Dillon 1050 new purchase recommendations?

Bullet tray, si.
Powder sensor homemade, a cardboard disk on a plastic rod through (enlarged) vent hole in cap. Easy to look for the stripe when loading primers.
Powder check by eyeball OK on pistol. Might want the buzzer for revolver or rifle.
Regular Allen wrenches, blue handles not required.
Suitable lockring wrench. I don't know if the 1" are standard now, I have added several.

Gooseneck lamp or dedicated press illuminator.

If you load different bullets and different OAL, a Hornady Microjust or Redding seating die.

Primer chute and tube to soup can.

If you use different loads, a powder bar knob. Anything from hardware store to Uniquetek micrometer. I have the brass MR Dial but would now get Armanov.

ETA
If you load short light slick bullets, 115 9mm or 185 .45, a Lee or EGW Undersize sizing die.

If 9mm, a Lee CFC die.

I’ve owned Dillon presses for the last 30+ years and have never thought of purchasing the 1050. I’m not trying to talk you out of it, but I have to ask…how much shooting do you do? The reason I ask…back in March I loaded 6k rounds of 9mm and 45 through two different 650’s in just over 6 hours. I feed 2 machine guns (9mm and 45) as well as pistols in those calibers for 3 shooters and have never felt “under pressed”. The 1050 is a GREAT press and will run some great ammo, but there is a cost to it as you know…caliber changes are expensive and take longer to do, but one thing a lot of people do not really realize. The 1050 is really a one caliber press unlike the other presses, it takes some “tinkering” to get it running after a caliber change. Another shooting buddy of mine purchased one after selling (2) 650’s to fund the purchase…anyway he’s not real happy about it for the reason mentioned. When he changes calibers it takes (according to him) a couple hours to get it running right, I’ve never been there when he’s made the change to see it first hand, but he’s mentioned it to me a couple times. Another thing…the limiting factor in the ability of the press to “really” make ammo is the amount of powder and primers it holds…you would think a press of that quality and speed would hold more of each. I will say this…if I were to only load one caliber in large quantity the 1050 would be the press I would want.

GE-Mini-Gun said:

snip…back in March I loaded 6k rounds of 9mm and 45 through two different 650’s in just over 6 hours. ...snip

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That's like aerobic exercise pace

Not really...had all components setting close at hand. Averaged 5 minutes per 100 primers, alarm for low primer, drop another 100 and go back to work.

I made attachments so I could get rid of the primer bucket and use a hose with a larger container.

I have one of the Dillon powder lever sensors but it came with a press. It’s kind of a joke, you have to stop every 100 no matter what and it’s not like you can’t see the level in the hopper. I do like the powder check dies and use them whenever I can.

The GSI bullet feeders have to be my favorite but if you are not interested in them that also precludes my #2 that is automation. This was the first one I did.

Agree with GE, my 1050 is .45 ACP, full stop. I load other pistol calibers on a 550 and rifles single stage.

As far as I can tell, the reasons to get a 1050 are: you plan to automate it; or you desire to do more than 5 functions/die stations on the press.

Be aware that Dillon considers the 1050 to be a professional/industrial grade item, and so it does not come with the lifetime warranty of other Dillon products. That's right, stuff that Dillon will send you for free for a 650 is something you have to pay for on a 1050.

The main reason I splurged on a 1050 was because I was tired of high primers on my SDB.
The 550 is better than the SDB but still takes a bit of grunt. I don't know about the 650, its rotary primer feed is like none of the others.

GE-Mini-Gun said:

Not really...had all components setting close at hand. Averaged 5 minutes per 100 primers, alarm for low primer, drop another 100 and go back to work.

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Nice 1k/hr. If I do half that, I feel like I'm doing really well. But I only have 3 primer pickup tubes AND managed to break my FA vibraprime trying to mod it to be more efficient...so I lose a lot of time there just filling primer tubes..... No bullet feeder for me either. But if I'm going around 500/hr & maintain that for a couple hrs overall, both the machine and I am doing really well.

I’ve never had an issue with the primer assembly and I’ve loaded probably over 500k though one of the 650’s I have. I got tired of changing out the primer system from large to small so just purchased a large primer machine. At the time I was loading for 6 people, 9mm, 40, 357 Sig, 45 ACP, 45 Colt and we were doing A LOT of shooting…A LOT. As others have mentioned the 1050 has a one year warranty, after that you’re buying the parts, I’ve broken almost every part on mine, call Dillon and within a week I have the new part. I recommend the parts kit if you get one, that way you’re not down too long.

I have 15 tubes in each size, if I know I'm going to be loading, stay tomorrow evening, I'll load the tubes tonight while watching TV...takes a while but what else am I going to do. The pace I was running going wasn't fast by any stretch, down and up on the handle one pull every 3 seconds, maybe. Turn on Spotify and go...what's not to like?

More tubes would be good idea for me......with the VP I figured I didn't really need them since it was just a short break to load up 300 in tubes that way. Pecking at flip tray, not so fast....

Not griping....still WAY faster and easier than turret press I was using....just needing more time on it and tweaking setups to get it running more like a sewing machine.....

Anyway, back to OP, don't discount a 650 for the reasons mentioned already - esp the warranty. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but i've had a couple parts shipped for mine and it was real nice to just make a phone call & have it a few days later with no cost. I went through same thing like a lot of other guys. My assumption was "1050 costs more, bigger, it must be superior". And probably in a lot of ways it is. But after watching lots of videos & asking questions here 650 was right for me. Lower complexity, the warranty, and less cumbersome setup changes is what did it for me. Probably been doing around 1500 or so per month on the 650 since I've had it and for that volume feel it is great size. Been a mix of .223, 9mm, & .45ACP so lots of different setups & it's fine.

More tubes would be good idea for me......with the VP I figured I didn't really need them since it was just a short break to load up 300 in tubes that way.

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You have to stop to fill the tube add brass/bullets anyway. I prefer the Dillon tube filler because you hit the button and go back to loading but the VP is pretty quick and a lot less expensive.

A 65


If your automated you are case gauging and topping everything off while it’s loading.

I have a bunch of 1050’s a few automated ones a couple manual ones. I actually run the manual ones faster than I set the automated ones.



Unless I am just prepping brass.



The weakest link in the 1050 is also the weak link in the SD and 550, the plastic orifice tube tip. In fact it’s the only part other than a primer slide I have ever had to replace on all of my 1050’s. Even if I tell them I need them for a 1050 vs my other Dillon’s, they still send them to me for free.

I use my 650XL for most of the revolver/autoloader calibers I shoot in bulk: .38 special/.357 mag, 9mm, 380 acp, .40 S&W, 45 ACP, 45 Colt, 41 mag, 30-'06, 308.

I still do rounds for accurate bolt action rifles (300 H&H, 308, 30-'06, 6.5 CM, etc.) on a single stage press.

I only use my 1050 for .223/5.56. I shoot a fair amount of .223/5.56 (10-20k/year) and removing the primer crimps on the Dillon hand swager was getting old. I had a very hard time keeping the brass that I had already run through the swager separate from once-fired stuff I'd found on the ground or bought, so I ended up hand swaging all the cases for each new ammo run. I spent a lot of time thinking about getting a 1050 and got it mostly because it removes primer crimps automatically.

Also, I was loading a lot of .223/5.56 with friends at the time. I agreed that I would load their stuff, if they did the case prep (including doing the swaging!). They didn't like using the hand swager in volume either, so they agreed to absorb part of the cost of the 1050, so that made the decision a little easier.

If I had enough ammo demand to keep a herd of 1050s set up continually in only one caliber each (like jmorris) the 1050 is a great machine. Having one 1050 and changing calibers regularly, isn't so great.

If it was just me, and I had it to do all over again, I'd just stick with my 650XL, and tough it through the hand swaging. Or maybe get one of these adapters that purport to swage .223/5.56 cases on a 650XL: http://www.uniquetek.com/product/T1568-6

Or maybe get one of these adapters that purport to swage .223/5.56 cases on a 650XL:

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Two negatives about the 650 swage products. They don’t have a back up rod to support the inside of the case so they don’t work as well and put all the load on the shell plate. The biggest one is that Dillon has stated their use voids the warranty.

Hornady came up with one for the LNL that would be a good choice if there was a way to utilize case feed.

Another thing.... my understanding is that the 1050 doesn't have the famous warranty.

I'd be scared to by a 1050 because if I were to like it any more than I do my 650 I would wind up taking it to bed with me.

I have an early Super 1050. It had kind of a jerky advance, shaking powder out, etc.
A Dillon rep, this board, told me about an improved advance lever.
The first time I called, random clerk was going to charge $71.
I called later and asked for my contact here, who sent the upgrade no charge.

The primer feed was not properly adjusted ex box and was a bear to tune.
I have owned 3 models of Dillon, none have a primer feed the equal of my old CH Autochamp or MEC shotshell machine.

The Mark 7s are way kewl but there are a lot of them running Dillon or Hornady powder measures and a variety of 3D printed third party add-ons.
Read on Benos before you buy.

I have owned 3 models of Dillon, none have a primer feed the equal of my old CH Autochamp or MEC shotshell machine.

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The 650 has the most reliable primer feed system I have used, #2 would be the APS system RCBS used to use.