Dillon Rl1000

[RL1000]

Hi, I am new to the forum and my handle would indicate I am an afficnoto of Dillon Rl1000 reloading presses.

 

I own 7 machines and find them to be well built and trouble free in usage once properly cleaned and lubed and adjusted for the caliber.

 

 

One thing I have noticed is a lack of parts, Dillon has a limited selection and no one seems to make them. 

 

Are there any other Rl1000 owners and users out there?

 

If so what are your opinions and stories?

 

 

[moparnut88]

hi I am as well. I have 3 operating rl1000 and 1 parts machine. As you have seen very few parts available. There is a guy on eBay that is a machinist that has started making some small parts but few. I have made most of my own and some I have specked out to a local machine shop. But most of the time I make what I need in house. These have become kind of like an old piece of equipment. Hard to sometimes find parts for but usually better in the end than any new machine. One machine I have had over 750k rnds of 223 documented thru it and it still loads better than my rl1050. Good luck in your search. 

[RIIID]

I have six working machines, I was lucky two of the machines came with alot of spare parts. What parts I don't have I make, the parts aren't that complex to make.

Rich

[RL1000]

I have not ran into many parts I could not find at the moment. I bought my 7 in 2021 from a defunct commercial loader who moth balled them in the late 1980 early 1990s....  they were abused from ignorance i.e Channel locks marks, dies set screw not undone and ruined tool head threads, column threads obliterated,  steel tip set screws used instead of brass, list just goes on.

 

I am a tool maker by trade and I was able to retread the columns and tool heads and remove all the broken bolts and re store the machines.  Despite looking terrible they are actually low on mileage and are still amazing machines. 

 

I have all original receipts and records and correspondence with Mike Dillon  himself.

 

The parts are not difficult to make, there are however minor differences in the machine that makes making parts difficult in any quantity. 

 

My earliest serial is in the 300s and my latest is 1000 something.  The primer slide thicknesses changed and primer punch sized have changed. I don't know what else may have changed as this is what I had to deal with when I was making parts for the press in the beginning. 

[ltdmstr]

Last one I saw was at John Nowlin's shop back in the early 90s.  Friend of mine had four Star reloading presses with MA Systems collators on them.  Those were really nice machines.

[z4lunch]

Steve here... I too have seven working RL1000's. One of them is as new, with the boxes. Likes others have said, parts are tough to get, I make what I need and a few years back I was still buying shell plates and some other parts from Dillon. Gary K. at Dillon was a wealth of knowledge and could very easily look up parts. He retired years back.

I am very lucky to have the machines I do, they are works of art and run well.

Steve

[Orlandoech]

I have had an 1100 for 9 months now, replacing my 750. Overall I like it much better, but there is still some room for improvement for sure, mainly the shell plate and powder drop precision imo. Otherwise, I like it. I do need to clean mine though.

[jejb]

3 hours ago, Orlandoech said:

I have had an 1100 for 9 months now, replacing my 750. Overall I like it much better, but there is still some room for improvement for sure, mainly the shell plate and powder drop precision imo. Otherwise, I like it. I do need to clean mine though.

I like my RL1100 too, but this thread is about the RL1000 press. 

[Orlandoech]

Just now, jejb said:

I like my RL1100 too, but this thread is about the RL1000 press. 

im sorry, I misread the title. I’ll tap out. My apologies. 

[gl_colt]

On 5/27/2022 at 1:51 PM, ltdmstr said:

Last one I saw was at John Nowlin's shop back in the early 90s.

These are still kicking out ammo. They surplus auctioned them in the late 90s.

I just love how smooth the RL1000 runs. I guess after this many rounds everything should be slick.

[z4lunch]

Here is the oldest RL1000 I have

Steve

IMG_1547.heic

[shred]

Mod note: please no buying and selling here.  That's what the classifieds are for.