I'm teamed up with my friends at Dillon Precision to bring you the finest pistol, rifle, and shotshell reloading equipment on the planet.

Dillon Precision is the only choice for all your reloading needs. If you’ve done the research, you know where I’m coming from. Consider the quality and innovation behind each product, the lifetime "No BS" warranty, and the unparalleled reputation for post-sale service, and there simply isn’t any other option. Your only decision is which machine to buy.

Whether you're just getting started, or have been reloading forever - Dillon offers a machine for every budget or reloading need. From the "pistol only" Square Deal, the "workhorse" RL 550B, the fully progressive XL 650, to the commercial grade Super 1050. They even offer a progressive shotshell loader that blows away everything on the market. Over the years, I’ve received approximately 1,234,567 phone calls and emails regarding which press to buy, and what options to buy along with it.

Your first question should be – exactly what are my short and long term goals for this machine? Your final decision will depend on how many rounds and how many calibers you will shoot (monthly), and money spent vs. time spent reloading. If you shoot up to 2000 rounds/month in one or two pistol calibers, then the Square Deal or the RL 550B will be perfect. If, on the other hand, you plan to dethrone Rob Leatham (The Great One) at the next IPSC World Championship, well, you’d better get the Super 1050, which is capable of cranking out serious quantities of match-grade ammo. (More below...)

For each machine, I’ll exaplain:

• What it does, what it won’t do, cost, hidden costs, what it comes with, what it doesn't come with, machine options, speed, what is required to change calibers, and cost to change calibers.
• Summarize and compare the machines.
• Various reloading accessories, such as: scales, calipers, case cleaners, etc.
  
  

Dillon's lowest priced - Pistol calibers only - progressive reloading press is the Square Deal B.

It comes with:

Now let’s checkout the real workhorse of the Dillon family – The RL 550B.

The fully progressive XL 650, with optional case feeder, is the competitive shooter's dream come true.

At last, we come to the unexcelled king of the Dillon line, or any other manufacturer’s line for that matter — The Super 1050 B.

Its features include and it comes with:

The Square Deal is ideal for the reloader on a limited budget, and only plans to load straight-walled pistol cases (and doesn’t mind the machine's small size). The RL 550B is the workhorse of the line, capable of loading any pistol or rifle caliber quickly, accurately, and with very little maintenance. It’s slightly more expensive to change calibers on the 550 than it is on the Square Deal, but the added versatility and reliability make it my top pick, if you're not planning to load 2000+ rounds/month in a single caliber. The XL 650 is designed for the serious "Single Caliber Volume Shooter," who can’t afford Super 1050B. (It’s a common practice for competition shooters to buy a 650 or 1050 in the "volume caliber," and then use a 550 to load additional calibers.) The 1050 is truly the ultimate in fully progressive machines — once you’ve loaded on one you’ll understand.

I rated the "learning curve" of each machine, which depends on your experience with reloading in general and the complexity of the individual machine. In general, the more moving parts, the longer the learning curve.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with an "old Single Stage" press being "1"):

• The RL 550B would be a "3" (mostly due to the automatic powder measure system).
• The Square Deal would be a "5" (it has a few additional moving parts and it's quite a bit smaller than the 550).
• The 650 would be a "7" (auto indexing AND casefeeder)
• The 1050 would be an 8 (manual primer-depth-seating adjustment, and the priming swager.)

(I reserved "10" for "the other brands progressive offerings," because most are fairly painful to keep running.)

The Strong Mount
Available for the Square Deal, RL 550B, and XL 650. If your bench is not bolted to the wall or floor, or isn’t heavily constructed, definitely order the strong mount and bullet tray when you order the press. It increases the "footprint" to over ten inches, spreading the load over the bench instead of stressing the leading edge. The Strong Mount improves every operation on every machine, especially the automatic powder dispensing and priming systems on all machines, and the Casefeeder and auto indexing operation on the 650.

Bullet Tray
Your machine must have the Strong Mount to use the Bullet Tray. (The Bullet Tray bolts to the Strong Mount.) If you buy the Strong Mount, definitely buy the Bullet Tray as well, which is not only impressively constructed in-and-of-itself, but it increases reloading speed through ergonomics - I highly recommend it. In fact I'd almost recommend buying the Strong Mount just so you could add the Bullet Tray.

Empty Case Bin and Bracket (550 only)
Ergonomically designed to cut your workload through economy of motion, the Empty Case Bin attaches to all Strong-Mount-equipped 550's, and holds the empty cases close to the 550's Shellplate. (Highly recommend if your 550 has a Strong Mount.)

Roller Handle
I wouldn’t order the 650 without the roller handle - you’ll hate yourself later. And many who have bought the Aluminum Roller Handle for the 550 have told me they had no idea what they were missing - they love it. (It’s not an option on the Square Deal, and the 1050 comes standard with a plastic roller handle.)

Powder Check System
The Powder Check System is available for the 650 and the 1050 only. Probably its most valuable contribution is the confidence it inspires. It mounts in the 650 or1050's extra Toolhead station (the 550 does not have an "extra Toolhead station") and checks for gross powder errors before seating the bullet. It eliminates the fear of a cartridge loaded without powder, or worse, the dreaded double charge. Even with the Powder Check System, however, there is no substitute for paying attention to what you are doing and what is happening while you are reloading ammunition.
Comments from a forum member on that topic.

And here's some good news for those planning to buy the Powder Check System and would like to leave it set up on several toolheads (for several calibers).
Only on BrianEnos.com (saving you about $45 per caliber):
"The Powder Check Conversion" - Click for details in Dillon FAQ.

550 Powder Check Workaround: Since you cannot use the Powder Check System on the 550, an excellent work-around is to buy a small, dental or mechanics-type mirror - which have a universal joint between the mirror and the handle - tape it to the press's frame and adjust it so you can see into the case before you set a bullet on a charged case. Then either a case without powder or a double charge is readily apparent.

Low Powder Sensor
The Low Powder Sensor mounts on top of the Powder Measure and warns you (with a beep) when the powder in the reservoir is low. Some folks love (and really should have) this item, others could care less. I’ve never used it; nevertheless, in a moment of inattention I have let the measure run dry once or twice (while cranking away on a 1050). It’s a big loser if you run dry, especially if your loaded ammo hopper is full of ammo WITH powder.
In the Low Powder Sensor's defense, however, a friend and experienced Dillon user related a good analogy for the Low Powder Sensor/Powder Measure: He said it's like the windshield on your car... Although it is big and right in front of your face (the clear, Powder Measure), it will only help you if you are looking through it.

For EACH caliber, changing calibers on an RL 550B or XL 650 requires:

I highly recommend Dillon's carbide pistol dies for all Dillon's presses. I've used Dillon's .40 S&W Dies in my 1050 ever since they were specifically redesigned for progressive machines. The radiused opening on all three dies is critical for performance on a progressive machine, (especially for the sizing die), and the quick-disassembling, easily adjustable seating dies are a thing of beauty compared to the traditional offering.

Notes for non-Dillon Dies in a Dillon Press
If your dies seat the bullet and crimp with the same die - order an individual Dillon Seat or Crimp Die, so you can seat and crimp in separate stations. I recommend spending two more dollars - buy a Dillon Seat Die rather than a Taper Crimp Die. Take the seating plug out of your Seat/Crimp Die, and use the die body to just crimp.

Occasionally, for a "non-Dillon" Die to be adjusted and locked down far enough in the Toolhead, you may have to put the Die Lock Ring on the bottom of the Toolhead, as opposed to the top (like it normally would be).

How to adjust the "Taper Crimp" Die for pistol cartridges
It's best to think of that dies as a "flare" (or "bell) removing die, as opposed to a "taper-crimp" die.

After the round comes out of the "flare-removing die," measure the case mouth at the very end with the thin end of a pair of calipers. And roll the case around and take an average of measurements from several different positions. You want the measurement to be the bullet diameter plus two case wall thicknesses. Most all pistol cases have a wall thickness of .010" - so add .020" to the bullet's diameter - and that's your "flare-removing" setting.

Note for Dillon Dies in non-Dillon Presses
Dillon's 3-die sets do NOT include a case mouth, Expander(Flare/Bell) Die. Because in a Dillon press, the flaring operation is done in the powder dispensing station (with Dillon's "Powder Funnel"). So I do not recommend Dillon Dies for use in "Single Stage" presses.

For 5-station, non-Dillon presses, you could use Dillon's 3-Die sets, but you may need to purchase an additional Expander Die. (They're available for $10 - $15.)

Download Dillon's Pistol and Rifle Die Manual (PDF, Latest Version)

Safety Glasses
Never pull the handle on any reloading press without a good pair of safety glasses on your face. (Not on your bench.) In fact, I wear my clear, shatterproof glasses the entire time I’m in my gunroom. Dillon offers several styles from $9.99 to $59.99.

Just the ball-end Hex Keys alone are a big improvement over the standard Hex Keys that come with a 550 or 650. And I always recommend the 1" Bench Wrench.

What if you have a 1050 and want to buy the Toolholder w/Wrenches? Get the 550 w/o Casefeeder version.

1" Bench Wrench
Dillon's Bench Wrench is a must-have for your Dillon's Dies, which have one-inch lock rings instead of the 1 1/16" or 1 1/8" lock rings typically found on other manufacturer's dies. The other end is a 7/16" box-end, which fits Dillon's Powder Measure. This handy wrench ($7.95, part #10842) fits the two commonly adjusted parts on the 550, the 650, and the 1050.

If you plan to use "non-Dillon" Dies, you might consider buying the "Bench Wrench/5 1" Lock Rings" package deal ($9.95), so you can put Dillon's 1" Lock Rings on your dies. (So you can now use the 1" Bench Wrench on your dies.)

Dillon's now has a new style Bench Wrench for the Square Deal, which fits the Dies and the Powder Measure.

Download Dillon's "Accessory" Manual, for Case Gages, Eliminator (beam) Scale, Media Separators, Lube and Polish, RT 1200 Case Trimmer, Super Swage 600, Bullet Puller.

Powder Scale
An accurate powder scale is a necessity, which is used to adjust Dillon's Powder Measure to dispense various powder charges.

Now on BrianEnos.com, you can buy a great digital scale for just $74.95. Click for complete details. (I ship them USPS Priority Mail.)

Dillon offers a standard balance-beam "Eliminator" Scale ($54.95), and their digital "D-terminator" Scale ($139.95). The D-terminator's features include:

• 900 grain/57 gram capacity
• Accurate to 0.1 grain/0.01 gram
• Uses 4, AA batteries (included)
• AC adapter included
• Check weights included

Powder Scale/Powder Measure Calibration Tip
Take a minute to read this and you'll save yourself hours of fiddling around, calibrating the Powder Measure over the course of your "reloading life."

In a nutshell - throw four individual charges in the scale's pan before adjusting the Powder Measure. Especially as you're coming close to your target charge weight.

Here's a technique that works well if the cartridge case will hold two charges of your target powder charge. Clear all the empty cases out of the Shellplate, and remove the Locator Buttons from the powder dropping station and the bullet seating stations. Put an empty, primed case in the powder dropping station. Cycle the handle so it drops one charge in the case. Remove the case, place it back in the powder dropping station and cycle the handle again. Remove the case and dump the (two charges of) powder in the scale's pan. Repeat that procedure. Now you have four charges in the pan. Say your target powder charge is 4.0 grains; your scale should read 16.0 grains. You might make a sticky for your reloading bench that has 4x totals for your favorite charge weights. Example:
4.6 = 18.4
5.2 = 20.8

Calibrating the Powder Measure using this technique is not only considerably more accurate than the "drop-one-charge-then-adjust-the-Powder-Measure" method, it will save you quite a bit of time, in the long run, as well.

Download Dillon's D-Terminator Scale Manual (PDF, Latest Version)

Case Lube
A common misconception among reloaders is: If you’re using carbide dies, you don’t have to lube your cases. Technically, this may be true, but trust me - you definitely want to lube your cases. Not only does lubing the cases make the machine cycle easier and run smoother, resulting in less wear on the machine (and your arm), but you’ll load appreciably faster. (Up to 200 rounds/hour faster on a 1050.) I use case lube for the speed, and as you probably guessed, if it didn’t help to load faster, I wouldn’t use it. BTW, since I'm often asked this on the phone, I highly recommend Hornady's "One Shot" case lube. I don't sell it but you should be able to find it at your local gun shop. Basically, you just dust a light layer over the cleaned cases and forget about it. You don't even need to tumble or clean it off. Dillon sells a pump-dispensing bottle of environmentally friendly Case Lube for $8.95

Case lube: Brand and Application Methods Discussion (in my Forum)

Especially for rifle cases:
What is your favorite Case Lube and Application Method? (in my Forum)

Case Cleaners & Media Separators
If you load an appreciable amount of ammo, your next purchase will probably be a case cleaner and media separator. The CV-2000 series Case Cleaner and Media Separator are monster's, well suited for cleaning lots of brass. If you have plenty of room and are into mass production, get the big boys. Otherwise, I always recommend the 750 Tumbler and the 500 Media Separator for your first purchase.

New in 11.08: The new CV-750 Case Cleaner now has the same motor that's in the super heavy-duty CV-2001 Tumbler. Otherwise, dimensionally, it's the same size as the older CV-500 Case Cleaner.

Case Cleaners (Tumblers)
$184.95 - CV-2001  (Capacity for 38 Special: 1300 cases)
$139.95 - CV-750   (Capacity for 38 Special: 650 cases)
Case/Media Separators
 $70.95 - CM-2000
 $44.95 - CM-500

Usually, you already know if you need the larger sized Cleaner/Separators.
The 750 tumbler and 500 separator are perfect for most everyone but the "high-volume" shooter.

For cleaning brass before you run it through your press, coarse ground corn-cob media works great. (Avoid fine-ground corn cob media.) Most prefer to add Dillon’s Rapid Polish Case Cleaner to the media, especially if you like your cases to come out all nice and shiny. Personally, I’m into volume rather than beauty, so I just pour the cases in the media, fire ‘er up, and come back in 20 - 30 minutes. (The time required to clean the brass will vary in relationship to how clean the media is.)

What is your favorite Tumbling Media, corncob or walnut? (in my Forum)

Primer Flip Tray, Primer Pickup Tubes, and RF 100 Primer Filler
Each Primer Pickup Tube holds 100 primers (both large and small) and are used to drop 100 primers, picked up from the Flip Tray by the Pickup Tubes, into the press's primer magazine.

Initially, pour a box of 100 primers onto the Primer Flip Tray, then gently shake the tray until all 100 primers are flipped "anvil side up." Put on the Primer Flip Tray's lid, flip it over, remove the "bottom" of the Flip Tray, now you have 100 primers "cup side up," ready to be picked up by a Pickup Tube.
Each Pickup Tube has a flexible, plastic tip on the end that grips/holds a primer when the tube's tip is pushed down over it. You simply push the tube's tip down over each primer until all the primers are up in the Pickup Tube. With a little practice you'll suck up a 100 primers in no time.

With Dillon's Primer Flip Tray ($17.95) and an extra four-pack of Primer Pickup Tubes ($21.95), you can have 500 primers ready ready to feed the machine before you sit down to load. (Initially, all machines come with one large and one small Pickup Tube.) And, you'll have a few bucks left over to take your wife or girlfriend out to dinner.

Many may consider the new RF 100 Automatic Primer Filler a luxury, especially the potentially "wifeless diners"; nevertheless, if you can afford it, once you’ve used one you’ll never touch a primer pickup tube again. Priced at $299.95, and $44.95 for the opposite primer size; it’s the "volume shooter’s" dream come true.

Note: I never recommend the RF 100 if you are buying your first Dillon reloading press. Get an use some Primer Pickup Tubes until you know for sure you're ready for the RF 100.

The RF 100 Primer Filler does not require nor will it use the above mentioned Primer Pickup Tubes. It uses it's own, specially designed, shielded tube.

RF 100 Primer Filler Tuning Tips (in my Forum)

Download Dillon's RF 100 Primer Filler Manual (PDF, Latest Version)

Caliper: Dial and Digital
You will need an accurate caliper to set the overall length of your precisely crafted ammo. You will also use a caliper to measure the taper crimp crimp adjustment for semi-automatic pistol cartridges. Dillon sells a Stainless Steel Dial Caliper ($28.00), and I sell (and ship, USPS Priority Mail) a Stainless Steel Digital Caliper for $38.95.

Dial Calipers don't require a battery, which is their only advantage over Digital Calipers. (My Digital Calipers come with an extra battery.) BrianEnos.com's Digital Calipers have a large, easy-to-read display, which is accurate to +/- .001"  (+/- .0005 resolution), and they read in either inches or millimeters. I highly recommend digital calipers - they're much easier to read and faster to use then dial calipers.

Adjusting a Taper Crimp Die with Calipers (in my Forum)

Case Gages
Case Gages are a "go/no-go" gage for a loaded round. A handy, inexpensive representation of the internal dimensions of your caliber's chamber (machined to SAAMI specs), they provide a convenient way to quality control check loaded ammo.

A Case Gage will quickly locate two common errors: Not enough crimp (too much "bell" left on the case mouth), and if the case is not resized enough at the base. Either one of those errors will cause the cartridge to not chamber in your pistol. On the other hand, Calipers are for measuring overall length and double checking the crimp dimension (or more accurately - the "bell removal").

A Case Gage will not tell you if the bullet is not seated deep enough. That's what Calipers are for. And Calipers will not tell you if a round will not chamber in your pistol or revolver because the base of the case was not resized enough. But the Case Gage quickly will.

Technically, the best Case Gage is your gun's chamber. But who wants to disassemble their pistol just to chamber-check ammo as it's coming out of the press. Of course that's not nearly as difficult with a revolver, unless it's locked in a safe.

Pistol calibers - $13.95; Rifle calibers - $22.95 - 25.95

Download Dillon's "Accessory" Manual, for Case Gages, Eliminator (beam) Scale, Media Separators, Lube and Polish, RT 1200 Case Trimmer, Super Swage 600, Bullet Puller.

Resale value:
Because of Dillon’s reputation for quality and lifetime "No BS" warranty, all Dillon’s machines hold their value extremely well. If you’ve taken good care of your machine, expect to recover at least 80-90% of its original cost, if you decide to upgrade.

Dillon's lifetime "No BS" warranty:
Dillon products purchased through me carry Dillon's lifetime "No BS" warranty." (Except for the Super 1050, which carries a one-year "No BS" warranty.) In truth, there's not much support required, because a quick call to Dillon will have you sorted out or anything you need headed your way immediately. Their customer support is truly outstanding. And, if necessary, I can hook you up with the "Troubleshooting Grand Master of the Dillon Universe."

Note: All electrical/electronic components of all Dillon equipment are covered by a one-year warranty from date of purchase.

And there it is...

If you made it this far and are wondering if there's any way you'll remember any of this as you are placing your order, no worries - my Online Store's RL 550B, RL 550B EZ-Buy Packages, and XL 650 Press AND Caliber Conversion pages "make sense" (are easy to understand), and have handy, printable guides so you can double check your order.

I review every online Dillon Precision order before placing the order with Dillon. If anything in your order doesn't "make sense," I will call or email before placing your order with Dillon.

If you have any doubts about anything in your order, type your questions into the "Customer Message" field of the checkout page, and I will call or email (or both) to confirm.

Also, on the checkout page - please feel free to add any info that might help me "decipher" your Dillon order. Such as,"I already have an extra Toolhead/Powder Die for the 9mm Conversion and Dies in this order."