- Location
- Fort St John BC
Wow ATRS is making presses that think is a beast looks like that will be my next press they built a amazing AR for me a while back and it is darn near flawless I imagine that press is great.
Press for long cartriges
- Thread starter jeff270
- Start date
An interesting concept...Single stage Dillon Xl650 for long cartriges. Has anyone seen one action?
[/URL][/IMG]
I contacted the seller requesting a video and more info and will post back once I get it.
h ttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Dillon-XL-650-Single-Stage-Conversion-Kit-/221597875663
I contacted the seller requesting a video and more info and will post back once I get it.
h ttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Dillon-XL-650-Single-Stage-Conversion-Kit-/221597875663
Last edited:
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
An interesting concept...Single stage Dillon Xl650 for long cartriges. Has anyone seen one action?
[/URL][/IMG]
I contacted the seller requesting a video and more info and will post back once I get it.
h ttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Dillon-XL-650-Single-Stage-Conversion-Kit-/221597875663
Interesting concept for a cartridge that you don't have a conversion kit for.
If you already have the shell plate & tool holder for a caliber that you only want to load one at a time with a 650 you can just remove the return spring on the advancing paul (located under the shell plate mount).
Seller responded and will email me the video once it is done. I requested to see the setup and reloading video. Completely unnecessary if you have the plate but if you don't... the kit is around $80-$90 u.s dollars and dillon xl 650 caliber conversation kit is at around $77.95 u.s dollars. I'm tempted to buy it but it will depend on how easy is it to setup/load on it.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
This is very interesting to me...never really thought about using a 650 as a "single stage" press (always had a single or rotary press to use when needed). It is very simple to do to make the press equivalent to a 550 or single stage. As I already stated you can remove the return paul spring or (as I discovered last night ) simply removing the two screws that hold the return slide onto the press would do the same thing. You can see where they have been removed on the press in the top photo you supplied. Now ,on a 650 you can rotate manually as you would with a 550 (finger pressure on the shell plate or the case itself) or use it as a single stage by feeding cases by hand into each station as you progress through the loading stages. Kind of puts owning a 650 in a whole new realm of usefulness.
Getting back to the change-over shown in the photo's...I am lucky enough to have some "hobby machinist" equipment and think I can build one for myself that will work in about an hour (probably take longer to scrounge up some old scraps that will work for the job...don't want to spend anything when scraps will work),so guess what I'll be doing one day next week.
Getting back to the change-over shown in the photo's...I am lucky enough to have some "hobby machinist" equipment and think I can build one for myself that will work in about an hour (probably take longer to scrounge up some old scraps that will work for the job...don't want to spend anything when scraps will work),so guess what I'll be doing one day next week.
Well I went shopping and I still don't have a new press.
I did look at a few ,too bad they weren't all at the same store .
Lee Classic Cast
Looks huge ,but is actually pretty light due to hollow places where you might imagine its solid or less dense metal.
The cheapest
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme
Dosen't look as big as the Lee but way heavier.
The standard
Redding Big Boss
It's Big ,it's Boss. It seemed lighter than the RC but they were in different stores.
The most expensive.
RCBS Special 5
Aluminum ,4" window ,rough threads
Just cheap
By my criterion the Lee wins
Grabber Blue
I did look at a few ,too bad they weren't all at the same store .
Lee Classic Cast
Looks huge ,but is actually pretty light due to hollow places where you might imagine its solid or less dense metal.
The cheapest
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme
Dosen't look as big as the Lee but way heavier.
The standard
Redding Big Boss
It's Big ,it's Boss. It seemed lighter than the RC but they were in different stores.
The most expensive.
RCBS Special 5
Aluminum ,4" window ,rough threads
Just cheap
By my criterion the Lee wins
Grabber Blue
I'd reconsider. I literally tossed a Lee single stage Classic Cast press because the ram and the die holder didn't line up. I didn't get it new so I don't know what it went through before I was given the press. But the ram and threaded die holes were visibly out of alignment when the ram was positioned fully up. That was enough for me and it went into the scrap metal bin for the dump.
There were no signs of damage visible on the red paint that could provide a clue to why the frame was bent. So I assume that the misalignment was due to a poor boring job at the factory. And that would be Lee's fault.
Back when I first got into reloading I was given a few boxes of presses and other bits by someone that I'd done some work for as a favour. There were three Lee presses in that batch of stuff. The Classic Cast, a three position turret and a three position progressive. I worked with all three to try to make them work and of the lot the three position single ram one worked the best. And after a half dozen fairly major modifications I got the progressive to run OK. Between going with Dillon for the progressive and finding the issue with the single stage Classic Cast I've either tossed out or passed on all the Lee presses. And based on what I've had to do to make them work to what I consider a good level of accuracy or what I found in the case of the CC I would not buy another Lee press unless it was the only option out there.
I've got lots of Lee products so I'm not a Lee hater. I just found that there's too many compromises and cost cutting features with their presses.
There were no signs of damage visible on the red paint that could provide a clue to why the frame was bent. So I assume that the misalignment was due to a poor boring job at the factory. And that would be Lee's fault.
Back when I first got into reloading I was given a few boxes of presses and other bits by someone that I'd done some work for as a favour. There were three Lee presses in that batch of stuff. The Classic Cast, a three position turret and a three position progressive. I worked with all three to try to make them work and of the lot the three position single ram one worked the best. And after a half dozen fairly major modifications I got the progressive to run OK. Between going with Dillon for the progressive and finding the issue with the single stage Classic Cast I've either tossed out or passed on all the Lee presses. And based on what I've had to do to make them work to what I consider a good level of accuracy or what I found in the case of the CC I would not buy another Lee press unless it was the only option out there.
I've got lots of Lee products so I'm not a Lee hater. I just found that there's too many compromises and cost cutting features with their presses.
