Want to add a progressive press ?
- Thread starter Road_Clam
- Start date
+1 on that--and while you are ordering goodies from Inline Fabrication
get their light setup for the 550B. Drops into the hole in the middle of the
tool head. I used a series of little reading lights etc to see into the case
and eyeball the powder before setting the bullet--all were a pain.
The Inline Fab light is some of the best money spent on reloading
gizmos EVER.
I've owned 3 Dillon progressives, a 550, 650 and a 1050. The 550 is a nice press but after 1 year I sold it and moved on to the 650. My complaint with the 550 is I won't own a progressive press that can't have a powder check station. My 550 gave me 3 squibs and was gone. The day I sold it I ordered a 650.
I don't think the Hornady is a bad choice but I've never owned one.
I don't think the Hornady is a bad choice but I've never owned one.
condor bravo
New member
Copied from my post to a related thread.
Yes, good point, have had a squib or two along with a few no charges. Happens when the powder bar does not return to pick up a new charge after dumping the previous charge. Requires cleaning accumulated residue from beneath the powder bar and its mating sliding surface. One of the habits that must be formed is visually making sure the powder bar does return properly after each charge. Good way to ruin a barrel by putting a fully charged round on top of a bullet jammed part way up the barrel but have never done it. There haven't been many or any comments on this side of the problem. But yes, a rod can be connected to the powder bar to ensure that it is pulled back automatically after each charge. I just choose not to use it, bad idea.
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Yes, good point, have had a squib or two along with a few no charges. Happens when the powder bar does not return to pick up a new charge after dumping the previous charge. Requires cleaning accumulated residue from beneath the powder bar and its mating sliding surface. One of the habits that must be formed is visually making sure the powder bar does return properly after each charge. Good way to ruin a barrel by putting a fully charged round on top of a bullet jammed part way up the barrel but have never done it. There haven't been many or any comments on this side of the problem. But yes, a rod can be connected to the powder bar to ensure that it is pulled back automatically after each charge. I just choose not to use it, bad idea.
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So--Dillon provides a "failsafe rod assembly" which has the sole purpose
of ensuring that the powder measure slide returns to pick up a new charge.
You choose to not connect it, because it's a "bad idea".
Would you care to share with the rest of us WHY using the manufacturers
failsafe device is a bad idea?
condor bravo
New member
Choosing not to connect the powder bar return rod was the bad idea, not the return rod mechanism itself. I was the bad idea. I apologize for the bad wording. Should have said bad idea not to have used it.
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There are 2 major versions of the Dillon powder measure. The early one uses return spring(s), but it was upgraded to a dual cam operated positive return with the "Fail Safe" type.
Unfortunately many users who were familiar with the old spring-loaded system didn't like the "snap" action of the Fail Safe so they disconnected it, frequently adding springs, which Dillon advises against.
Now we see why.
Images (c) wogpotter 2014
"Old" spring return
"New" Fail Safe dual cam
Unfortunately many users who were familiar with the old spring-loaded system didn't like the "snap" action of the Fail Safe so they disconnected it, frequently adding springs, which Dillon advises against.
Now we see why.
Images (c) wogpotter 2014
"Old" spring return
"New" Fail Safe dual cam
condor bravo
New member
I cannot get Photobucket to display the images although PB seems to be installed. Perhaps wp has the jpg image descriptions reversed. If you can see a spring in the second photo, that would be the return by spring tension only without the rod. You indicate you can see the return rod in the first photo. Perhaps wp will clarify.
Way, way simpler than that.
The top pic shows the early spring-loaded head mounted on on a press, the bottom has a different, later dual cam "FailSafe" head not on the press, but on a tool-head stand. The rod is removed & laying in an accessory tray.
Image is (C) Wogpotter 2014.
The top pic shows the early spring-loaded head mounted on on a press, the bottom has a different, later dual cam "FailSafe" head not on the press, but on a tool-head stand. The rod is removed & laying in an accessory tray.
Image is (C) Wogpotter 2014.
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madmo44mag
New member
OK everyone has a favorite and they all have their pros and cons.
These forums are great to help you decode which press will work best for you.
I have loaded on Dillons, Lee’s and Hornadays.
I personally like the Hrnadays because they are not so proprietary.
I am currently loading on a Hornaday Lock n Load and after doing all the tweaks it runs great. Dillion and Lee also have to be tweaked to get them up and running smoothly.
It’s just a matter of preference as they all work as designed it’s just a matter of who’s design works best for you.
These forums are great to help you decode which press will work best for you.
I have loaded on Dillons, Lee’s and Hornadays.
I personally like the Hrnadays because they are not so proprietary.
I am currently loading on a Hornaday Lock n Load and after doing all the tweaks it runs great. Dillion and Lee also have to be tweaked to get them up and running smoothly.
It’s just a matter of preference as they all work as designed it’s just a matter of who’s design works best for you.
There are many good options out there, but for 223/5.56???? The most interesting thing is that to do the case prep properly you will be using a single stage press for most of the job. Setting the shoulder back properly, trimming the case, sizing the case properly (neck and base), priming the cases, trimming the mouth and taking crimps out of the primer pockets (Mil Cases).
While rifle cases can be done on a progressive press, they really lend themselves to be done on a single stage or turret press. A progressive really does not cut down the amount of time you will need to do "case prep".
What will cut down on your time and make it more efficient is to do powdering, seating and crimping (if you do crimp) on a press that allows you to do all this at the same time. That is why I would recommend the "Lee Classic Turret" press for that job. In addition it is a workhorse for doing pistol ammo, and produces many many rounds an hour to cut down your time on those 40's and 45's and with an additional die holder can be changed over to a new caliber in seconds. That can not be said of ANY progressive press.
After all the case prep is done, this is how I load my 223/5.56's.
Jim
While rifle cases can be done on a progressive press, they really lend themselves to be done on a single stage or turret press. A progressive really does not cut down the amount of time you will need to do "case prep".
What will cut down on your time and make it more efficient is to do powdering, seating and crimping (if you do crimp) on a press that allows you to do all this at the same time. That is why I would recommend the "Lee Classic Turret" press for that job. In addition it is a workhorse for doing pistol ammo, and produces many many rounds an hour to cut down your time on those 40's and 45's and with an additional die holder can be changed over to a new caliber in seconds. That can not be said of ANY progressive press.
After all the case prep is done, this is how I load my 223/5.56's.
Jim
I don't use a single stage for .223/5.56 loading or prep.
A 650 with a Dillon trimmer will size/deprive and trim 1800/hr, then dump the cases into the 1050 beside it and it will swage and load over 1000 an hour.
You can make the process take as long as you want but that doesn't automatically mean the finished product will be any more accurate.
With the 1050 you have the built in swage station and primer seat depth is set with an Allen wrench so they are all the same start to finish without any user "feel" needed.
One of mine in action loading .223.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La83ZVKnBzw
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The fact that the time it takes to load a round does not directly impact accuracy should be pretty obvious.
There are a lot of people that can't make ammunition on a single stage as accurate as factory ammunition (many thousands an hour production rate).
You can slowly make an inaccurate round as surely as you can quickly make an accurate one.
I won't argue the cost issue but that was not a consideration brought up in the OP, for that matter neither was accuracy.
I was simply pointing out that progressive presses can most defenately drastically reduce the time it takes to both prepare as well as load rifle rounds over a single stage press.
There are a lot of people that can't make ammunition on a single stage as accurate as factory ammunition (many thousands an hour production rate).
You can slowly make an inaccurate round as surely as you can quickly make an accurate one.
I won't argue the cost issue but that was not a consideration brought up in the OP, for that matter neither was accuracy.
I was simply pointing out that progressive presses can most defenately drastically reduce the time it takes to both prepare as well as load rifle rounds over a single stage press.
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Lost Sheep
New member
What kind of quantities are you contemplating and what rate of production do you desire? Also, what space do you have available; would you consider putting it away after use or leaving it up permanently? Lastly, what's your budget?Road_Clam said:
I used two Lee Pro-1000s for a couple decades, but finally upgraded. I was never happy operating them. Too much going on at once and my production rate was barely over 100 per hour. The Lee Loadmaster would be faster and more certain than the Lee Pro-1000, but I have no data on it. If you need 400 per hour, Dillon Square Deal (supposedly only for pistol, though-though the 223 might be within its reach, I don't know) or Dillon 550. If you want 500-600 rph, Hornady LnL AP or Dillon 650.
Prices, complexity and space requirements reflect the capacities of the above mentioned presses.
Having said all that, On the press I use now, I can load 100 rounds in 45 minutes (including replenishing powder and primers) from cleaned brass to ready-to-shoot ammunition, boxed and labeled. If you would be satisfied with 100-150 rounds per hour and the simplest caliber swaps around, consider a turret. It meets your specifications of minimal space. The ease of caliber swaps is unparalleled and the cost difference is significant. The press I use is a Lee Classic Turret. There is no better auto-advancing 4-station turret press currently manufactured anywhere in the world. But it isn't a progressive, so if you need one, good luck.
Lost Sheep
Also, see my private message I sent you.
Lost Sheep, I'm thinking I would like to have the ability load up say 100 rounds of plinker .223 in 1-2 hrs (brass being previously prepped). I also want to be able to easily swap the progressive press back to my S/S press. I am more of a precision long gun shooter than a semi-auto trigger slapper type LOL . I'm even having a look at the Hornady Classic turret press, that might serve my needs sufficiently as well.