Upgraded reloading area

[Steeldrifter 0]

Well after two years of reloading on a single press, I finally upgraded. Past week I have been working on the reloading area. Got a Dillon 550c, a Frankford Arsenal case prep center, bought a Lee single stage press & universal decapping die to have a dedicated decapping press, and moved my RCBS press to a new 8ft 2" thick counter  so I can use the RCBS as a small batch press for stuff like my revolvers where I'm only doing 100-200 rds at a time.

I also have been 3D printing a lot of stuff for the Dillon. And I DYI'ed a round counter. Bought a digital display, 3d printed a housing for it. Wire it up to a micro switch that is tripped by a micro switch on the fwd (primed) stroke of the handle. So it counts every completed round I do.

Not done yet but close. This is gonna be heaven at about 400/500rds per hr compared to the 100 rd per hr I'm use to on my single stage.

 

 

 

[Poopdeck 0]

You’re gonna love that Dillion. The interchangeable tool head is what separates Dillion from the rest. I bought stands, extra tool heads and powder measures so I could have a complete set up for each caliber. Changing calibers was as simple as changing the shell plate, pulling two pins, removing one tool head and replacing with another complete with dies and powder measure. I’ve been selling my stuff off as I downsize my life and shoot almost never anymore. 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Great to hear you say that Greg because I already ordered some of that! 😎  Sounds like you have a Dillon yourself.So question for you...

I just today got the Conversion kits for 9mm, 223, 300blk,  I also ordered a tool head off ebay so I have a head for pistol (9mm) ready to go. And one for rifle (223/300blk)  so I can swap them quickly. Question though since you are familiar with the Dillon..The powder measure is about $120'ish. How hard/time consuming is it to swap the power funnel/switch from pistol to rifle for the powder measure? Think it's worth buying another powder measure to have set up on the rifle head ready to drop in?

[Poopdeck 0]

Yes I’ve had a Dillion RL550b for 30 years. In the grand scheme of things it’s very easy to do mechanically. I didn’t like dialing in the powder measure and sometimes changing out the powders every time I switched calibers. I preferred having the powder set and ready to go. It’s definitely worth 120 each as is the cost for tool heads and tool head stands. I didn’t buy them overnight but I had about a half dozen at one point. 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Finished getting it all set up and knocked out the first rds with it last night. Did 100rds of 9mm in probably 20 mins and wasn't even trying to go fast, was taking my time and just getting use to the rhythm of it. On my old RCBS single stage it would take me about 60-70mins to crank out 100rds and that was haulin' ass.  I think I am gonna really love this thing.

I went ahead and ordered a 2nd powder measure from Dillon last night as well as a couple more primer pick up tubes. Figure it will be nice to have two complete heads set up not just with dies but also the powder measure as well so I can just swap heads and primer bar and go from 9 to 556 real quickly.

[cphubert 0]

Nice upgrade I haven't reloaded anything in a few years gave my single stage to a friend kept all the Lee handloaders that I started with.

[Poopdeck 0]

20 hours ago, Steeldrifter said:

Finished getting it all set up and knocked out the first rds with it last night. Did 100rds of 9mm in probably 20 mins and wasn't even trying to go fast, was taking my time and just getting use to the rhythm of it. On my old RCBS single stage it would take me about 60-70mins to crank out 100rds and that was haulin' ass.  I think I am gonna really love this thing.

I went ahead and ordered a 2nd powder measure from Dillon last night as well as a couple more primer pick up tubes. Figure it will be nice to have two complete heads set up not just with dies but also the powder measure as well so I can just swap heads and primer bar and go from 9 to 556 real quickly.

You’re well on your way to a tool head and powder measure for every caliber. You can probably 3D print tool head stands. You know I’m thrifty but having a complete set up for every caliber was well worth the expense and like I said, it took me a number of years to get up to as many as I had. You will find that with the Dillion 550 your going to be able to load far more rounds then you can ever shoot. It’s the reason I haven’t reloaded in a decade or more. That and I haven’t shot on a competitive level for a couple decades. In fact, I haven’t gone to the range for fun in a long time and simply don’t shoot anymore.  I’ve given away some of my stuff but still hold onto the press and a few calibers. I’m a little touchy, okay hyper vigilante, with where my guns and stuff go as I don’t want them to ever have a chance of ending up in the hands of an irresponsible person. 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Yep I have actually been 3D printing various things for it the past few days already. It's really nice that you can find so much stuff for the Dillon to print from the same places I find most my 3D files online (thingiverse). I've already printed a toolhead stand, a funnel for the powder measure, a pretty nice little holder for the caliber conversion kits, and a few other things like a tray to catch all the shavings for the new case prep center I picked up.

Just finished another 200rds this afternoon. Already done 600rds of 9mm in the past 2 days. So much nicer doing it on this press than before on the single stage. I reload for myself & my shooting buddy and we each go through around 800-1000rds per month. So before I was really having to spend a lot of time trying to meet our needs with the old single stage. It's gonna be a huge time saver now to be able to do it with this.

 

Here's a few of the things I printed already. I like the collar that goes on the powder drop tube with the powder ID on it. As I get older the memory is not what it use to be. I know there have been times I got done reloading on the single stage and came back down the next day only to not remember if it was hs6 or hp38 or what powder it was in the tube.

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Well I found the one negative about this Dillon press.....It reloads so fast I can't keep the processed brass up with it 😆

Just hit 1400rds on 9mm last night and that sucked up the last of my processed brass I had done and ready. I usually use a sonic cleaner to do my brass which does about 60-70pcs of 9mm at a time. Just too small to keep up with the demands of this new press. So just ordered the Frankford 7L wet tumbler. It can do around 1500pcs of 9mm at a time. That should keep me swimming in processed brass now.

[Poopdeck 0]

The 3D printer is nice. I like the tool head stand and the mini die case rack. Do you have a primer flipper? Those were nice to have. 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Yeah I got the aluminum flipper one from Dillon. Was a little overpriced imo ($30 I think it was) but it's nice thick and heavy duty so should last a lifetime so went ahead and got it from them.

[Sandan 0]

Looks like a beauty set up Steve.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Just upgraded the brass cleaning as well now that I've got the new press. Ended up buying the big 7L sized Frankford wet tumbler. Did my first batch of about 500 cases in it this evening. I knew it would come out even cleaner than I get with my sonic cleaner but I honestly and even more surprised than I thought I would be. Tumbled for 2hrs in 5lbs of ss pins with dawn & a pinch of Lemishine and even old nasty range brass looks like it just came from the factory.

I love that it even gets the primer pockets so clean.

 

[flyflinger 0]

What a terrific reloading environment you have!  I can sure see why that Cadillac Dillon press with all that automation would be efficient for volume quantities.  I'm sort of married to my Redding T-7 Turret press because I reload for so many different chamberings (with five turrets full of dies).  I rarely do more than 20-30 rounds at a time - mostly load development and trying different powders, bullets, cases, etc.  I also have that large Platinum Series Frankford Arsenal brass tumbler, but I have to admit the volume is overkill for me - I rarely clean more than 30 cases at a time, but it sure does a nice job.  Of course, now that I have two of the seven grandkids coming of hunting age, my volumes may be increasing . . .  

Regards,

     

[Steeldrifter 0]

God I am loving this new press & Tumbler. Spent a lil time at the press yesterday doing some 9mm. Got done in 2hrs what would have taken me 2 weeks on the old single stage.