2 Dillon 650 or 2 Hornady LNL AP or Both?

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As to processing crimped military cases, regardless of the press selected, I was thinking about dealing with crimped primer pockets with the Dillon Super Swage 600 modified with rubber band and string (see video). Instead of the sharp cuts from removing the crimp with drill/bit, Dillon swager puts a radius on the primer pocket for smoother primer seating (so I hear).

So does that change the recommendation for XL650 vs LNL AP?

[Youtube]LaZHeSUqQbk[/Youtube]
 
I use the super swage for my 223 brass. I trim off the press anyway, so I just swage after I trim with a CTS trimmer. The dillon 1050 is the only press, I have heard of, that will swage primer pockets automatically. Some people run a 1050 with a dillon trimmer and the press swages while they trim. They then clean the lube off the brass by tumbling and then run a second tool head for loading the ammo.

The 650 and lnl should be about the same and in the same boat as my 550-none of them swage. I run a dedicated tool head for my sizing die, for rifle brass. I use dillon spray lube as one shot has proven to be not good for rifle brass (I use one shot for pistol though). I size a batch of brass then tumble, trim, and swage. Then, I load up the tool head with a universal decapping die when I load 223, so that any corn cob is removed from the primer pockets. When I load 30-30 and 30-06 with cast boolits, I use an RCBS expansion die instead, so I have to manually check primer pockets. The first station is also for priming. Second station is powder and third is seat/crimp. Fourth station is left open.

The 1050 really made sense for crimped pistol brass, because it doesn't have to be trimmed and can be loaded in one pass through a progressive press. 9mm would jamb up my 550, when I got one with a crimped primer pocket. I didn't want to size on the dillon, swage off the press, then go back on the press, when the 1050 does it all with one pull of the handle.

The 1050 also seats the primer on the down stroke vs. the other dillons which seat on the up stroke. Down is much nicer and it is adjustable. You also get more stations for powder check dies or a bullet feeder.

It sounds like the 1050 is a more expensive or complex machine than you are looking for (although it is easy to setup the dies once the machine is converted to a particular caliber-I have never changed calibers, but I do readjust for different components) so the 650 and lnl are still very similar. I have never used the lnl, so my first choice would be dillon.
 
If you plan on using a 650, make sure you have your bench plans designed first! If you go with a top material over about 1.5", you will need to cantilever the press with another material or use the Stong Mount. It may have been discussed here before, but the handle will swing under and make contact with the underside of your top before the shell plate is fully raised. Dillon makes good products, but the handle and linkage angle is terrible. The press baseplate is poorly designed too! The holes are only about .55" from the front edge and if you move the press forward for the handle to clear, the front holes are hanging off the top .75".

When I called Dillon to inquire, I was told that they had been making this press for x years and I was the first one to ever complain. I highly doubt it! The customer service rep was also not too helpful. He insisted the handle nut was at least 6" below the base and there was no way it could be hitting the underside of the bench top. Since my top is just over 2" and the work surface is a perfect height, I had to cantilever with a piece of steel instead of using the Strong Mount. Not ideal, but rebuilding the top was out of the question as it is epoxy coated. I think the Strong Mount concept was hatched to correct a design flaw in the press. I cannot speak for all Dillon presses, just the 650!
 
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OK, after much thought, since I am already familiar with Dillon 550B, I decided to initially start out with Hornady LNL AP before testing the XL650.

But I have some questions.

Midsouth Shooters is selling the Hornady LNL Ammo Plant for $1,040 - http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00005095160

I can also get the LNL AP for $400 and the case feeder separately from Midsouth Shooter for $314 and bullet feeder for $235 from Natchez - http://www.natchezss.com/Category.c... Bullet Feeder Kit 110-Volt (7/8&startRow=26

So which way should I go?

1. Buy the $1,040 Ammo Plant from Midsouth Shooters

2. Buy the press and case feeder for $714 from Midsouth Shooters as I am already comfortable seating the bullet by hand

3. Buy the press and bullet feeder from Natchez for $635 and buy the case feeder from Midsouth Shooters for $314. Total = $949

Are there extras you get in the Ammo Plant you don't get by buying separately?

Also, can the Hornady case/bullet feeder be used on Dillon XL650 for future testing?
 
If you plan to do a lot of handgun, get the ammo plant.

If a mix of rifle and handgun get the press and add on as you want.

Hornady is coming out with a rifle bullet feeder here soon, I can't wait to pick one up.
 
Update:

I had planned to start with the Hornady LNL AP but found a Dillon 650 with case feeder and powder check system along with extras set up for 45ACP for a price I could not pass up (slightly more than the cost of LNL AP). So looks like I will start out with 650 first and LNL AP later.

I also picked up 3 and 4 station C-H "H" style presses, C-H powder measure along with Herter's 234 turret press so I may do a dedicated bench with "classic" presses on one wall of the retirement reloading room decorated with older reloading tools/powder cans. That should bring a smile on my face whenever I do a load development on these "classic" presses. But the C-H 205 single stage press is my current work horse I don't consider "classic". :D

BTW, I was surprised to find that CH 4D still sold the 4 station H press - http://www.ch4d.com/products/equipment/presses
 
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Katitmail said:
Dillon 650 ... What really annoys me is jumping spent primers. There is no exuse for that one
We could always do another problems/solutions support thread for 650/LNL AP. ;)
 
I've had both. I like the Dillon. The LnL was nice, and Hornady is always making improvements, but the biggest problem is the case feeder. It's difficult to quickly switch it for different calibers.
 
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