OK, now what?

Sounds to me that the OP is doing fine with his setup and may not even need additional help. It would be a bit over the top to take the press out to a shooting range, perhaps taking a chance on losing the case alignment pins on the shell plate. The press is no doubt bolted in place on his bench and should stay there. Other minor issues will surface in the future such as the primer bar becomming sluggish and requiring some cleaning on the sliding surfaces. Problems with the 550 are generally easy to resolve. Use the fail safe powder bar return mechanism but should the bar return action seem to be sluggish or difficult, remove the bar and clean the sliding surfaces. Those two items are about the only two maintenance requirements I have on my 550s. Occasionally something may get out of adjustment but there are always ways to easily readjust back to normal.
 
condor, no, I didn't mean take the press to the range, most competition shooters would be glad to come by and help a newbie setup.

"In the grand scheme of things gauge or gage, don't mean squat. (but my auto-spell checker does not recognise gage)."

It's recognize, not "recognise" Your spell checker didn't catch that either. My first career was a tool and die machinist and we used gauge blocks to gage the accuracy of the micrometers.

Gage Block Calibration Tolerances. Gage (gauge) blocks are available in various grades, depending on their intended use.

My 2nd career was as a mechanical engineer, BS Engineering, and the factory used lots of tooling check gages for set up. Now the plant in France used gauges, so when we sent them American gages, we had to convert them from inches to millimeters and re-stamp them as gauges......

of course today no one can read a vernier calipers anymore, and can hardly read a dial caliper, so we had to get digital calipers and micrometers for all the dumdums. They still don't what the number means, but they just have to write it down rightly in the right place and the engineers will check the values.
 
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Not being a "Spelling Nazi" (just a life long machinist/mechanic) but the correct spelling is "gauge", from old north French and late middle English. "Gage" is the "dumbed down" spelling most often used today (by folks that had trouble with "odd" spelling, "au", or those that used dumb stuff like "prolly")...
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I dug deeper, "THE STARRETT DATA BOOK FOR MACHINIS: STARRETT BOOKS VOLUME 11 Copyright 1920 uses the word 'gage'. Starrett has used the word gage for at least 96 years.

(just a life long machinist/mechanic)
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I do not care what the politically correct want to call it, I am staying with Starrett.

F. Guffey
 
I am well today.....I was good at my job.......by my gauge, I'll be welcomed at work tomorrow if I'm well. Let's eat (,) granma.
 
In order to test what I've read about Dillon's customer service I purposely got a case stuck in the sizing die. :D So I stopped by and they took care of me on the spot without so much as a snicker. Lesson learned. They were so nice I bought their CM-500 media separator. It really is a heavy duty well made unit. Well worth the very reasonable price.

The Lyman 50th arrived. Much reading to do.

The Lee press and decapping die is set to arrive on Monday. Some time next week I will have 1000 deprimed and cleaned cases.

This stuff is fun. :)
 
One more thing. Found a great little reloading supply shop near me with great service and fair prices. Bought a pound of CFE 223, 100 Sierra Game Kings and 1000 CCI primers. It's a start...

Still need a case trimmer.
 
If you favor hand trimming I suggest the Lyman EZee trim. It's a step up in from the Lee Case Length Gage and Cutter (only consider the ball handle cutter if you go this route).

The Lee press mount trimming system looks like an effective way to go to. I would get the Value Trim with the power adapter and an electric screwdriver and deburr by hand.

Get the large deburring tool for 50 BMG, Lyman and RCBS both make one, it's much easier on the hands and does all the smaller cases too.

You might also consider an EJS primer pocket uniformer. I use mine all the time to clean primer pockets. It's fast and easy.
 
Will I need the primer pocket uniformer if I have the Dillon Super Swage and wet tumble with the steel pins? I know I'll be needing some hand tools.

Like the looks of the Giraud Tri Way trimmer because it chamfers and deburrs and may save my hands some grief.
 
You likely won't "need" the uniformer. I like to use them because every pocket is made consistent to the next.

Very valid point about hand fatigue. If you plan on doing lots and lots of brass processing with the power system is the way to go and Giraud makes top notch stuff.
 
Fortunately all the brass I have is once-fired from two of my own rifles. There should be only 3-4 types. A third is military style 5.56 crimped and the rest is .223. Will separate it after cleaning for prep.
 
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