RL 1050 and ammobot. Seeking sensor add on guidance (selection not install help)

[Venti30]

Long time 650 reloader, new RL1050 owner with ammobot questions please. I've just purchased a RL1050 used, and have ordered an ammobot rev3. I thoroughly enjoy the art of reloading, but am planning on removing the drudgery by adding this ammobot. In my household, we shoot alot of 9mm, roughly 20,000-25,000 rounds a year. I didnt get into reloading to save money, I started to have a hobby that was technical in nature with a lot of mechanical tinkering. Through that process, I've determined that the 650 is a great machine, but I was ready to automate for personal use, not commercial in any way.

1. The RL1050 I bought arrived in horrible condition. Looks to have not been cleaned or serviced in a decade, so I stripped it down to the frame and shaft, cleaned and re-lubricated, but am not satisfied in the following ways. The primer arm that attaches to the primer tube and accuates the primer slide is very finicky in it's adjustment and I find it not smooth and has to be aligned to the left (from standing in front of machine) more than I think it should be, in order to cycle the primer slide bar correctly. Also, the Operating arm makes contact with the mounting location, (Inline precision mounting plate) despite being mounted to the far edge of the bench, so I think there may be a arm limiting adjustment that I'm not familiar with. Due to the general age, and condition that I received it in, I'm sending it to Dillon for one of their techs to go through it thoroughly before I begin manual operation debugging which is the phase I think I need to get correct before automating.

2. In researching the Ammobot product, I've found that there are multiple third party add-ons, sensors, actuators etc but that whole space seems widely decentralized, and I don't want to end up with three different manufacturer variants on the machine. I'd rather have all the items I add on as I go along, to work well with each other. (Frankenstein avoidance mode)

3. The main mission of the RL with Ammobot will be to produce quality consistent ammo for personal use. not necessarily high RPH rate.

4. I will also be working 223 brass into 300 black out brass, and then loading that at much less volume than 9mm although due to the cost of 1050 toolheads, I may just use the 650 for that. 650 tool head is $200 less expensive than the 1050 as an example.

So, all that said, the drudgery I dislike about reloading is:
A. jerking the handle over and over again.
B. Sorting 380 from 9mm. So items like the spitting cobra case identifier and next station ejector seems like a solution to not even bother culling 380 out, and let the machine do it during a decapping session? am I wrong to think that I could just sort everything down to 9mm and 380 with shell sorter and dump it all in and let the sensor/ejector handle the 380 removal?
C Is the derpime verification sensor worth having on a 1050? One occasional *** pain on the 650 is the depriming occasionally doesn't fully eject the primer, and the pin draws it back into the case partially, causing issues?

In essence, Im looking for real world use advice for folks with an ammobot with some sensors, and what you think was valuable to you, and what you may have tried that wasn't in the end, valuable. I included my stated intent for use, just to help gain your insights.

Many thanks in advance for you help and guidance.
-JR

[shell70634]

I have an older 1050 not automated. If automated, I think the deprime verification sensor would be necessary. If a primer is left in the case on mine, I feel it before any damage is done at the swage station.
i haven't looked at any automation ideas for mine.

Shelly

[2400]

If you need to call Dillon for help with your RL-1050 ask for Gary Keift right away. There is a difference between the Super 1050 and the RL-1050 and Gary is a genius at keeping the RL running like a top.

I know because I've spent a lot of time talking with him about my 2 RL-1050's.

[jmorris]

You are 100% correct in that you want the machine flawless before automation.

As far as sorting, that needs to be done thoroughly. I built this machine but there are other methods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFw7IcQUmgs

I run all of by brass through without powder and bullets. So on the loading pass I start with brass that has already been sized/deprimed and swaged (aka processed brass). Let’s you know all the brass in the loading pass will make it through the machine. Yes it’s an extra step but you can speed it up and you don’t have to yank the handle anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1ieGYpdr9I


They are not available any longer, you might be able to find a used one but the GSI toolhead is the best after market part for a 1050. It incorporates the bullet feeder into station 7 so you still crimp at 8 and can run the powder check at 6.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrFhnDQ-eUU

As for the primer slide, Dillon has a new version you might try but the key isn’t left or right, where it clamps on the blast shield but the height. If it’s too low the arm will go through the primer slide and drag on the frame.