RL1100 - Setting up seperate toolheads for processing and loading

[wdfwguy]

I've decided to pull the trigger and get an RL1100 I found in stock.

 

I'll only be loading 9mm, and I'd like to set up separate toolheads for processing and loading.

 

Just looking for suggestions for how to set up both.  Specific dies for each toolhead, etc.

[The Donald]

On 9mm you can run it with one head, with the extra money get a Mr. Bulletfeeder

deprime/resize

swedge

prime

charge

seat bullet

crimp

[chgofirefighter]

I purchased an aftermarket tool head from On Point MFG which gives you one more station, which I'll be using for loading ammo and the stock Dillon toolhead will be used to process brass

[ddc]

On 7/1/2020 at 3:07 PM, The Donald said:

On 9mm you can run it with one head, with the extra money get a Mr. Bulletfeeder

deprime/resize

swedge

prime

charge

seat bullet

crimp

 

sure, he can do a typical setup, but that's not what he wants to do

 

I'd be interested in seeing how people are doing this also.

 

 

[AHI]

  process head            Mighty armory (blue) decapping die  MA hold down to swage. across from swaging die Lee undersize die of apprate caliber

9mm,40S&W,45ACP.   with out decap pin .    also use this for .223 first step.

load head

Dillon size,Dillon hold down ,prime ,powder,bullet feed,Redding mic seating die,Dillon crimp

[ddc]

1 hour ago, AHI said:

  process head            Mighty armory (blue) decapping die  MA hold down to swage. across from swaging die Lee undersize die of apprate caliber

9mm,40S&W,45ACP.   with out decap pin .    also use this for .223 first step.

load head

Dillon size,Dillon hold down ,prime ,powder,bullet feed,Redding mic seating die,Dillon crimp

AHI,

Given that you used the Udie on the processing pass do you feel much resistance from the Dillon sizing die on the loading pass? I've never used two sizing dies before.

[stick]

Only loading 9mm?  Why would you want to process and load 9mm in separate steps?  Their is not a lot you can do to 9mm brass except full length resize or undersize and decap.

What am I missing?

[ddc]

4 hours ago, stick said:

Only loading 9mm?  Why would you want to process and load 9mm in separate steps?  Their is not a lot you can do to 9mm brass except full length resize or undersize and decap.

What am I missing?

 

Well he didn't mention if his press was automated or not.

But if you are automated then processing your brass first results in a lot less headache when you do the loading pass.

And if you are automated then a two pass strategy is not that big a deal when your processing pass can run at 2000+ cases/hour with minimal monitoring.

It's just a different way to skin the cat.  

I haven't gone there yet and I might not but I'm curious. 

 

[AHI]

11 hours ago, ddc said:

AHI,

Given that you used the Udie on the processing pass do you feel much resistance from the Dillon sizing die on the loading pass? I've never used two sizing dies before.

There is some debate on this but in my experience the Dillon die sizes smaller than the u die. It does not heart a thing to size a second time. There are two reasons to process

9mm or any pistol brass. One is I got a large (free) amount of brass that had gotten wet.The primers were sticking/ringing .To make good consistent ammo how smooth the press

operates has a large impact. Stopping to remove a rung primed peace of brass or setting off a primer does not help make good ammo.  Number two  this set up is a cheaper alternative

to roll sizing.The only brass that I prepossess now are for 9 major . I do process some brass for others that dont have a swage station to remove crimped primers. Just thought of a therd reason if I was going to wet clean the brass I would knock out the primer first.         I dont wet clean pistol brass.      Its a waste of time.

 

[wdfwguy]

9 hours ago, stick said:

Only loading 9mm?  Why would you want to process and load 9mm in separate steps?  Their is not a lot you can do to 9mm brass except full length resize or undersize and decap.

What am I missing?

 

I'm sure it's not *necessary*

 

But I'm not buying processed brass, I'm using range pickups.  And I'm planning to automate.  So, there's no extra effort on my part, and I feel like it would get rid of brass with debris, .380/.38 Sup cases, etc.

 

[Thetimb]

9 hours ago, wdfwguy said:

 

I'm sure it's not *necessary*

 

But I'm not buying processed brass, I'm using range pickups.  And I'm planning to automate.  So, there's no extra effort on my part, and I feel like it would get rid of brass with debris, .380/.38 Sup cases, etc.

 

It makes the loading pass that much easier when you process before. You have way less issues and stops. 
 

I hate stopping the press with a full load of cases. I end up yanking the case under and after the powder drop. Pour the powder back into the tub. 
 

Then I have to keep this pile of cases with primers in them that I have to feed into the press after the primer station when I can. It’s a lot less of that crap and more loading 1k automated with only refilling bullets, powder, primers. You don’t even have to stop while you are doing that. 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Thetimb

[stick]

17 hours ago, ddc said:

 

Well he didn't mention if his press was automated or not.

But if you are automated then processing your brass first results in a lot less headache when you do the loading pass.

And if you are automated then a two pass strategy is not that big a deal when your processing pass can run at 2000+ cases/hour with minimal monitoring.

It's just a different way to skin the cat.  

I haven't gone there yet and I might not but I'm curious. 

 

Good Point.  I never thought about animation.

[stick]

13 hours ago, wdfwguy said:

 

I'm sure it's not *necessary*

 

But I'm not buying processed brass, I'm using range pickups.  And I'm planning to automate.  So, there's no extra effort on my part, and I feel like it would get rid of brass with debris, .380/.38 Sup cases, etc.

 

Never thought about the animation part.  I could see where it would be necessary for separate tool heads for processing brass.

[belus]

On 7/2/2020 at 12:54 PM, chgofirefighter said:

I purchased an aftermarket tool head from On Point MFG which gives you one more station, which I'll be using for loading ammo and the stock Dillon toolhead will be used to process brass

 

I process and load 9mm in two runs. I would use the extra station over the primer seating station to hold a Lee U-die if I hadn't already customized one as my swage backer, otherwise I don't see an advantage to having an extra station before the powder drop.

 

Processing 9mm on a 40sw 1050:

2) Dillon decap, which pulls back about 1-2% of primers

3) Lee decap with FFB RCBS decap pin holder (no swage rod installed) as insurance

4) no primer system

5) empty

6) Dillon 40sw sizing die

7) Lee 40sw U-die

8- empty 

 

I use the process run to catch 380s and Supers, but mostly I wanted to separate depriming from loading to keep things cleaner after my lead levels climbed to 6 ug/dL a couple years back.

 

Loading 9mm on a 9mm 1050:

2) Dillon sizing die with decap pin

3) Lee U-die with custom swage backing rod, swage rod installed

4) prime

5) MBF powder drop

6) MBF

7) DIllon seating die

8- Lee FCD

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by belus
smiley 8's

[1911onr]

 
I'm sure it's not *necessary*
 
But I'm not buying processed brass, I'm using range pickups.  And I'm planning to automate.  So, there's no extra effort on my part, and I feel like it would get rid of brass with debris, .380/.38 Sup cases, etc.
 

Don't forget the berdan primed cases. [emoji34]

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[slavex]

yeah processing brass before loading, even if hand cranking, is the way to go in my opinion. I wash, dry, roll, decap/size, swage, and fill a few buckets, then from those buckets I load. Nothing ruins a good loading session more than crap in a case and having to pull the case under the powder measure and all that. Once the brass is processed I know I can load with zero issues after that. so much nicer. 

[wdfwguy]

On 7/9/2020 at 9:20 AM, belus said:

 

I process and load 9mm in two runs. I would use the extra station over the primer seating station to hold a Lee U-die if I hadn't already customized one as my swage backer, otherwise I don't see an advantage to having an extra station before the powder drop.

 

Processing 9mm on a 40sw 1050:

2) Dillon decap, which pulls back about 1-2% of primers

3) Lee decap with FFB RCBS decap pin holder (no swage rod installed) as insurance

4) no primer system

5) empty

6) Dillon 40sw sizing die

7) Lee 40sw U-die

8- empty

 

 

Just wondering, but why not swage while processing?

[belus]

15 hours ago, wdfwguy said:

Just wondering, but why not swage while processing?

In short, because I don't trust a single decapping pin to get enough of the primers and need that location for a second decapping die. Maybe I should swap the Lee and Dillon dies and see if I get the same failure rate.

 

The main purpose of my processing is to separate the decapping from other operations because of lead contamination.  I also have plans to wet tumble brass and being fully decapped will help them drain and dry faster.

 

I don't see any down side to swaging during the loading run. The 380's and Supers are all sorted out and I know all the brass is primer free.

 

A final reason not swage on the processing run is that the 9mm is held by a W shellplate and it's not as secure as the correct #5 shell plate. I might risk deforming the rim if the web of the case isn't held securely by the backing rod.

[BiknSwans]

1 hour ago, belus said:

I don't see any down side to swaging during the loading run. The 380's and Supers are all sorted out and I know all the brass is primer free.

 

 

I agree.  I just started using a two pass procedure on my Mk7 Evolution.  I use the Mighty Armory decapping die with the primer flicker spring in the second station.  This spring is very stiff and really snaps when the primer is pushed out of the primer pocket.  I just prepped 3,500 cases and had zero pulled back primers.  I have the swager in the third station.  If a primer isn't removed, the swager won't let me lower the handle very far.  That is the way I verify that there are no pulled back primers.  I might be able to feel a ringed primer, but I doubt it.  I haven't experienced any since I started using a brass prepping pass.