Ordering New Press tomorrow... Missing anything?

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

joevilla71

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
90
Ordering New LNL or USED 550 Please advice

Requirements:
Fast Loading (Shooting 4000 to 5000 45ACP & 3000 40S&W per month)
Easy Change Over .40 to .45 ACP
Reliable, meaning powder loads don't change much after XXX of rounds.

I wanted a Dillon 650, but the wife pulled the purse strings closed at $500.00 so after A LOT of research I have decided to get the Hornady LNL - AP because I can't find a 650 used for a low enough price.

I KNOW many of you are blue guys and almost as many are hed hats, but the bottom line from reading ALL the threads in this forum seems to be that you really can't go wrong either way since these are the top presses.

IT'S LIKE FORD OR CHEVY RIGHT??

I can probably sneak another $100 from my left pocket for a total budget of $600.00 and of course I can buy stuff over time in the coming months.

SO, Is there anything you all think I should add to my order or swap for something else?



From Lock Stock N Barrel:
$338.00 Hornady LNL AP Press
$24.95 #1 Shell Plate
$56.00 .45 ACP Dies
$24.95 Powder Cop
$56.00 1200 Turbo Tumbler
$7.00 Case Sifter
$100.00 Electronic Scale

606.90 TOTAL

NEW OPTION !!!!!! TUESDAY FEB 20 @ 10AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK PEOPLE!! CHECK THIS OUT!!!
A local member of my USPSA club just called and said he would sell me his 550 with .45 / .38 dies & Conv. Kits, Strong Mount, Roller Handle, 2 Change-Overs, Sensors for Powder & Primers ..... $300.00

SOOOOOOO!!!!

I am now going the Dillon route with $300 LEFT OVER TO UPGRADE?????

What do you all think????? LNL or 550 then buy the case feed?

Thanks,
Joe
 
Last edited:
Another way to go--Load Master will save that 100 bucks!

If your heart is set on the Hornady, appeal to her good nature--get the $$ as loan against your future good deeds--;)

In the alternative, get the Lee Load Master and you won't spend near this much money. You can get one with the dies and a case feeder at--

http://www.kempfgunshop.com/products/reloading/leeprecision/presses/loadmaster.html

for $210! A few bucks for shipping and you've saved a bunch of $$. There are multiple excellent videos now available on setup and operation.

I have loaded thousands of rounds on mine--set it up right and you will have few problems.
 
Don't bother with the LEE. Yes, they are decent, but not for 8k rounds per month. Actually if you are looking at 7-8k rounds per month you better find a 1050 somewhere. I own a LNL and am happy, but would definately recomend the case feeder. I've never used mine without it, but wouldn't want to either for the amount of ammo you are talking about. You might also buy the LEE 4 die set to save another $25, but skip the sifter pan. You definately want the rotary media seperator. Midway has pretty good deals on the combo. I personally don't see a need for the powder cop either. Just pay attention. If I were to get a powder check system it would need to have an audible alarm.
 
From Lock Stock N Barrel:
$338.00 Hornady LNL AP Press good
$24.95 #1 Shell Plate good
$56.00 .45 ACP Dies If you're ordering Hornady dies, get the separate taper crimp die. Or order the Lee Deluxe 4-die set. Separating the seating and crimping die makes things much easier to adjust, especially for someone new.
$24.95 Powder Cop I'd go with the RCBS lockout die instead.
$56.00 1200 Turbo Tumbler Not sure about this, but if it's their store brand, that's plenty. If you can get one combined with a rotary sifter, so much the better.
$7.00 Case Sifter Get a rotary sifter. Much more convenient to use.
$100.00 Electronic Scale If you're going to be reloading progressive, you'll only be using your scale to check powder weights. Get the Hornady or RCBS 505 beam scale and save your money. Get a check weight set as well.

I would also add a CAPD case expander insert for .45ACP and some Akro bins in the longer version if they have them. See also the sticky for newbies for other things you might want.

BTW, I've owned the LnL for 6 years, so I speak from long term experience. If you take your time and set it up right, adjust it right up front, you'll get a great reloading experience. The few adjustments it has stay in place once they're set, so you only have to do them once. So I'd urge you to do a good job setting things up.

As far as a casefeeder goes, you can save up for and order one at a later date. In the meantime, think in ergonomic terms and using Akro bins you can have a pretty quick reloading setup easily capable of 600-700 an hour. But operate your press smoothly, don't try to operate it fast. You'll get better results that way.

Regards,

Dave
 
benedict1:
"In the alternative, get the Lee Load Master and you won't spend near this much money. You can get one with the dies and a case feeder at--"

I actually called Lee and visited with someone at their tech support today. I explained what we do in sport and how many rounds we are going through. He said he didn't think the Loadmaster was a good choice for us. I did think about it though since it would have saved us money.

ocabj:
"Don't forget to take advantage of the Hornady "Get Loaded" deal:"


Appreciate the info; it was the first thing the guy at lock stock n barrel said.

mscott:
"Don't bother with the LEE. Yes, they are decent, but not for 8k rounds per month. Actually if you are looking at 7-8k rounds per month you better find a 1050 somewhere."

HEAR this ALL READING THE THREAD, if you have a Dillon 1050 that you can sell me for $600.00 please raise your hand. :neener: I WISH!!!!!
MSCOTT that is way out of the price range. I have looked over the net for almost a month to find a 650 at a good price, but it is not going to happen. I think the 1050 would be much worse on my pocket. I can only hope that the LNL will hold up and from what I have heard it should. I did visit with Hornady tech support today and they said "No Problem" as did the tech support at Dillon in reference to the quantity of loads per month.

DaveInFloweryBranchGA:
I'll research and probably go with the advice on the Lee Deluxe 4-pc. die set / CAPD expander.
I'll research the RCBS lockout die.
I'll ask them about a tumbler with a rotary sifter, sounds good.
I'll go with the RCBD 505 scale.
Akro bens??? Ok, I'll check that out.

I've read the newbie thread about 10 times now. The author of the thread has a LNL and that helped me with the final decision as well. Lots of good info.
Great help guys!! I knew you all would come through.

Semper Fi,
Joe
 
I don't know what an "autoflo" tumbler goes for vs the Turbo 1200 and Sifter you've got but I've been pretty happy with mine. FWIW. I definately like it better than the last one I had where I didn't have a sifter and had to dig through the medium with my hands! :)

Have a good one,
Dave
 
joevilla71...Sounds like you may be on the right track. I have no experience with the LNL, but I do with the loadmaster. If I were looking to load 8K rounds a month, I would not consider using the loadmaster for the reasons already described by others. I simply don't think it would hold up to that kind of volumn although it is a fine press for the load count that I currently have.
 
I learned on my friend's Lee Load Master. He envies my LnL. I just went over the 44,000 mark today. I load the following on mine: 9mm, .45ACP & Colt, .40 S&W, .380acp, .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, .243 Win, .270 Win, .308 Win, 300 WSM.
 
Hey Scott5,

I appreciate the thought, but I want to stick with either a Dillon 650 or a Hornady LNL AP. I believe they will better handle the amount of ammo per month we are expecting. I understand that the LoadMaster is a good press; however, I believe that the Dillon and Hornady will put out a more consistant round in terms of powder measure and consistancy is the key when shooting competition. We try to do everything the same every time.

Thanks for the help everyone.

I've already been told the Hornady LNL are out of stock so WOW ... I'll be looking all over the net for in stock.

Joe
 
NEW OPTION !!!!!!

OK PEOPLE!! CHECK THIS OUT!!!

A local member of my USPSA club just called and said he would sell me his 550 with .45 / .38 dies & Conv. Kits, Strong Mount, Roller Handle, 2 Change-Overs, Sensors for Powder & Primers ..... $300.00 :what:

SOOOOOOO!!!!

I am now going the Dillon route with $300 LEFT OVER TO UPGRADE!!! Yeeeha! :neener:

Options!!!!????!!!!
 
$300 is a really good price but I still wouldn't get it. The LNL AP will be quicker at changing calibers. I think the powder measure is also better. It's auto-indexing and has a 5th station for a powder cop/lockout die.

That being said, the 550 is a really good press. I sold mine for the LNL AP for the reasons above. If you were to purchase a LNL AP I'd skip the #1 shellplate and get the one specifically designed for 45ACP #392645.

--AJ
 
You have a point with the auto indexing and other items. I am just wondering if the 550 would run as fast with the case feed added. At 300.00 I could get the case feed on for 225.00 and then whatever extras with the 75.00 left over.

:confused: :confused: :confused:
 
Brian Enos recommends that someone who thinks they need enough production to buy a casefeeder initially not buy the 550, because the casefeeder only gains about 25% production over the standard 550.

Based on your round count, you'd be better off buying a Hornady LnL or a 650. The savings you realized at first won't be worth it when you aren't getting the production you need out of the press.

Your real options, based on your round count, is a LnL or a 650. The 550 won't get it. But go ahead, if your thumb likes pushing that manual index shellplate. Mine didn't, YMMV.

Just my .02,

Dave
 
If you ever plan to load large rifle rounds and want to use a case feeder to do it, you don't want a 550. You can't do large rifle rounds in a 550 casefeeder. I'm not sure, but I don't think you'd be able to use it for 223 either. I have an LNL AP also. I've been pleased with it. I've bought the AP, LNL Classic kit and 4 sets of dies and I get 1900 free bullets.

I bought mine from here. http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=2074&dir=210|214|225|415 I only paid $299. That is there current price on their site but they show they are out. I'd call them and see if you can get on a list to get one at that price. I think you will be hard "pressed" to find any LNL AP's in stock anywhere right now because of the bullet deal. The 1000 free bullets I'm getting run over $150 in Midway's catalog. I'm tempted to get another press to get another 1000 bullets. It's like getting the press for $150-200 depending on what you'd normally spend on 1000 bullets. I'd not normally buy bullets that are that expensive.
 
OK,

I am going to toss a coin in the air .. head is ...

Just kidding, I visited with Dillon tech support and explained my situation. they said the LNL or 650 are a better way to go. SO, based on price I'll order a LNL in about 30 minutes.

I appreciate all of your input.

Thanks so much.
Joe
 
I am about to go mad. I wideners has a great price, but non in stock. Same with Lock stock n barrel, midway usa, greffin son.

Larry's Sporting Goods has them, but his price is $400.

Wideners said they have a new order coming in next week, BUT their prices will also go up when the new order comes in as well. I asked how much and he said they would "remain competitive" so I think that means $369.00 to $400.00 like most everyone else.

What to do when you have money burning a hole in your pocket! LOL
 
If you could, I'd wait for Widener's to see what their new price will be. For some reason on Hornady stuff, they blow all of their competitors out of the water. I was looking at their 366 shotshell presses earlier. Widener's price is $415 and with gas assist it is $485. Midway is $499.99 and $99.99 more for the gas assist conversion. I imagine once their stock of these presses runs out, their price will go up.

I just got a LNL Classic kit from Wideners for $199. They were listed as an older model and clearanced. It was much older than I had anticipated but I'm thinking it will work out better in the long run. My kit came with more stuff than the new one. It has the older style powder measure so I can't swap out the inserts quickly but it came with a micrometer rifle and handgun insert. The new kits all run about $290 from other places.
 
I just checked Midsouth Shooters Supply and their price is $309.99 but are on backorder and they are showing that they won't be in until 3/25.
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/expected.asp?item=00005095100

I'm guessing you will get that everywhere you go. If Wideners gets some in next week and don't jack up the price, I'd bite if I were you. I've had a few issues with my press but customer service has taken care of me. Mine were all shellplate issues. I sent them back in and they sent me brand new ones.

One HUGE advantage of the LNL over the 650 is cost of changing calibers. I am currently set up to do 4 calibers. I had to get 3 different shellplates for those 4. I looked in the book and I can do 56 different calibers with those same 3 plates. Now mind you, some of them are very oddball calibers but I think that I might realistically load 6 to 8 of those calibers in the future. With the exception of dies, I have nothing more to buy to load those calibers.

I've asked Dillon users how much it would cost at a minimum to load those same 4 calibers requiring 3 different shellplates and I haven't gotten an answer. They say you can piece together conversions instead of having to buy a complete conversion for every caliber but I'm not interested in trying to do that. With the Hornady, it is a set of dies and a shellplate and you're done. I think this is where Dillon rips their customers off. I'm sure a good amount of Dillon users can figure out what parts they can use from different conversions without having to buy a new one but I'd say a large percentage of their users buy a complete conversion for each caliber. To buy a 650 and be able to load 4 calibers, you have to buy 3 more conversions at $70 a piece. The press comes with 1. I spent $75 on all 3 plates. The Dillon cost is nearly triple.
 
Hmmm well, I called Dillon and priced the 650 with 3 conv. kits in .45, .40, 9MM and the total price including shipping was $1359.00 that includes shipping.

I also priced the LNL with the same specs and the price was $792.00.

I am sorry, but I don't have all the money in the world to spend here so I am ordering the Hornady without the Case Feeder for now and will buy the case feeder later.

I am also buying the 550 I spoke of earlier just because I may have a need for it as a second press.
 
Joe, that price gap will only get bigger with every caliber you add. I just went through my LNL manual. They have a total of 37 different shellplates that cover over 150 calibers. If you bought all 37 plates at $25 each, you would pay $925. $925 will buy you 13 complete conversions for the 650. How many calibers you can load by mixing and matching parts from those 13 conversion kits I don't know, but I'd say it is a safe bet that it isn't anywhere near 150.

If the cost of caliber changes matched Hornady's I probably would have went with the 650. I could easily see needing at least 8 conversions if my gun collection grows in the way that I would like for it to. I just saw that they list 40 S&W and 10 MM as separate conversions. WOW! What could the difference between the 2 be? You use the same dies for both.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
  • Locked
Which Progressive Press
Replies
20
Views
1K
Tony Z
T
R
  • Locked
New Lock-n-Load ap press
Replies
6
Views
585
Idano
I
D
  • Locked
Lee Bench Plate for Hornady LNL AP
Replies
12
Views
3K
dradave
D
Master Blaster
  • Locked
Russian Primer Hoard from 2009 seating issues
Replies
13
Views
487
forty_caliber
forty_caliber
M
  • Locked
Caliber Change Cost - LNL vs 650xl
Replies
16
Views
994
David Wile
D
Back
Top