Manual vs auto-indexing questions???

[Cuz]

Hello all,

I've been using a Dillon RL550 since the early 1990's with great success.  I always thought the manual indexing function was an advantage over the auto-indexing presses for the slow, cautious reloader like myself.

 

But lately, I've been thinking about upgrading to a newer press like the RL750 or Super 1050/1100 and have a few questions.  My new press will load exclusively 9mm.  I will continue to use my 550b for all other pistol calibers.  I don't yet load any rifle calibers, and don't plan to.

 

I reload mainly unsorted, unprocessed, junk range brass for use in Glock pistols and Ruger PCCs.  Lately, I've come across a lot of brass with berdan primers rather than boxer.  I normally find out about it when the deprimer punch "pokes" a hole thru the center of the case and I have to stop the process to remove the case and toss it in the trash.  This is easy with the RL550b press.  Is it just as easy with an auto indexing press?  Does the 1050/1100 allow you to continue to swage the pocket and load the case?  As you can see, while I may have been reloading for many years, the simplicity of the Dillon press keeps me from needing a deep understanding of the reloading process.  I just load my ammo, and when something acts up, I remove the case, toss it, and continue on.  I wonder if it's as easy to do with an auto-indexing press.

 

Any feedback regarding the simplicity/differences between auto indexing vs manual indexing would be greatly appreciated.  I'm trying to decide if a new auto-indexing press would be right for me since I don't pre-process my brass, and use a lot of mixed/junk/unsorted range brass.

 

Thanks,

Cuz

 

 

 

[Sarge]

I don't know. If you don't need a lot of volume for competition I would just keep doing what you're doing with the 550. But it's certainly easy enough to clear out a bad round on my 650. Just make sure not to index the press during the process to cut down on confusion. Can't speak for the 1050 or 1100 but I can only imagine it's no problem either. 

[DJRyan13]

It’s harder to “feel” things on a 1050. So, you can easily get a missed decap going into the primer station. I only use the swage mechanism when I am swaging which isn’t often as it’s only a one time thing.

 

Good news is a primer being inserted into a case will just blow that primer and not ignite the stack. Doesn’t always ignite the primer either (just crushes it). The only time I get ignited primers in the 1050 is if I have a small pistol primer 45acp when running LP. 

 

The 1050 is build like a tank. It can handle the odd screw up. 

 

Eventually, I added an autodrive (M7) which has enough sensors to catch things. For example, my favorite is the decap sensor). If a primer doesn’t fall out during decap, the machine stops.

 

Been a long time since I have manually pulled a handle on the 1050 so maybe others can add to the discussion. 

[George16]

I started with a 550 8 years ago after retiring. I then bought a 650 last year since I used more ammo after I had been competing for a year in USPSA. The learning curve wasn’t bad at all. I just have to be more mindful when I stop during the loading process to make sure every single case have powder in it or I don’t double charge a case. 
 

I use the 650 exclusively for loading 9minor and Major ammo while the 550 is used for loading 5.56 and .308. I’m still waiting for my Dillon 1100 to arrive which will be used for loading and processing 5.56 and 9mm ammo. 

[MemphisMechanic]

The 1050/1100 is where it’s at for these. I personally like a Lee die in the first station; You can see the top of the primer punch sticking out of the die, and so far it either drives the primer out, or pushes the punch up through it’s jam-nut in the center of the die body. That, might I add, is extraordinarily rare when it’s set right. 
 

It swages the pockets to all take a primer identically - on my 650 one would be easy, the next would be hard, and the third would be crimped and potentially crush a primer. Your primer seating depth is also adjustable and far more consistent. With a 550/650 I’m checking out every primer carefully... loading on my 1050 I barely glance at the primers once I’ve dropped 100 rounds into the hundo case gauge. It’s so reliable that I’m only looking for backwards or missing primers since the depth is *almost* 100% perfect regardless of brass brand.

 

Primer swaging and seating, and the increase in leverage (its quite a bit easier to pull the handle) are my two favorite things about upgrading to the 1050.

 

Edited July 13, 2020 by MemphisMechanic

[stick]

Why try and reinvent the wheel?  You're only loading 9mm and have been for a while without any problems.  Why switch now?  I would just sort the brass and remove any berdan primed cases.

[usmc1974]

I have a rl550c, but I also have a Auto indexing, square deal B and I can easily load 300 400 rounds in an hour and it is just 9 mm. Just saying.

[looking4reloadingdeals]

I agree with Stick. If you aren’t having any problems with hour current set up why change it? Are you looking for a faster loading process with a bullet feeder and case feeder and all the bells and whistles? Or even just a case feeder would probably speed up your process a bit.

I never used a 550, I went front a single stage to a progressive, and there obviously is some learning curve, but it wasn’t terrible. The first couple hundred rounds I did slowly to make sure everything was working correctly, but after that it wasn’t bad.

On something like a 650/1050 you could also start preprocessing your brass so that way any problems with the brass are figured out before you start the loading process. I found this was the most helpful step for me. Allowed me to separate the steps and make sure the brass I feeding the press in the loading process was good to go


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[belus]

I think the 550 is the best value press Dillon makes.  I've bought it, sold it, and bought it again.

 

Now I load 9mm on a 1050 because I can automate it. It runs best if the brass is processed first which means handling the brass twice.

There's a great rhythm that develops on the 550 too. It's the most enjoyable and satisfying to use.  The 1050 makes ammo faster but if feels like a chore that I'm just racing to get through.

I wouldn't get a 650 if I already had a 550. I think the 1050 and 550 compliment each other really well they would always have room on my bench as a pair.

[AHI]

2 hours ago, belus said:

wouldn't get a 650 if I already had a 550. I think the 1050 and 550 compliment each other really well they would always have room on my bench as a pair.

been through this  the 650/750 is not the up grade from 550 most people think. a 550 and a 1050/1100 is the way to go IMO. seeing more and more crimped

primers every day . There are two Dillon presses I don't like SDB (have had two)and 650 (operation effort, broken parts,overly complex)

[Cuz]

Thanks all.  I know I don't "need" to upgrade, but sometimes I get to wondering how much easier it would be to reload unprocessed range brass on a 1050/1100 vs on my 550.  I know I could pre-process and sort the brass but I never do.  I'm still not sure whether or not you can just power thru berdan primed cases with a 1050.  Will it punch a center hole and swage the primer pocket so that you can prime and then load the case?  Or do you have to stop and remove the case?

 

 

[Sarge]

10 minutes ago, Cuz said:

Thanks all.  I know I don't "need" to upgrade, but sometimes I get to wondering how much easier it would be to reload unprocessed range brass on a 1050/1100 vs on my 550.  I know I could pre-process and sort the brass but I never do.  I'm still not sure whether or not you can just power thru berdan primed cases with a 1050.  Will it punch a center hole and swage the primer pocket so that you can prime and then load the case?  Or do you have to stop and remove the case?

 

 

No you can not conventionally prime a berden primer case.

[AHI]

stop remove case then depending on whos sizing die replace decapping pin.

[Cuz]

19 hours ago, AHI said:

stop remove case then depending on whos sizing die replace decapping pin.

Ha, I have a 10 pak of decapping pins, but at the moment, I'm using my Lee dies for all but the powder drop.