Another 1050 vs 650 thread

[jmorris]

I load at least as fast as you do loading bullets in the die by hand.

Yeah, I generally load at a rate that doesn't seem like I am rushing things or making too much work. Turns out that's around 4 min/hundred, easy, just stroking and keeping eyes on areas of interest. In contrast 9.5 min per hundred is "work" for me for a press without case and bullet feed doing everything and keeping eyes on.

The limit of my ability to pull the handle and eye powder is closer to 2.5 min/100 but that again turns it into work.



Kind of like the auto press in the last post, while I can load myself faster than the 5 min/100 it can, it is absolutely no work for me to let it do it.

[PowPow]

yup, should have bought the 1050, but I'm not taking a loss on the 650 to switch it for a 1050, and I don't reload enough to justify buying a 1050 now anyway. Maybe later in life when I shoot more. ...

FIFY

I just read through this thread today. It was fun watching your process sway back and forth. I'm glad you settled on something and got the loads flowing. Congrats on young one. I started my boy shooting last fall. He's seven.

I started with a 550, but I also have more cartridges to deal with. I expect one day to be faced with the addition of one or more presses. I think my first upgrade will be a second 550 for large primers and use my existing for small. Next up would be a 650/1050 for volume 9mm/45acp.

[flyingrhino]

My opinion is 650. The 1050 is no doubt a great machine. I considered picking up a 1050 to add to my blue collection but the cost of conversions turned me off. I built a case feeder and bullet feeder for my 650 and use it to load .223, 300 BO, 45acp, 45 LC, 38/357, 9mm.

[stanford]

This is an awesome thread, I have been thinking lately about a 650 or 1050. I work with this guy who has owned both, he used to be into competitive shooting and doesn't shoot that much anymore. But he was telling me that when he purchased his 650 many years ago, as he was loading one of the primers got stuck and blew up the tube. Thats when he switched to the 1050 and never had any issues.

Lately I had been looking at what others had to say about the exploding situation on the 650. I saw a few videos online that mentioned the 650 and exploding primers, that is pretty scary for me and it kind of turned me off from even considering a 650. Was there ever a fix for this problem as the videos I saw was very recent.

Also when you look at price the 1050 is like 2k compared to 1k for the 650.

[Zacf16]

I've got a 650 and love it. Never had any problems with primers. I put a weaker spring under the indexing ball bearing for the shell plate, and it has worked great ever since. Lifetime warranty, too.

[starreloader]

Have never had a primer problem with my XL650 or the two (2) RL1000's.. Have loaded many K's of ammo on those 3 presses over 30+ years.. Did however blow a stack of primers in (1) one of my STAR Loaders years ago.

[stanford]

Cool, looks like I will have to consider the 650 again. When it comes to swaging the primer pocket how are you guys doing it if you have a 650? I noticed on the 1050 it has that built in (i think) The only rifle shells I will be loading will be a lot of .223 and .308.

[dragon813gt]

Primer pocket swaging needs to be handled off press w/ a 650. There is an aftermarket swager for it but it voids the warranty.

[jmorris]

Primer pocket swaging needs to be handled off press w/ a 650. There is an aftermarket swager for it but it voids the warranty.

Not only that but it doesn’t work as well because it lacks a backup rod, like decent swagers have.

[David2011]

This is an awesome thread, I have been thinking lately about a 650 or 1050. I work with this guy who has owned both, he used to be into competitive shooting and doesn't shoot that much anymore. But he was telling me that when he purchased his 650 many years ago, as he was loading one of the primers got stuck and blew up the tube. Thats when he switched to the 1050 and never had any issues.

Lately I had been looking at what others had to say about the exploding situation on the 650. I saw a few videos online that mentioned the 650 and exploding primers, that is pretty scary for me and it kind of turned me off from even considering a 650. Was there ever a fix for this problem as the videos I saw was very recent.

Also when you look at price the 1050 is like 2k compared to 1k for the 650.

After loading close to 90,000 .40 S&Ws and various quantities of other cartridges on my 650 I can't say that I have had a live primer problem. Maybe twice in all that time I have failed to empty the spent primer cup which kept ejected primers from falling free and that hung things up but those were dead primers so it wasn't dangerous and it was completely my fault.

The way Dillon primer magazines are designed any chain explosion would be contained within the magazine and directed upward rather than outward. If you keep the primer system clean and free of lubricants that can cause dirt and grit to collect it will run smoothly. A well known 1911 'smith convinced me to try CCI primers in my 650. He said they ran better in his 650 than any other primer he had tried. I bought a case and he was right. I have some old CCI primers in tan and even some in the old green and black packages and they do not run as smoothly as the more recent ones in the blue-black box. Federals run OK but I do have one go in crooked from time to time.

The most important thing I can think of for any progressive press is to have a really stiff, strong bench. Mine is attached to the wall of the room with 3-1/2" sheet rock screws going into the studs. If a progressive press shakes and vibrates you WILL have primer feed issues. It's also attached to a 1/2" thick 6"x12" steel plate. There's a 2x12 chunk of lumber under the 3/4" ply top that connects the front and back 2x4s that support the top of the bench and the steel plate is through bolted through the 3/4 ply and the 2x12. You don't need the piece of steel but you do need a really solid bench.