7... 

[mayassa]

My press is out for delivery!  I am so excited I cleaned off my workbench twice!

 

 

[mikey_golds]

Love ur work space.

Any NJ folks wanna help a relatively new reloader become a Mark master? I pay in booze and dry aged steak


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[mayassa]

Search this channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUW9kh5Esok&t=429s.  He has a couple of set up videos.  I think you could have any questions answered with a facetime.