I wanna speed up production . . .

Nope.
Apply force to press handle as cases enter dies. Ram shifts in bore and deflects toward front of press.
Not difficult to understand.
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No, not at all hard to understand.
Also not hard to understand that shell holders/shell plates are slotted, brass moves freely for a pretty large distance (machine tool speaking) allowing the brass to align with the fixed die.
I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intended purpose of the lotted shell holder, ease of swapping one case for another was, but the end result is the brass can move to make small corrections when entering the die.

Why measure it? Because too many cases (pistol or rifle) were clipping die mouths and I wanted to know why.
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That's an easy one!
YOU didn't correct the index of the shell plate to align the brass under the die well enough to get it started,
OR,
YOU didn't adjust the case feed shuttle to get the case under the die.

Not a fault of ram or machine! Operator error!

As for cause of ram/frame wear, probably lack of lubrication, about the only way to wear a ram/frame out.
My 650 (properly lubricated) went over a million before the frame needed bushed, the ram was fine & reused, aluminum not being the best bearing material & needing frequent & proper lubrication.

The 1050 went about 1.5 million before it needed rebuilt & a new ram.
It's gone another 2.5 million with a roller bearing & new factory ram with little sign of wear.
(Roller bearing rock!)

So again, I have to call BS and blame it on operator error.
You know, like from the guy that couldn't get the machine adjusted in the first place or doesn't know cast iron deflects...
 
deserted said:
Bought a 550B in '93 to load for mine and my sons' USPSA guns. Just went back and checked, counted 11 caliber conversion kits with five powder measures. A Rockchucker, a Lee Breechlock, and one of their hand-held ones, too. 28 different calibers at last count. I use the Dillon more than all the others combined, including the MECs for 12 and 20 ga. You will not be sorry for buying a Dillon anything
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The only people I know that regretted buying Dillon were those that didn't use them. A pretty big chunk of money for about zero use...
The bright side, GREAT resale value!

I was butt hurt about the price, now I don't know why I waited so long and bought so many cheaper presses!
The aftermarket support, gadget makers for Dillon stuff is pretty good too!
What Dillon didn't think of or doesn't add to keep costs down is on the aftermarket, most of it fairly inexpensive.

My big hold out was case & bullet feeders, case feeder is $250, but making one from a 5 gallon bucket is $30 if you are handy with hand tools,
The bullet feeder cost me $80 instead of $500 (YouTube is a wonderful thing!)

I'm like you, I go ahead and buy a powder thrower for each tool head and leave it set up.
I have my favorite loads, same powder & charge, and it increases cost in the front end, but makes things so much faster & easier it's not funny...

The little Lee Turret is right there, ready to do bullet pulling or whatever in the event it's needed, with tool head changes taking 2 seconds it's just too handy & easy...
Tool head set up with .223/5.56 tools, tool head with .45ACP tools, tool head set up with 9x19mm tools, etc, makes short work of QC culls, no stray cartridges laying around so you have to wonder later where they came from.

Makes short work of smaller production scale loading and REALLY reduces aggravation!

For those of us that moved up through singles, to tool inserts, to turrets, to rotary tool heads, then to all manner of 'Doctored' progressives, then finally to a progressive that was engineered from the ground up to be a progressive, this is probably the easiest, least glitchy common machine on the market.

Works well, has lifetime warranty that Dillon actually honors, cost is reasonable, it's realatively easy to adjust, the aftermarket supports it, hard to beat all that.

I'll be more than happy to jump to another machine, IF someone can point out one that can beat all that and offer more, but right now, the next step is Camdex, and they start at $34,000 (talk about butt hurt!).
 
Prof Young, have you factored in the additional free time you will have when you are not working? If you get a progressive press and grind out enough ammunition one weekend for an entire month, what do you do for other 28 days?
 
If you get a progressive press and grind out enough ammunition one weekend for an entire month, what do you do for other 28 days?
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I don't know about him but I spend the time answering the same questions over and over. ;)
 
I reloaded several years with a Rockchucker and then went to the (now old) Lyman Spar T turret. At that time I was shooting about 500 rds a week. The turret puts out 150 rds hr at a safe pace vs 50 rds hr with the single stage. I mounted an RCBS powder measure on top of a Lyman power through die and used the primer feed accessory on the press. A shell is inserted once and a finished round comes out after all stages are complete. Turning the turret by hand is no big deal but I mounted a handle on the turret (like the later versions) to make it easier. I have .32 and .357 dies mounted on the press at the same time...its tight but works fine.

I like the turret because its simple and small. It stores in a small space and is ready to go when bolted back on the bench. I avoided a progress mostly for that reason and because 500 hr production isn't needed. I've reloaded on 550 & 650 Dillions and aware of how fast and reliable they are.

The only upgrade I would ever do is buy the T-7 turrent...although after 25+ yrs of satisfaction with the Lyman I doubt another press is in my future (I'm retired). The Lee turret isn't on my list because I don't like their primer feed or their powder measure...personal choice for me but those keep me out of the Lee camp. The T-7 has a good press mounted primer feed system and any powder measure will fit.

As far as run out, flex and all those comments...my ammo shoots straight and is accurate.

Last word is a turret is great step up from a single stage but look/see what priming and powder systems you prefer.
 
Dad loaded shotgun with a MEC, he had a RockChucker, a Co-Ax, Lee progressive, and a Dillon 450. The Lee sat unused most of the time and when it was used it was relegated to case prep. The RC was used for load work up, the Co-ax for short run rifle, and the Dillon was used for production. When he passed I took the RC, a few dies, and and let my Brother-in-law have the rest. I eventually got a Dillon 550B to speed up my production.
 
Well, my question wasn't directed to you.
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If you click on a username (the names we go by, blue and underlined on the left of the page) another tab will open.

That tab will have user name, view public profile, send private message, find more posts, and add to contacts.

Click on "send private message" and you can have a conversation with that particular individual, excluding all others.
 
hdwhit:
"Well, my question wasn't directed to you."

I think most would consider that to be more or less an open ended question and inviting anyone to add to the thread in a playful manner. That happens now and again and not to be taken seriously.

I thought somewhere along the line that the prof was in favor of a 550 but now can't find the post if it did exist (or may have been someone else in another thread).
 
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