Progressive press?

I've started to shoot 9mm more and more and in looking at bulk ammunition for not too much more i could just get a progressive press.

Right now I have the RCBS turret press which is fine for my revolver loads, 45 Colt and 357 for example. But when I have a 20 round magazine in 9mm, i can shoot a lot more.

Which Dillion press would be best to have for strictly 9mm ammo? Just the cheapest model they have, the square deal b, or would the 550 be better?

I'm not familiar with Dillion. It doesn't weigh the powder does it? but then Are the powder throws pretty consistent?

Kevin, may I suggest you pm or call contender he has a lot of knowledge with Dillion.

If you ONLY want to load 9mm, the Square Deal will work.

If you even think you might want to load other calibers on it too, I'd recommend moving up now. You'll be glad later.

+1on LIL! Also realize that the cost of any press is a starting point and in reality you will need additional attachments. The big advantage of the 650 is that an autobullet loading attachment is available the down side is cost! You need to get a realistic idea of how much volume you will reload. If you belong to a club you may be able to use their machine free or rent it. Dillion has a great return policy but shipping adds up and you need to give it a serious try while returns still apply!

The square deal is a great start and might be enough for the rest of your life. If you want to step up, and have the ability to load rifle rounds, 650 is the way to go. I don't enjoy reloading, but the square deal in 9mm makes it pretty painless. The 650 in 9mm will provide you with a large quantity of ammunition in a short period of time, but it's going to cost you. If you get a 650, get a case feeder.

Hey! Thanks, Yes, I'm thinking this press will be ONLY for 9mm. The other calibers I reload for, I just don't shoot enough of to need the quantity from a progressive press. I'll go look at Dillon's website and see what they have to say about them.

I have 4 550's and about 30 toolheads. On a good day one can turnout 9mm ammo at about 100 in 9 minutes. I also use them to load rifle ammo. I haven't loaded any 9mm's lately due to being able to get WW forged steel case ammo almost as cheap I one can reload it, especially if one counts the time used. Dillon stands behind every thing they make and usually just a phone call away. I have no experience with the Square deal or the 650. Bob!!

Kevin said:

Hey! Thanks, Yes, I'm thinking this press will be ONLY for 9mm. The other calibers I reload for, I just don't shoot enough of to need the quantity from a progressive press. I'll go look at Dillon's website and see what they have to say about them.

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Re: your comment above . . . most folks with multiple progressive presses started out thinking the same as you. So maybe it might be worthwhile to review the basic pros/cons of the three Dillon presses involved.

First, while a progressive might produce 100 rounds in 9 minutes, that is just "press time" after changeover and setup are complete. If the press is used for only one caliber and load, the additional time required includes filling the powder measure, checking the throw weight and adjusting as/if necessary, filling a primer tube with primers then loading 100 into the press's primer tube. Since that arguably takes 9 minutes on a good day, the time to load 100 rounds is 18 minutes . . . then fill a primer tube again so at best maybe 11 minutes the next 100 rounds. And so on. If the changeover requires tool head, powder, and primer size change, the changeover is much longer.

So that's the second reason people have multiple progressives . . . to leave them set up to one degree or another to avoid changeovers . . . not only the time, but the maladjustments that occur during them.

SDB: This is a 4-station, auto-index press that can only do pistol calibers and requires proprietary Dillon dies. The range of available dies is large but limited, and the dies required cannot be used on any other presses. The press has a very small working area.

550: This is a 4-station, manual index press that uses standard rifle and pistol dies. Though the press is manual index, users most often report higher throughput than with the SDB. Likely because the working area is larger, and your left hand is right where it needs to be to index the press after bullet setting. The press costs more, but once a second caliber is used (and assuming Lee or RCBS dies) the price differential was under $50 last time I looked.

650: A 5-station, auto index press using standard rifle and pistol dies. The press's extra station allows for a bullet feeder and/or a powder check die. It's design and purpose (fairly high output) make adding a case feeder a worthwhile convenience.

In your case either an SDB or a 550 will serve you well. If your budget allows, the 550 gives you much more flexibility should your future reloading requirements change . . . as they do for most of us.

I have a SqDeal B got it the first month they came out loaded 9mm for my full auto Sten gun.
I can't imagine how many rounds I have loaded on it. I like it.

Ok,, I will say I have 4 Dillons. Briefly,, I had 5 of them. I used to have 2 SDB's,, but sold one after getting a second 650.
Currently,, I have a SDB, a 550, and a pair of 650's.
That said,, I can say the above info on JUST 9mm & the SDB will be just fine. And,, as noted,, caliber conversions are pistol caliber only,,, AND you have to use Dillon dies & all. When I had a pair of the SDB's, I kept one set-up & dedicated to my .40 S&W match ammo. The other one,, I have caliber conversions that use the SMALL pistol primers. My 1st 650,, was purchased for & has only been used with calibers that use the LARGE pistol primers. The primer conversion is a bit more time consuming & all for me,,, so I set up my 1st 650 as a lge primer one, and used to let my SDB's handle all the small primer stuff.
Well, I got a good deal on a 2nd 650,, so I got it,,and set it up as my small primer machine. I haven't gotten all the different calibers yet,, to allow me to reduce my use of the SDB,, yet.
My 550 is used for rifle calibers, currently set up for .223.

I have several caliber conversions to allow me to easily swap things around w/o much trouble.

While some folks say to buy a different brand,, I can say,, after almost 20 years of Dillon use,, I can testify to their "No BS" policy. Even when it's not your fault,, they replace stuff FREE. PLUS,,, their machines WORK!!!!! If they do not,, their staff will PATIENTLY talk you through things to get it working again. And if new parts may be in order,, they will promptly ship them at NO COST,,,!

I was talking to Steve Hornady,, and showed him a picture of my reloading set-up. He commented; "That stuff is the wrong color." To which I replied: "No, it is not. When you have a total NO BS policy,, as well as the staff to help like they do,, then you can understand why my stuff is blue." He chuckled & replied; "Yes,, they do have good stuff,, and they are a good company." I then showed him several red items on & around my bench. We had an enjoyable conversation.

So,, in summary,,, YOU have to decide what will work for you. Your budget,, your space, and what your desires are. All progressive machines will do a volume of ammo. A SDB,, is a bargain,, and is a good quality machine. The 550 is a manual indexing machine,, and is the middle line machine for the company,, and I THINK their number one seller, due to versatility, and not having to buy just Dillon dies. The 650 is the cadillac for the hobbiest shooter. The 1050 is more of a commercial machine.

I for one,, love the casefeed assy, and the auto-indexing. And while the 550 now has a casefeed available,, the 650 does have an extra station. For that,,I like the powder check assy.

Lastly,, to answer your questions; No,, the Dillon does not weigh charges,, so you still need a scale. BUT,, powder meter very well & consistent in the Dillon powder hoppers. People who load and are TOP level competitors use Dillons,, and trust them to work properly. Money & titles depend upon them.

Wow! There is so much great information here on this forum. Thanks for all the input. Perhaps the biggest problem I have is space. My reloading bench is in my garage...next to my wife's car. I don't think it would work very well to tell her to park in the street.

But! I do need to do something. I can't justify buying ammunition when I can reload it much cheaper. A new press would actually save money.

Kevin said:

. . . But! I do need to do something. I can't justify buying ammunition when I can reload it much cheaper. A new press would actually save money.

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Well, saving money sorta depends on a couple of factors. The big 3 are probably how much you shoot, what kind of ammo satisfies your needs, and how you value your time.

There's no doubt you can produce more consistent ammo at a lower cost per round than factory ammo. The savings on 115gr 9mm RM is arguably the lowest per round. You can make your own for about 45% less than (eg) Blazer Brass has been averaging over the past year. The savings is less if your actual ammo needs are mostly for making noise at the range . . . larger the further away you get from 115gr RN and the 9mm (or 223 55gr) caliber. At the far end of the spectrum, 338LM ammo that costs $4.50/round can be bested by your handloads at $1.50/round.

You will likely spend $500 to $1,000 for equipment and tools before plateauing. Many of us have spent far more. You will need to use your first "savings" to recover your equipment cost. Ignoring brass costs if any, at $6 per box of 50 it will take 6,250 rounds to recover $750. To do that you will also have to front the cost for 8lbs of powder and 7,000 primers to minimize shipping and Hazmat fees, and buy bullets 2,000 at a time (eg Precision Delta 115gr FMJRN).

Finally, you need the space for a small manufacturing station and supplies storage and you need to consider the value of your time. Retired folks like me who don't want to flip burgers at McDonalds have time to spare that is of little actual value. Your situation may be quite different.

The most successful handloaders wind up enjoying loading as a second hobby, and place a value on match or near-match quality ammo in significant quantities.

Saving money,,, !
You can & will save money,,, IF,, IF,, you do not increase the volume of shooting you do. How? You will spend less per round,,, and it will eventually surpass the expense of a press & components. How fast that happens depends on how much you spend & how much you shoot.
BUT,,,,,,, most of us reload so we can shoot more for the same money. And we can build the ammo we want instead of relying upon factory options.
I just got a sale notice from Midway about a case of 9mm WW ammo. 1000 rounds, shipped free, and on sale for $189.95. That comes out to .19 cents per round.
Reloading,, I'd spend $30 on 1000 primers, $85 for 1000 plated bullets, and $21 for a pound of powder. I have the brass. That's $136 spent vs the $190,, for a savings of $64. And,, after that,, I'd have some powder left over. (Not much,, but some.) Now,, if I bought a different bullet,, I might save more,, or spend more. It depends on the bullets.
BUT,,,,,,,,,,, that's a sale price & free shipping. Normal price is $259 a case,, plus shipping,, which runs the cost closer to .30 cents a round. Now my reloading savings just got better. At $300 a case,, vs. $136 a case,,, I just saved $174.
Things to consider.

Next,, the space to reload. A bench mounted press doesn't stick out away from a bench more than 6 inches approximately. Study the space you have,, and think a bit outside the box. Instead of sticking out into the middle of the space,, why not mount the press on the end of a bench,, out & away from her car?
I spoke with a guy yesterday,, who is currently living in a 400 sq ft place,, (while his house is being built,) and I showed him how small of a space is actually needed. Be creative!

Thanks! Back in Illinois I started reloading in my basement. It was dark and I had an old table for my bench. Now I do have a nice lighted area and a proper bench, and some space. I guess I'll have to take a picture of my garage one of these days.

But not to worry! Y'all have me convinced, and since Christmas is coming....it will be an easy "sell" to sweetie.

Reloading has never saved anyone a dime.

It has, however, allowed many, many shooters to do MUCH MORE shooting for the same money spent. :wink:

Well...I don't know bout that! But Reloading Assistant for Android will tell you your costs to reload pretty painlessly. One of the club's I belong to rents a 650 pretty cheaply, but I buy 9mm in bulk-not the steel crap-cheaply enough that reloading that doesn't save that much. 10mm is a different story. I'm planning on doing some load development and possibly looking at 9mm maginum. For that a single stage press is fine.

Snake45 said:

Reloading has never saved anyone a dime.

It has, however, allowed many, many shooters to do MUCH MORE shooting for the same money spent. :wink:

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Hi,

And that, boys and girls, is the greatest truism ever uttered about any "savings" involved with reloading!

Rick C

I've been reloading for nearly 52 years and I'd be the first to admit that it is an addiction. I've named it chronic reloaders syndrome. The only treatment is to acquire more components and equipment. It's like a fix! Containers full of shiny brass is like King Midas counting his gold. I just received 1200 RP 180 gr. FMJ 10 mm bullets yesterday @ $8 per hundred on a closeout deal. It's a really good fix. The first signs of this addiction is wanting a progressive reloader, or priming cases at work with a hand tool. Seriously, reloading is a great hobby and almost a must for serious shooter if one is to have an unlimited ammunition supply. However, one can forget about saving money as you will spend every spare cent on components and equipment and/or you will shoot twice as much. But it's a lot of fun. Bob!! :mrgreen:

I need to attend a reloaders anonymous meeting tonight and contact my treatment counselor. I had a relapse today and ordered (250) 375 Winchester brass from Starline!! Bob!!

Want to shoot 2, or 3, or 4 times as much as your budget allows for factory ammunition? With more consistent ammo?

That's what handloading does for us.

Taken literally, no one wants to just "save money". They want to shoot more with better ammo for what they are spending, or would spend, on factory ammo.