Reloading Equipment vs. New Pistol

[holmes168]

I really appreciate all the feedback. I was able to sell the wife on lower priced ammo!!!

So glad I posted before buying- the information here really is a big help making decisions and people taking time to help a newbie is awesome.

[holmes168]

I recommend spending extra for a Dillon 650 for 9mm, and not reloading 5.56.

No 5.56 but .223 ok?

[mmc45414]

A few months ago I would say 550, but I just bought a 650 and it sure is nice.

If you want to you could drop one case in without a case feed and run them one at at a time until you are comfortable with the process.

I also really like my 9mm AR.

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[Clusterfrack]

No 5.56 but .223 ok?

Sorry for being too brief. Reloading .223 or 5.56 requires a lot of equipment--trimmer, swager, etc. Not worth it unless you shoot a lot. If I didn't have a 1050 I probably wouldn't bother.

[JCS]

I would also vote for reloading equipment. Your budget will dictate the press and equipment.

As someone who recently started reloading, I can't imagine starting on a progressive press.

But buying a press alone is like someone buying a gun and no gear, ammo or training to go with it. Save a few hundred of your budget to buy powder and primer. I wish I had done that when I started.

[olstyn]

Sorry for being too brief. Reloading .223 or 5.56 requires a lot of equipment--trimmer, swager, etc. Not worth it unless you shoot a lot. If I didn't have a 1050 I probably wouldn't bother.

If I ever get around to owning a 5.56/.223 rifle, I intend to reload for it, but that's with the understanding that it's going to require additional purchases beyond what I've got right now. A basic trimmer doesn't seem absurdly expensive, neither does the Dillon swager, and of course the dies are no more than any other caliber. Unless I'm missing something (please tell me if I am), adding basic .223/5.56 capability to my existing setup would cost a little over $300 including buying a separate powder measure for it, and while I haven't done the math on the payoff time on that, I can't imagine it's too many thousands of rounds. Trimming and swaging does seem pretty tedious, though; the process would be slower and more labor-intensive than pistol loading for sure.

[barnaby]

As someone who recently started reloading, I can't imagine starting on a progressive press.

Started on a 550, still using it after 70,000 rounds or so in the last 7 years..

It is possible to do one thing at a time on a progressive to learn the process.

[okie john]

Thank you to everyone who sent feedback today- needless to say- I checked my phone a few hundred times at work.

I agree that reloading in the long run makes the most sense. I have looked into the Dillon 550 and it seems to be highly recommended.

I will search other threads for input- but if someone can give the items I need on this thread it will save some work.

As an FYI- I only shoot 9mm and 5.56/.223- which means that is all I will reload. I want to learn for 6 months or so by doing the 9mm.

Any advice on what I need? Since I will only do the 2 calibers is the 550 best idea for me.

I had thought about starting on a single stage, but don't want to go out spend that money- then six months later buy another press. However- that may be my best route.

Thank all of you for your guidance.

There's nothing wrong with learning on a single-stage press. It's slower than a progressive, but the setup is a lot simpler so it's easier to use for load development while you keep the Dillon for serious bulk production.

As for accessories, the first thing I'd buy is a bullet puller so you can recover from your mistakes. Then I'd buy a bunch of loading manuals. They all have several chapters on reloading, and I'd read all of them end to end several times, since hand loading really is the kind of thing where one mistake can hurt or kill yourself or others. You'll also need a scale, a set of calipers, a good micrometer, a couple of plastic funnels, and a bunch of other stuff that I'm sure other people will point out. All of that stuff costs money, and it does not pay to go cheap on any of it. Buy once, cry once and all that.

And once you get the gear, you'll need components. Despite saving money by hand loading, components are still expensive. They can also be as scarce as ammo when the lean times come, and that's why I asked about your budget. It might make a lot of sense to stock up on components now (especially primers and powder) while you can still get them, and pick up loading gear, starting with a single-stage press here and there when components get hard to find.

And that's another problem: when components get scarce, they stay scarce for a long time, and having 1-2 pounds of powder only gets you so far. I'd go for a couple of kegs, even if it means holding off on buying a Dillon for a while.


Okie John

[Luke]

Why would you need a micrometer and funnels? I've used a bullet puller twice, both times just for kicks. I'm not saying you shouldn't have these, but for loading pistol calibers you don't need much.



As far as a progressive press goes. In my mind if you can't get a 650 and figure it out with the Dillon manual and safely make ammo, you probably shouldn't reload at all. I could see the value of having a single stage to do oddball tasks, but if I let y'all talk me into a single stage over a progressive I would be extremely upset. For PISTOL calibers a 650 for your first press is the way to go, and if you have the money get a 1050. I don't think you will find anyone who says "I bought a 650/1050 as my first press but man, I wish I'd have bought a single stage".


YMMV

[mmc45414]

If you want to you could drop one case in without a case feed and run them one at at a time until you are comfortable with the process.

Just remembered this is bad advice. I am new to the 650 and forgot the primer feed works in a manner that this would be impractical. It is awesome and you will eventually want it, but you can run the 650 without a case feed, I still do not have one on my SL900. You could build some kind of tray that keeps you cases up by the drop. In the Dillon video she drops them in at the top, in reality you would not put the tall clear tube in place and just drop them in the little green plastic piece. This way the initial cost delta is only $127, the internet will tell ya this is a shitty idea, because the 650 with the case feed is so cool, but $220 case feed makes the 650 look a lot more expensive than the 550 when it really isn't. If you buy a 550 and later decide you want a 650 one of your buddies will buy the 550. If you just buy the 650 you will never wish you had.

And a 550 does not have a powder check hole, but if you avoid only a few powders a double will overflow a 9mm. But if I were in your situation I would spend the $127.

Like Luke said, it is not that complicated. Like Frack said, 5.56 is significantly more complicated than pistol, I agree that just load pistol till you know enough to decide if you want to screw with it later.

Like Olsten said, the Hornady is another option, it seems though they make it hard to buy with the case feed but without the bullet feed.

If you are not shooting a factory Glock barrel cast bullets are another option that are even cheaper. And some of the cost savings are dependent on if you shoot someplace it is practical to recover you brass.

And everybody is right about components, but at a time when you are buying all of your other gear it all adds up. I also kinda avoid keeping things synchronized, because I really DON'T like running out of everything at the same time. When I need primers I buy primers, when I need powder I buy powder, and when I buy bullets I load em up!