Drinking blue kool-aid soon.

[TwoEyedJack]

I have a 550 that I use to load .30-06, 270 win, 7MM-08, .22-250. .223, .45 ACP. .41 mag, .357 mag, and 9MM. I wish I had two. Changing primer size is a royal pain. Other than that, I would never go back.

 

[blarby]

In fact if I was looking just to reload .45acp on a 450 it too would be sold and replaced with a SDB

Having seen a few of the SDB's in action, I think I'll pass.

However, if I could get one in trade for what I got the 450 for- I might go for it !

 

[Charlie1022]

I have been reloading since 1971 and bought my first RL550 in 1984 and this was my best investment in reloading equipment. In 1996 I bouth my second RL550 to have one set up for large and one for small primers. I can not say enough good about Dillon and their great customer seervice over the years. The roller handle is a great addition to each press. I load for 11 different calibers in both hand gun and rifle calibers.

If you have a question or a problem just call Dillon and they will help answer your questions and get you back relaoding in no time.

I am working on some additinal bench space in my reloading room and would like to add pictures once I get it finished. I did get some ideas from the many other members pictures and can not wait to get to work on itonce my knee gets to feeling better after complete replacement just 6 weeks ago. Hope to see some more new bench pictures from other members.

Charlie1022

 

[wv109323]

If you are going to use it for one caliber you are fine. I would not upgrade the primer pick-up or the powder measure. The 450 requires that you manually activate the powder measure and the primer pick -up. With the 450 when the ram is up you push the slide on the powder measure to charge the case. Also when the ram is up you must activate ( I can't remember if you push or pull) the primer pick-up. The primer is then set in place to prime the case on the down stroke of the ram. These two functions are automated on the 550B. I prefer the 450 over the 550B on these functions.
The 550B has a case activated powder measure. I had several Squib loads on my 550B before I figured it out and corrected Dillon's problems. On My 550B the case activated powder measure had many casting burrs that would not allow the powder measure to "re-set" for the next round. The Auto -Prime feed will allow a deprimed primer to lodge in the mechanism and fail to deliver a primer. Not to long ago I loaded some .38 Special. The primer feed jammed and I loaded several rounds without primers before I noticed the problem. I actually noticed unprimed rounds in the loaded round hopper.
The 550B is more favorable to use with multiple calibers. The Dies can be left set-up in the removable die holder if you buy extra's. Dillon knew what they were doing for added sales.
I owned a 450 and loaded .45 ACP for many years for Bullseye Competition.

 

[blarby]

Ok, so I thought I had all of the parts as of today to make this a reality.

I got the shellplate and large primer cup from dillon, calibrated the dies and the powder measure.

Now I'm very confused about the primer stack.

The tube that the primers rest in vertically is HUGE in comparison to a large pistol primer. So much so that the primers kinda fall all over the place in the tube. I found this out after loading it from one of the primer pickup tubes.

Anyone have any idea whats up with this ?

I've read the instructions multiple times, and I don't understand whats happening here.

 

[blarby]

Nm.

Got it !

Thats what the Other tubes are for.

 

[mahansm]

There should be an aluminum tube that's a little longer than the pickup tubes, correctly sized (diameter) to hold a large primer, and with a white plastic tip.

This goes into the steel primer tube from the top, gets alined so that the tab on the plastic tip drops into a slot in the primer assembly, and then the metal cap screws on the top.

Keep plugging, we're all in this together.

 

[orionengnr]

Glad you got it. The black tube is a steel blast shield. The aluminum tubes are the primer feed tubes.

I started on a 450 that a friend had been using since 1980-something. He was moving to Germany for a job opportunity in...I don't recall, maybe 2005? I had been talking about reloading for a while, had been picking up my brass at the range (and buying some once-fired as well) and even buying 1000 primers here and there.

When Bob out shipped for Germany he sent me a surprise package, consisting of his 450, scale, calipers, couple reloading manuals...

I started out just de-priming and sizing a bunch of cases. That done, I used the press as a fancy single-stage. One case, seat a primer, rotate the shell plate, drop the powder, rotate the shell plate, seat a bullet. Three or four pulls of the handle, one loaded round.

Once I was a little bit more confident, I started using it as designed. At a fairly relaxed rate, I was doing 150 rounds per hour.

I used it for about two years, at which point Bob returned to the US. It was Christmas time. I boxed up his 450 and everything that came with it and sent it back. I had already bought newer manuals, a digital scale, digital calipers...so on and so forth.

On Christmas Day, there was a large box under the tree with my name on it, from my loving wife. It was a new Dillon 550.

Bob is still using his 450, and I expect he will be for quite some time.

I ran across another 550 at a gun show a couple years ago. Think I paid $250 for it. It was missing a bunch of parts--Dillon was really good about helping me get it back together. Although I told them that the parts were lost, not broken, I think they charged me about 1/2 what the total should have been. I set it up for SPP (my other for LPP) but ended up selling it to a friend for what I had in it. He got a good deal, and now we split powder, primer, bullet orders.

I ran across a 450 about a bit over a year ago, bought it (maybe $200) and sold it again at my cost to a co-worker. He let it sit around forever... I kept asking him if he was reloading yet.

It took the ammo shortage for him to order some parts--naturally, that took a while, but now he is grinning and shooting.

The only thing I would recommend is the auto-prime and maybe the auto powder drop. You can do each as money becomes available, but both make the process far simpler.

With the 450, you need to feed a case, operate the primer knob, operate the powder drop knob, and hand-seat a bullet....and move the lever.

With the 550-style primer and bullet feeds, you insert a case, insert a bullet, move the lever.

With the 550, I do 200-225 rounds per hour. I am quite happy with that.

I know that others do twice that number. It's not a race. I want to pay attention to each step, stop and measure powder throw weight every now and then, measure OAL every now and then, drop each loaded round into the case gauge.

Enjoy your Dillon. If they cannot provide a 450 manual, the 550 manual will cover 90%+ of the operation and parts. Keep an eye open, and you will find one somewhere--maybe post and ask someone with a 450 to make a photocopy of their manual.

 

[bullethead]

I got my 450 around 1984. I wish I knew how many rounds I have loaded on it. Thousands upon thousands, all without a hickup. I did upgrade the primer system only because I wore out the little plastic gizmos on the ends of the tubes. They no longer offered that style, so I upgraded to the auto prime system. I have the press set up for 45ACP, and that is all it does. I like the press so much that I now have a 650 to load all of the other calibers. I tried another brand of press that was getting a lot of attention, but didn't like it anywhere near as much as a Dillon.
Blarby, I have the manual for the 450. If you need a copy, let me know and I will scan it for you.

 

[orionengnr]

There you go.

Blarby, I have the manual for the 450. If you need a copy, let me know and I will scan it for you.

That's the spirit of handloaders, and the spirit of THR.
Good job, man.

 

[kerreckt]

Congratulations! I have owned a 450 from their inception. I have been told by Dillon that I was one of the first 100 people to buy one. I have changed nothing. I have used it steadily since I bought it. Easily, over 500k loaded. Nothing has ever failed on it so why would I changed anything? I lost several pieces when moving and Dillon sent them to me....no charge.....no questions asked except my address. I have never owned anything else that has worked as well as this press. One of the finest products ever designed and manufactured,IMHO.