Square Deal B
- Thread starter vts
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PinnedAndRecessed
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They're $319 new from Dillon. There is one one on fleabay with a buy it now price of $225, but not your caliber. But that is a fair price, especially since Dillon has a no questions warranty and will make the machine as good as new.
You could buy it, then sell the dies and buy new 9mm, and still be money ahead.
You could buy it, then sell the dies and buy new 9mm, and still be money ahead.
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SASS#23149
Member
that low primer sensor is someting you could do without if money is tight.
I seldom use mine as the plastic rod that assists the primers is rght there in front of my face.Just an uneeded 'accesory' imho.
You won't find a lot of used Dillons,so this one seems fari prices.The shipping will prolly add 25.00,fyi.
I seldom use mine as the plastic rod that assists the primers is rght there in front of my face.Just an uneeded 'accesory' imho.
You won't find a lot of used Dillons,so this one seems fari prices.The shipping will prolly add 25.00,fyi.
Key an eye on Ebay. I picked up my 550B plus all I needed to start loading (ie calipers, scale, dies, etc) for ~$600. The only "problem" with a Square deal is that it takes proprietary dies. The 500B can use any 7/8 x 14 dies, Lee, RCBS, Hornady etc. As for the lower primer and powder sensors, I prefer them 'cause the primer follower might be infront of your face, but I'm looking down at the case getting the powder charge. My attention is focussed on that die station. The sensor are an added convenience for me. IMHO, save up for the 550B you won't be sorry.
Firehand
Member
I got my SDB a few months ago used, and it's been great. If you only want it for a couple of cartridges, it's a good press.
If you'll want a progressive for rifle cartridges, it won't work. And as Distra says, it only uses the Dillon dies made for it, so doing multiple cartridges can be a touch expensive to set up.
If you'll want a progressive for rifle cartridges, it won't work. And as Distra says, it only uses the Dillon dies made for it, so doing multiple cartridges can be a touch expensive to set up.
Encoreman
Member
vts, I bought a used Square Deal on E-bay, the primer drop tube was broken when I got it, I called Dillon and explained I bought it used and they refused to take any money for it, the rep said if it was blue it was under warranty. BTW this press had been used by a competition shooter and it still works like a champ, I picked up some .40 s&w dies and we're good to go.
SASS#23149
Member
the classifieds section of the SASSwire..the cowboy shooters' BB....sometimes has 'em.
http://sassnet.com/forums/index.php?act=SF&s=&f=14
Uh,if by reasonable you mean 'cheap' it ain't likely to happen.
http://sassnet.com/forums/index.php?act=SF&s=&f=14
Uh,if by reasonable you mean 'cheap' it ain't likely to happen.
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tbtrout
Member
Dillon is a great customer service oriented company. I was given a used SD B with 5 caliber conversions, and it works great. The only thing is once you start to load more calibers ( and you will) it gets expesive for the conversions. If I were to put out the money, I would save for the 550. It will do rifle and pistol as well as use standard less expensive dies.
I am sort of prejudiced against the Square Deal because it uses a non-standard set of dies.
OTOH, a fellow I knew who did small scale commercial reloading had 4 or 5 of them set up in his basement and never had much in the way of trouble with them. He ran one of them for 2 or 3 hours, 6 or 7 days a week. He pumped out boxes of reloads at an amazing pace. He had a pretty well though out setup and was probably doing 8-10 boxes of reloads per hour.
When he first told me what he was doing, I thought he was nuts, but, he had a pretty good little side business going. He also cast his own bullets, so there was additional time going on there, but he got the lead for free somewhere. This was back in the mid-80s, so a fifteen hour a week job that netted him a couple hundred bucks a week was more impressive then the same numbers today.
He told me he only had about $1500 sunk into the whole reloading/casting setup.
At one time he told me he was making almost as much just selling the cast bullets, as from the reloads. Guess when the raw material is free, it is tough to lose money on such a deal.
OTOH, a fellow I knew who did small scale commercial reloading had 4 or 5 of them set up in his basement and never had much in the way of trouble with them. He ran one of them for 2 or 3 hours, 6 or 7 days a week. He pumped out boxes of reloads at an amazing pace. He had a pretty well though out setup and was probably doing 8-10 boxes of reloads per hour.
When he first told me what he was doing, I thought he was nuts, but, he had a pretty good little side business going. He also cast his own bullets, so there was additional time going on there, but he got the lead for free somewhere. This was back in the mid-80s, so a fifteen hour a week job that netted him a couple hundred bucks a week was more impressive then the same numbers today.
He told me he only had about $1500 sunk into the whole reloading/casting setup.
At one time he told me he was making almost as much just selling the cast bullets, as from the reloads. Guess when the raw material is free, it is tough to lose money on such a deal.
Square Deal
VTS,
I just bought the Square Deal B from Dillon and have been very pleased with the unit. Reasons for buying this and not the 550:
1. I shoot combat at our local range, maybe 150-400 cartridges per month.
2. I am loading pistol only and only in .40 S&W.
3. I do not foresee loading any rifle or other caliber pistol cartridges.
With that in mind, friends who reload told me that the Square Deal was the best deal for me because:
1. It comes with one "set" of carbide dies in the caliber you choose ($).
2. All you have to do is bolt it to the bench, check/adjust the dimensions and specs of the rounds after a few reloads and you're good to go.
I have reloaded about 500 rounds so far and fired about 200 and they are great loads.
I had some problems at first but they were simply ignorance on my part. Years ago (Dark Ages) I reloaded my trusty old 7x57 Mauser for deer hunting on an RBS rock chucker press and I was unfamiliar with the Dillon and multi-stage presses. They sent me two sets of dies, one of which I thought was wrong (or so I thought) one was marked 10mm and the other .40. When I called DIllon the tech was very helpful and courteous and explained that one die was for FMJ and the other was for JHP bullets. I forgot that .40 S&W and 10mm are the same bullet (dooh!). :banghead:
I like everything about the Dillon Square Deal B. I have had a few reloads that I screwed up and need to be taken apart (getting familiar with this) and I can feed them back into the correct station and complete the round. The powder loads are repeatable within specs and when I measure the finished round with my vernier calipers they come out within +/- .005 overall.
I like the primer warning as a couple of times I got too focused and the alarm went off reminding me to refill the primer tube.
As others have said, Dillon stands behind their product and will answer questions and repair/replace anything that's not working up to spec.
I think the price is terrific considering you get a set of dies with it. If you're considering doing a lot of different calibers or rifle reloads then get the 550 or 650.
AZ
VTS,
I just bought the Square Deal B from Dillon and have been very pleased with the unit. Reasons for buying this and not the 550:
1. I shoot combat at our local range, maybe 150-400 cartridges per month.
2. I am loading pistol only and only in .40 S&W.
3. I do not foresee loading any rifle or other caliber pistol cartridges.
With that in mind, friends who reload told me that the Square Deal was the best deal for me because:
1. It comes with one "set" of carbide dies in the caliber you choose ($).
2. All you have to do is bolt it to the bench, check/adjust the dimensions and specs of the rounds after a few reloads and you're good to go.
I have reloaded about 500 rounds so far and fired about 200 and they are great loads.
I had some problems at first but they were simply ignorance on my part. Years ago (Dark Ages) I reloaded my trusty old 7x57 Mauser for deer hunting on an RBS rock chucker press and I was unfamiliar with the Dillon and multi-stage presses. They sent me two sets of dies, one of which I thought was wrong (or so I thought) one was marked 10mm and the other .40. When I called DIllon the tech was very helpful and courteous and explained that one die was for FMJ and the other was for JHP bullets. I forgot that .40 S&W and 10mm are the same bullet (dooh!). :banghead:
I like everything about the Dillon Square Deal B. I have had a few reloads that I screwed up and need to be taken apart (getting familiar with this) and I can feed them back into the correct station and complete the round. The powder loads are repeatable within specs and when I measure the finished round with my vernier calipers they come out within +/- .005 overall.
I like the primer warning as a couple of times I got too focused and the alarm went off reminding me to refill the primer tube.
As others have said, Dillon stands behind their product and will answer questions and repair/replace anything that's not working up to spec.
I think the price is terrific considering you get a set of dies with it. If you're considering doing a lot of different calibers or rifle reloads then get the 550 or 650.
AZ
Hornady Lock-N-Load AP -VS- Dillon RL550B
As i do see my self reloading multipel calibers and some will be for rifle. I see my self whit a 9mm, 357mag, 44mag, 7.62*39, 308, 30-06, 338rem ultra mag and 375H&H.
I was looking at the LNL press from hornady some time ago but it was to costly for me at the time. So i got a 22lr pistol and dint need to reload.
Now that i have a 9mm and need to reload. I was thinking about geting the SD press and just use it for 9mm. When i get a rifle i was going to get a difrent press for that.
But maybe its a better idea to get a full size press now and just add on to it.
So i was just wondering about the LNL from hornady does any one have any coment on it?
What about the 550 from Dillon?
The price is the same, the dillon is not auto indexing, and the LNL has 5 stations.
As i do see my self reloading multipel calibers and some will be for rifle. I see my self whit a 9mm, 357mag, 44mag, 7.62*39, 308, 30-06, 338rem ultra mag and 375H&H.
I was looking at the LNL press from hornady some time ago but it was to costly for me at the time. So i got a 22lr pistol and dint need to reload.
Now that i have a 9mm and need to reload. I was thinking about geting the SD press and just use it for 9mm. When i get a rifle i was going to get a difrent press for that.
But maybe its a better idea to get a full size press now and just add on to it.
So i was just wondering about the LNL from hornady does any one have any coment on it?
What about the 550 from Dillon?
The price is the same, the dillon is not auto indexing, and the LNL has 5 stations.
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