Dillon RL550 dumpster diving

[NyFirefighter357]

The other day I was talking to the S-I-L of one of my companies customers I was servicing. She had gotten sick & spent some time in the hospital. They went to check on her house and saw it needed a good cleaning and some repairs. They removed 5 - 20 yard dumpsters from the house, I had mentioned I often find things of interest in basements. He asked what I look for I said tools & lead. He asked why lead & I replied with a smile and a wink, sinkers. He said I understand I have them too. So we got talking and he said that the tenant was asked to remove his long stored items from the garage and he tossed some kind of reloading press in the dumpster & if I wanted it he knew right where it was. Challenge excepted! I removed a solid wood door, moved a few tires & some old 6" tongue & groove fur sub-flooring and found the box. When I got home I went through the box, lg & sm metal primer tray, extra primer tubes, some cleaning rods, a sizing wax pad, a fixed handle Buck hunting knife, oh & a RL550. I just clamped it to my bench to give it a good shot of WD-40. From the die box I found I'm guessing it's set up for 45ACP. Now I have to decide if I'm going to use it, what cal. to convert it too. I'm thinking .38/357. I have to figure out what parts I need.

[osage]

Very nice score

[Gtrubicon]

That’s cool, clean your bench, then the press.

[Baltimoreed]

Buy a lottery ticket quick!!!! Very nice find.

[John in WYO]

Very nice score.

[hc18flyer]

Nice score! I have to say, seeing your bench, makes me feel better about mine! I am hoping to 'swing' a 550 in .38 Special in the next couple of years. Enjoy your find!
hc18flyer

[Winger Ed.]

Oh no,,, that thing is too far gone. And you might shoot your eye out anyway.
Better let one of us older guys do you a favor, and take it off your hands.

[slim1836]

Very nice find, my bench feels much better after seeing yours.

Slim

[Outer Rondacker]

That’s cool, clean your bench, then the press.

I was going to say the same thing. Then I looked at one of my five benches and said better shut up.

[Sig]

Very jealous! Good for you.

[William Yanda]

I occasionally visit a forum where a reported find like that is called a gloat. The usual response from envious posters is : You s**k.
I won't say it here, I want to be family friendly. But if I did, I would color it so you knew that I considered you very lucky.;

[oldsman]

dillon can refurbish your press , call dillon for info . the odds are that they may just replace it with a new press for a small refurbishing fee and I believe it will be updated also and you may be able to request it in a different caliber

[MrWolf]

Wow. At least you got to it before the dumps. Good for you.

[Rapier]

Good find, it will clean up with just a little TLC. Toothbrush, solvent, some stainless steel wool or Scotch Brite scrub pads.. Steel wool leaves particles that will rust.
A 45 to 38 change will require a primer tube and primer feed bar, shell plate, pins, a die set, powder drop change. Extra tool heads come in handy to change cartridges back and forth.
Right now it looks as if you are missing at least some of the 45 shell keeper pins.
Get a small tube of powdered mica at the car parts, to lube the primer bar.

[Jal5]

Really nice score. That should clean up but I would at keast have a discussion with dillon about refurbishing too.


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[hoodat]

Call me crazy, but I'd rather get something like that than to buy a new one. When you're done cleaning, repairing, and lubing it you will know much more about it than a new one in the box.

Remember that rust, when properly controlled is a fine patina which holds lubrication.

As far as your bench, well who aint been guilty of that. I am at the point right now where I look around critically and decide which of my projects and "treasures" need to go in the dumpster. jd

[Scorpion8]

Nice score!!!

[Baltimoreed]

I didn’t have to dumpster dive for my 550s, both were gifts but I did have to clean one up that had been through a flood from Irene.

[Bull]

Nice enjoy it. Just finished organizing my bench, but it doesn’t take long to clutter it all up again.

[Snakeoil]

You are the second guy I know that has found a Dillon in the dumpster. Friend at our club found one that was virtually new several years ago.