Dillon Square Deal or 550B?

[Aldeer]

Any reason to pick one over the other if using only for pistol calibers? The autoindexing on the Square Deal is attractive, but the 550B will use all the dies I already own. Output rate is about the same for both.

[robertbank]

I have the 550B and it does everything I need a press to do. Using your existing dies will save you a bunch of money. You may not load rifle now but it is nice to have the option if things change in the future. Friend of mine has one and says it takes longer to change out calibers with the Square Deal. I can't comment on that but can say changing them on the 550B is hardly a 10 minute job, less if you don't have to change primer tubes.

I would go witht the 550B

Take Care

Bob

[ron brooks]

I agree with Bob, go with the 550B. One of these days you may want to load rifle, and you can use standard dies in it.

Ron

[Lloyd Smale]

square deals are faster to load with. But if i could have only one press it would be a 550.

[powderburnerr]

The only problem I have with the square deal is the head is so small I have trouble getting the cases in to the shellhead .my fingers are fat and stiff. Dean.

[Mk42gunner]

I have used both, one of my strikers had a Square Deal, and I had a 550B. If I was buying new from Dillon I would get the 550. As long as you have enough tool heads to set up you dies the caliber changes take very little time, the only thing that is time consuming is changing primer size.

Robert

[FISH4BUGS]

I have used my 550 B for so long I can't even remember. All I know is my customer number at Dillon is 3 digits. I think the ability to do rifle is the key. Never say never about rifle calibers.

[mike in co]

square deal is great IF you leave it set up for one caliber and buy one for each caliber.
anything else go with a 550 or more...
i have 2 550's...one in small primer, one in large....

mike

[imashooter2]

Just about every blown up gun story I read on the net starts with ammo from a Dillon 550. It is a fine machine, but absolutely intolerant of error. Lose concentration, forget to advance the plate before you pull the handle and you have a problem. The auto index of the SDB or 650 is a valuable safety feature. I would insist on it.

My opinion only. 550 owners, save your howls of protest.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Having owned a 550B, replacing it with a Hornady LnL and loading on fairly often on a Dillon 650 a buddy owns, my recommendation is get a Hornady LnL. You avoid the potential kaboom issue, get a better powder measure (especially for rifle), automatic advance and spend less money by a good bit. I've never regretted not keeping my 550B.

Of the two presses you're looking at, the 550B is a good bit more versatile, but not as versatile as a LnL.

Just my .02,

Dave

[NVcurmudgeon]

I have a Square Deal in .45 ACP and a conversion for .44 Magnum. By keeping the conversion set up in a spare toolhead, switching is fast and easy. I am thinking of getting another SD, this time in 9mm and .38 Special. I really like the way Dillon has stood behind my very early SD, which has now benefitted from all the improvements (free.) I have used a freind's 550, but the idea of a non-self indexing progressive gives me the vapors. There is way too much of a party going on in my head all the time. OTOH, loaders with attention spans might be well-equipped with a 550.

[August]

Auto-indexing is, indeed, important!!!!

Around here people say the following (no kidding):

1. I have a square deal and really like it. Wish I would have gotten a 550, however.

2. I have a 550 and really like it. Wish I would have gotten a 650, however.

3. I have a 650. I really like it!

True.

One brain fart with a 550 and you got a double charge.

Me? I have an SDB for cowboy loading. It goes fast and works great!

[Baldy]

My rifle days are over so all I load for is hand guns. You can not beat the SDB Dillon for turning out quality ammo in a resonable amount of time. I load for .38/.357, .45acp, and .44spl. Once you get it set you can run 5 or 500 and it's right on the money. If I was going to do rifles I would want a good single stage press myself. What ever you chose good luck with it.

[swampmaster]

Auto-indexing is, indeed, important!!!!

Around here people say the following (no kidding):

1. I have a square deal and really like it. Wish I would have gotten a 550, however.

2. I have a 550 and really like it. Wish I would have gotten a 650, however.

3. I have a 650. I really like it!

True.

One brain fart with a 550 and you got a double charge.

Me? I have an SDB for cowboy loading. It goes fast and works great!

I have a 650 and dont like it, I think I am the only one,would rather have two 550's or maybe the LNL

[Larry Gibson]

Any reason to pick one over the other if using only for pistol calibers? The autoindexing on the Square Deal is attractive, but the 550B will use all the dies I already own. Output rate is about the same for both.

I have both presses. The SDB is used for 9mm, 38/357, .41 mag, 44 Spec/.44 Mag, 45 ACP and .45 Colt. The 550B is used for multiple cartridges; .22 Hornet up through 45-70. The only pistol cartridge loaded on the 550B is the .32 S&WL/.32 H&R Mag and the .38 Super (using 9mm dies) to load for a Spanish Destroyer. I really like both presses and the service you get from Dillon. I maintain and use a lot a single stage press also. Because most who ask this question have a single stage press they currently use and intend to keep it for rifle loading I most often recommend the SDB for "production" handgun ammo. It is easy to use and the auto indexing is nice. The 550B, besides loading rifle artridges, has other options. The 650 is a pretty "busy" machine and unless you really want to load LOTS of ammo it is not one I've found a need for. At a leasurely pace I can crank out 350 - 400 rounds per hour (includes filling primer tube and emptying ammo box) by myself. A thousand rounds in an evening isn't a problem. I have about the same rate on the 550B with the pistol rounds or when neck sizing rifle cases for cast bullet loads. Rifle cartridges loaded on the 550B require (for me anyway) a couple extra steps to ensure quality and to clean the lube off the cases. I do load cast loads on the 550B in rifle cartridges and of course 99% of the ammo on the SDB is with cast bullets.

All of my precision long range target and varmint cartridges along with big game hunting rounds are loaded on the single stage press with numerous quality control steps taken. Of course all of my test and precision loaded (for best accuracy) cast bullet rifle loads are loaded on the single stage press.

This is the first place on the internet where I have read of firearms being blown up with ammo loaded on a 550B. I would like to hear some documented cases if possible.

Larry Gibson

[Dale53]

I know people that could screw up a brick. The Dillon 550B is a fine loader. Don't blame a tool for damn fool mistakes. There are people who shouldn't use ANY Progressive press. It doesn't make them bad people, they probably have other fine traits. I have a friend who sells loading tools by the ton. He won't sell a progressive press to those who are not mechanical. In the long run, he probably benefits from being particular who he deals with.

Dale53

[Hunter]

Have you considered the Hornady L-N-L progressive that is very versitle? I love mine.

[376Steyr]

I managed to double-charge a 45 ACP when I first got my 550B. I was young and stupid then, but now I am older. The root cause was that I was careless, but a contributing factor was I using an early version of a carbide sizing die from another manufacturer. The die had a sharp edge at the start of the sizing ring, cases would get hung up on the edge, stopping the machine at almost the top of the stroke, I'd have to back the handle up to clear the jam, and what you'd expect to happen did.

I love my 550B, but now I prefer to deprime and size on a single stage press and use the Dillon for priming, powder charging, and bullet seating/crimping.

[Cayoot]

Have you considered the Hornady L-N-L progressive that is very versitle? I love mine.

I second that! The dies are easy as pie to change and with the Hornady powder check die in place I never worry about no charge or double charge issues. The only thing I ever wanted changed about the LNL was to get a primer warning system like on the Dillon. I found a used Dillon primer warning on anti-gun bay and bought that. A little bit of the reloaders secret weapon (duct tape) and it was fitting just dandy on my Hornady LNL. I've been using it for the last 4 years (the primer warning system...I've been using my LNL for over 10 years).

I love the machine....I think it is as versitle if not more versitle than the Dillions (I've used the Dillions, they are fine machines too) but cheaper to buy and much, much cheaper to do quick changes with. I also have broken several parts on my old LNL (my fault entirely) and believe that Hornady has warrenty/customer service as good or better than Dillions. I just call them up and describe what I broke or lost and it is in my mail box within 4 days. They have never charged me and even send extra small parts (decapping pins, retaining springs, primer tube bases--I'm clumsey and tend to loose things alot!) when I ask for them just so I don't have to be out of production if it ever happens again.

I load both handguns and rifles for myself, my 26 year old daughter and my two sons (ages 20 and 23). We go through alot!!!!

Consider the LNL....it is a great and dependable reloader, even more so when you start compareing prices of purchasing and converting!

[FISH4BUGS]

IThis is the first place on the internet where I have read of firearms being blown up with ammo loaded on a 550B. I would like to hear some documented cases if possible.
Larry Gibson

OK....documentation is here. Many years ago, I had (and still have) a 550B and was loading 9mm cast 124gr bullets with 231 powder.....my normal submachingun loads. Somehow I got an unprocessed military case mixed in with the commercial ones (I sort commercial from military - someday I will process the 5000 or so military 9mm's) , and when the primer didn't seat, in a classic brain fart move, I just pulled out the offending case with the jammed primer in it, and replaced it with another. I resized and primed the new case and moved on.
Unfortunatley there was a case in station #2. I did NOT move the shell plate forward and clear the shell plate of all cases before I replaced the offending case in station #1. Guess what? DOUBLE CHARGE.
The bad news: I blew up a S&W 76 submachingun. It blew out the magazine, chewed up the base of the barrel, and damaged the bolt. The good news is that the 76 is built like a tank. Their receiver tube is THICK steel, not muffler pipe.
A new Scott Andrey bolt and barrel and I was on my way. I also blew up a S&W 3914 the same way. That one was totaled with a bent slide and cracked frame.
I can assure you that I do not have brain farts any more while reloading. If I discover an unprocessed military case in station #1 and cannot prime it, alarms go off in my head, and I throw it out and completely clear the shell plate by completing all the other stations and advancing it before putting in a new case and starting over.
Other that that, the 550 is still my favorite. I load a ton on it for all my subguns and handguns. I am just careful as hell. Everyone should be carefull all the time when reloading anyway. I just got caught.