Dillon Square Deal Reloader......Where does it fit in???

[FISH4BUGS]

I have used the 550b, it is a great press! I just don't want to pay that kind of money.
Jerry

Jerry:
You know, man, there are times when you have to bite the bullet (as it were) and pay the going rate for a piece of fine equipment. It was kind of like my taking my SO to the jewelry store and saying "...OK...pick what you want. Your budget is X dollars" and after two days of shopping this store hard and looking at everything that interested her, she found the one and only necklace for X+ $250. I didn't want to pay that but said OK. I have not regretted it once since.
The 550 (and probably more so Dillon's company) is a wonderful piece of equipment. I just set up for 223 and loaded in excess of 3000 rounds over a week. Set it up and go to town. I'll change over to 44 mag and load a bunch of 240gr cast lighter loads, maybe 1000. That is how I load - manic sessions over a week or more.
I know it is easy to spend other people's money, but in this case you really SHOULD go with the Dillon. Save a little more and go for it. Not only is it a great piece of equipment, their no BS warranty is just that. I have virtually rebuilt this press over 25 years and it has not cost me a penny.
Please believe me on this one.

[Lefty Red]

Jerry:
You know, man, there are times when you have to bite the bullet (as it were) and pay the going rate for a piece of fine equipment. It was kind of like my taking my SO to the jewelry store and saying "...OK...pick what you want. Your budget is X dollars" and after two days of shopping this store hard and looking at everything that interested her, she found the one and only necklace for X+ $250. I didn't want to pay that but said OK. I have not regretted it once since.
The 550 (and probably more so Dillon's company) is a wonderful piece of equipment. I just set up for 223 and loaded in excess of 3000 rounds over a week. Set it up and go to town. I'll change over to 44 mag and load a bunch of 240gr cast lighter loads, maybe 1000. That is how I load - manic sessions over a week or more.
I know it is easy to spend other people's money, but in this case you really SHOULD go with the Dillon. Save a little more and go for it. Not only is it a great piece of equipment, their no BS warranty is just that. I have virtually rebuilt this press over 25 years and it has not cost me a penny.
Please believe me on this one.

I completely agree Fish! I got the SD over the 550B because I knew I wan'ted a dedicated press for 9mm. I was willing to give up versitility for production. Now to save up for one in 45ACP!

As for SO, yep they get what they want! I can spend on others allot easier than spending money for myself. But ex-wife is breaking of that habit.

Jerry

[Lefty Red]

Looking good. I really like the Inline Fabrication Ultramounts. Sturdy and available in the size you want. I have the size between the micro and full size with the quick change plates so I can switch presses depending on what I want to do. Inline will also make you a custom heighth mount if you ask. Might cost a little extra.

Yep, Dan makes some good stuff! And like you said, once you buy the mount you can just swap out the top plates. I like the Mirco Mount due to the overhang. I can empty the spent primer cup easier.

Jerry

[Lefty Red]

Glad you like the sqare deal I now have 4 of them. I leave mine set up in .45, 9mm, 44mag, 38specal.
Bill

I can see why! I am going to save up for one in 45ACP now!

[Alvarez Kelly]

I can see why! I am going to save up for one in 45ACP now!

Watch out... pretty soon you will bleed blue if you get cut

[Lefty Red]

watch out... Pretty soon you will bleed blue if you get cut

lol!!!

[prsman23]

Watch out... pretty soon you will bleed blue if you get cut

Let's go blues!

But true. Started with the 550. Picked up a sd from Alvarez Kelly. It's a bad habit.

[Lefty Red]

Just an update on the conversion to being a Blue Blood.......

Well I loaded up 2300 rounds of 9mm in about four days! Yes, you read that right, 2300. 1000 rounds of Extreme Bullets 124 grain plated RNs, 1000 rounds of 126 grain Laser Casted Hard Casted (damn things are hard!), and 300 of some XTPs I had "laying" around. I had to switch the roller handle from right to left a couple of times to give my arms a break! But I actually didn't feel like I loaded that many. I sure as Hades didn't think I had that many pieces of 9mm brass laying around! And sad to say I have about three times that cleaned and in gallon bags sorted by head stamps ready to go!

So what about the thing little quirks that all progressives have? Does the SD have them. Yes, are at least this is my take on them after reloading.
1) Primer feed is the weak link to all progressives. I think the RCBS Pro has the right idea with the strips. Everyone else uses the primer tubes. And the SD primer feeder is ok, but not the best. I find that if I don't let it get below 10 primers before refilling, then way less jams or flipped primers. I put a piece to tape on the low primer warning rod (blue of course), to set off the buzzer before they get that low. I think if there was a way to see if a primer was ready at the 2nd station would help allot. But I got less than 40 not seated or not properly seated primer from the whole batch. And most of them was from the first 500 or so. So I will chalk that up to me not knowing the "feel" of the seater and operator error. I did noticed WW primers were not the easiest to seat, even in WW brass! Weird. CCI was the most constant.
2)Can of canned air or "duster in a can" helped out with the powder spills. Kept everything moving smoothly.

That is about all the complaints/moans/gripes I have. I mean I pulled the press' handle 2303 times and got 2300 completed rounds. Minus 40 that had to be pulled and then re ran. So add 43 more pulls for sake of honesty. Now compare that to my Lee Classic Turret Press. 9,200 pulls of the handle would be required! But I am comparing apples to oranges. The SD is made for high output of a single caliber and single load. I use the LEE for small batches of <100 and developing up a load for a weapon. But so glad I have the option to get a factory like production and factory like quality from my ammo from the Dillon.

Ok, I bought extra toolheads and conversion kits for 38 and 45ACP. I don't have nearly as many pieces of brass for those calibers as I have for the 9mm, but sure I won't have a empty piece by the end of the weekend.

Jerry

[VHoward]

I have found that putting a fired 45acp case on top of the primer follower rod so it fits like a sleeve over it gives the rod enough weight to prevent problems with feeding primers to the slide when they get low. I started doing that when I had my Square Deal b and do it with my XL650.

[Lefty Red]

I have found that putting a fired 45acp case on top of the primer follower rod so it fits like a sleeve over it gives the rod enough weight to prevent problems with feeding primers to the slide when they get low. I started doing that when I had my Square Deal b and do it with my XL650.

Thank you! That helped out allot!

Well, a quick update.........
I did my first caliber swap over. First time on any progressive. I have over 2,500 rounds of 9mm loaded up and that should last me for a bit! Hey, what can I say? Extreme Bullets wants to keep putting them on sale, and I will buy them.
Anyways, I swapped over to 45ACP. Took about 45 minutes, had to setup and adjust everything. Swapped out primer feed system to large primers. No mess ups. Shouldn't take more than 15 mintues to swap back since everything to already adjusted for 9mm. Due need to look for another powder measure, for less adjusting.

All stays set! No fiddling after I get it tuned in.

Also the larger caliber really sped up my time and made handing the brass and bullets easier.

Jerry

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

I bet with a couple months you pick up another blue press...

[Lefty Red]

I bet with a couple months you pick up another blue press...

Yeah, I am thinking my tax return is going to a 650 setup in 9mm and left set up.
Then a 550 for 44 and 357 magnums...........
This is going to get expensive, but everyone that has shot this ammo has been impressed. No varies from round to round. When you set the dies, they are set.

Jerry

[VHoward]

Be aware that the XL650's auto indexing is a little aggressive for the 9mm. It tends to flip powder out of the cases. It has nothing to do with how fast you operate the handle, but how much pressure the detent ball puts on the shell plate. There are some who claim to have solved that by putting a thrust bearing on top of the shell plate under the bolt head. They say that smoths it out. I have done that and can tell you it does nothing. I have had better luck toning the index snap down by going with a plastic detent ball and trimming the detent spring shorter.

[HATCH]

I can tell you that its a time saver to just load those three on the 650.
I plan to slowly move most over to the 650.
Leaving 22 hornet and 9*18 as the lone 550