TargetTalk

I'm looking for a press and tools specifically for 45/9mm. Please advise.

Thanks.

For pistol, any Dillon press and their newer dies. Sell everything else. I still have my Rockchucker to someday use for rifle but have found no need for it with pistol anymore. I've tried RCBS, Lee, and miscellaneous other dies and none worked as easily (to clean and feed) as the newer pin clip (name?) Dillon dies. I'm using a 450 that has basically been upgraded to a 550. I've also used the Dillon Square Deal (SDB) presses and liked them too. If I had a brass feeder, bullet feeder and an elf to pull the handle then would think it was awesome too. Bottom line, Dillon equipment allows me to shoot more and fret less.

Clint

I don't think you can go wrong with Dillon but I have a Hornady lock-n-load that I have been using for about 5 months and am very satisfied with it (still have a couple of Star machines for specific loads). Hornady is very easy caliber change or swap of the seating die and powder micrometer to change preset loads if you like.

Dillon Square Deal seems to be the cheapest suitable press. Besides, I can walk into their place for service.

Works for me, but I have others for different needs.

I have a Dillon Square Deal B set up for .32 S&W, 9 mm and .45.

I purchased two extra toolhead plates so I can leave the dies in place and don't have to re-adjust them when I switch calibers.

Ive owned most all the good ones, use the hornady LNL now, makes very accurate loads.

I own 2 SDB and they work well. The inability of it to use standard dies makes me have to go through one extra step though. That is thethe use of Lee's Bulge Buster Taper Crimp die.

My vote is for the 550. I have one for large and one for small primers. As long as you don't need 5 stations it excels and is easy to change to all kinds of calibers rifle or pistol. I especially like the Dillon dies because they can be cleaned so easily which is very important when using soft lube on self cast bullets. A friend has a Hornady LNL and feels that it is over engineered for what it does and wishes he had a 550. If you shoot a whole lot and only will shoot 45 and 9mm for something like IDPA a 1050 Dillon might be better for you. Caliber changes are more difficult and costly than a 550 but they are a fair amount faster if you make a whole lot of bullets before you make any caliber changes. -- Bill --

I too have two 550's and have used them for years. Before that I had two RL300's for more than a decade until I adopted them out and replaced them with the 550's.

You want to load for two calibers that use different primer sizes.
The best press is the Dillon 550. Easiest to change primer set up.
But I woul suggest buying 2 Dillon SD presses, one for each caliber.
Its a pain resetting if you load a lot, going back and forth.
Dillon presses never loose their value, and the service is the best.
I do not feel the need for the bulge buster die.

I personally use the Dillon 650. The auto-indexing feature is great. It is very smooth and almost effortless, even with full length rifle cartridge resizing. I've used it for over ten years and have never had the slightest problem. I load a bunch of cartridges on it and the die/primer change is very straightforward, especially after you've done it a couple times.
If you go this route, you'll want to get a couple toolheads and dedicated powder measures.
I remember first comparing the Dillons at the 1999 NRA show in Charlotte. I got to try out all of their presses. The 550 and the 650 both operate smoothly and easily. The 1050 is also superb, but is a lot more money! I didn't personally care for the Square Deal presses. In comparison to the 550 and 650, I found their operating characteristics to feel gritty, with a lot more effort needed due to the smaller size and leverage required.
But like I said, that's just my personal opinion. Obviously lots of satisfied owners right here on TT.

Oh yes, I will second what Clintw said, and also recommend Dillon dies. The clips make it very easy to clean built up bullet lube. They are nicely built with heavy duty construction. Also, the dimensions of the sizing die seem to be spot on. Some die makers are all over the place with the dimensions of the sizer dies, the expander plugs, etc. This can cause all kinds of nuisance with bullets that are too loose or too tight in the case.

Best Regards,
Jim

The 550 is slow compared to the 650. The 550 does allow for easy stripping if you goof up. My greased bullets gum up the Dillon seating die. But, a heat gun is the tool of choice for cleaning up. Dillon's priming system is a metal on metal arrangement. Oh what an improvement if there was a teflon impregated guide/base for self-lubrication! My empties tip on the sizing station and clip the mouth of the sizing die. But using Dillon flared sizing die for faster operation seems to not full length size the case. A dilemma. The priming stroke is troubling, because you can't tell between a flipped sideways primer and a primer going in the right way. The priming system loves to get dirty and cause problems. If you lubricate it, the grime adds up fast.

All priming systems that are on a press will get dirty because of the dirt that comes out when depriming. I never oil my priming arm because it will then accumulate dirt. If you do something wrong and dump powder, the priming arm will collect it and stick making you think it needs lubrication. Usually a toothbrush will clean it up but it is possible that it will have to be taken apart. If a primer is flipping sideways, the arm is out of adjustment or has a piece of grit causing it. If you deprime first and then tumble your cases, when the tumble material is caught in the empty primer pocket and pushed out by the priming pin, it can get under the primer and cause an unsightly dent or even possibly flip the primer. These things can be avoided by priming with a hand tool but it is much easier to just use a 550 like it should be and much faster to put up with the occasional time when dirt causes trouble. All in all, Dillon is the best. -- Bill --

I have several dedicated presses. Something that works great is to use a few buddies' presses to see what style you like best. The Ultimate Reloader videos on YouTube are fantastic for seeing the whole process with several different presses and caliber conversions.

Orion,

I have a Dillon Square Deal B in .45 ACP Caliber. This machine is smaller in size
and more compact than other similar models. Some friends of mine with large fingers/hands find it difficult to use due to the fact that the cases are so close to each other while being positioned on the smaller diameter shell plate; this machine does have a reduced frame opening as well. Also note that you can not use industry standard dies (7/8-14 size) on it; you must use the proprietary, smaller dies that only Dillon makes and sells. This press was designed to reload only HANDGUN cartridges. Maybe it's just me, but I have a hard time getting uniform primer seating depths with it. There is no mechanical stop (setscrew) that can be adjusted to control primer depth; you just have to go by "feel". Because of its size and the lack of leverage on the operating handle, priming seems to take a lot more effort. As a result, I changed the way I use this machine as follows:

1. Tumble/inspect fired brass.

2. Use RCBS Rockchucker Single Stage Press and Lyman Decapping Die to
deprime all cases.

3. Prime all brass using RCBS Bench-Mounted Priming Tool.

4. Reload cases using Square Deal B with decapping pin removed (Station 1).


The stand-alone RCBS Bench-Mounted Priming Tool has a frame which contains a single shell holder and the primer seating punch. Attached to the frame is a high capacity primer feed tube which AUTOMATICALLY dispenses 1 primer at a time into the primer cup. The horizontally mounted operating handle seats the primer when the operator applies a DOWNWARD push on the handle. With this device, I can get a very good "feel" which results in very uniform seating depths; no more high primers as before which resulted in misfires. Because you use a downward stroke to prime, the mechanical advantage is on your side. Priming is far less fatiguing than before. This procedure adds an extra step and takes more time, but the results are worth it. Don't get me wrong, the Square Deal is a well built machine that comes with a lifetime warranty. It is smaller in scale compared to other products out there.

Puirchase a Dillon 550 with extra tool heads and if $ permit extra powder measures. The changeover between porimer sizes takes less than 5 minutes.