Question about Dillon AT500 press....

[wscato]

From my understanding what I read on the Dillon web site is that an AT500 works like a Turret Press except you move the shell plate, instead of the toolhead/turret plate and only one shell at a time can be done. I'm wanting another Turret press right now since I'm still a newby to do .357 Mag on and here are a few questions I have if my assumption above is correct.

1. I want to decap on a single stage press and use a hand primer to do my brass like I'm doing currently with .45 . Is the priming arm removable because I want to setup the expander/powder charge die as my first die in the toolhead.

2. Can I use the Lee Dies and Lee Powder Disc thrower with an RCBS lockout dies on this setup.

If I go this route I may later upgrade it,but may not. I was looking at getting the stand with it, the better handle, and the plastic bin and auto eject kit.

 

[Jeeper]

1. I want to decap on a single stage press and use a hand primer to do my brass like I'm doing currently with .45

WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why buy a progressive and still mess with a single stage?

Since the AT 500 doesnt have a powder measure then you could. I beleive that you can also remove the pin for the primer seater. If you upgrade and get the powder measure then you wouldnt want to. You could move the powder die but the safety for the powder measure wouldnt be there. There is a arm that makes sure the powder measure returns. All normal dies would fit this anyway.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I've been trying to formulate an answer to this all afternoon and I just came up with the same question Jeeper did; WHY!

As you may know, the AT500 is just a stripped down 550B, upgradable to a 550. I think it would be cheaper just to buy the 550 and use it to load one round at a time if that's what you want to do. Once you're comfortable with a progressive, you could use it as a progressive.

As far as decapping and using the hand primer, you won't want to once you use the Dillon system. And I don't know much about the Lee powder disc system, but I know I wouldn't trade my Dillon measure for one.

 

[wscato]

Gee! Didn't know I was going to get slamed like this. I never said I was going to use it as a Progresive. I said I MAY upgrade it. I'm currently looking for another Turret press and had questions about this one. The standard Lee Autodisk Powder Thrower doesn't have the safety chain, only the pro model. I currently have a Lee 4 Hole Turret and was looking at maybe another brand. I like my Lee just fine, but wanted to see what all the buzz was about Dillon and maybe give it a try. It is so much quicker to hand prime than use the priming arm on the Turret. Also by doing the depriming/straighten on a single stage press this allows me to add a Lock Out die to the turret. Since I'm new at re-loading this gives me an extra check. My ways may not make since to some, but I call it being cautious. I'm not looking for speed anyways. I shoot about 200 - 350 rounds a month and spend about 3 hours tops reloading in a month broken out in a couple of sessions. I've loaded about 900 rounds this way with no problems. I was mainly wanting to know if the AT500 worked like a Turret and if my Lee stuff would work with it.

 

[8ring]

The AT 500 is a fine press for beginners. You are correct that you load one case at a time by turning the shellplate. Using that arrangement, there is little need for a lock-out die to check for uncharged or double-charged cases.

Even for a beginner, there is really no need to decap and size on a separate press. I decap and resize on station 1, check case length, and then hand prime with a Lee Autoprime. When I have enough primed cases, I bell and add powder on station 2, seat on station 3, and crimp on station 4.

Dillon sells powder dies that work with other powder measures. I use a RCBS Uniflow on mine. Check with Dillon to see if they have one for your measure. Your Lee dies will work.

I now use the Auto-Eject system and use the AT 500 as a progressive on stations 2, 3, and 4. I can load 240 primed and sized 357 mags per hour and almost 300 primed and sized 9mm cases per hour.

I hope this helps. Be sure to call Dillon's excellent customer service
department if you have questions.

Chris

 

[Cortland]

Yes, your Lee stuff will work with the Dillon. The Dillon accepts all standard dies (7/8" 14 tpi ) which your Lee dies are. I'm not familiar with the primer feed on the 500; if it's like the 550 you can leave it in place and just not use it -- either way I'm sure it's removeable. Your Lee powder measure should work, too.

I'm with the others, though -- either stick with single-stage or go for a progressive. The 500 has never made much sense to me -- it's part turret and part neutered progressive. I say go all the way! Personally I wouldn't pick a Dillon progressive -- but if you're considering the 500 you might as well go for the 550 -- you can take the extraneous crap you won't be using off of it and it'll be just like a 500.

 

[Northwest Cajun]

I started out with a 500 then as I got better, I upgraded piece by piece to the 550.

1. Yes you can remove the primimg arm,
With the 500 you get a shell plate with 4 different sizes so you will only be able to make 1 round at a time. You can get the appropriate size shell plate and do 3 or 4 stages at once. Carbide dies for pistol rounds are nessasary when going fully progressive.

For making .223 I lube, resize/deprime, trim and polish away from the dillon. When the brass is ready I fill my tube with primers and prime for the first stage. The second stage is powder from an RCBS uniflow. Third stage is seating. Fourth stage is crimping in a Lee Factory Crimp die. This is all done one at a time with the 500 shell plate.
So it's not fully progressive.
You could do the same thing with your 357 but take out the priming step that I do with the .223

For .45acp & .44special I've gone completly progressive.
Remember that the 45acp,308,270 & 30-06 all use the same shell plate when it's time to upgrade.

Thats what I like about Dillon, it can be used in many different ways.

Good luck

Cajun

 

[mec]

I wrote it up in american handgunner when the AT500 first came out. You can use any dies you want and can pick where you place them in the die module. The dillon dies are going to be a bit faster than Lee or others but all 7/8X14" will fit. I use an RCBS uniflow with mine also. The decapping arrangement is pretty straightforward as is the priming set-up but there would be no problem in removing the cases and hand priming them.
Hand priming sometimes appeals to bench rest shooters who would probably be using benchrest dies in a hand press. Interestingly though Mark Pixler designed the AT500 with loading for .223 and other rifles in mind.

The shell plate has several different holders which covers quite a few cartridges. It does not ( or did not when I got mine) extend to .45 Colt and .44 magnum and if you wanted to reload for them, it was necessary to upgrade the press to progressive. I use mine for .38-357 and .45acp with the dillon dies and .32 long or magnum with rcbs dies. It's a useful press and suits my type of reloading and shooting better than a progressive would.

 

[Chipper]

Straight from the horse's mouth:
http://dillonprecision.com/template/p.cfm?maj=18&dyn=1&

Based on our time-proven RL550 B frame, the "Advanced Turret 500" sells for a low $193.95, is fully upgradeable to an RL 550B, and offers the convenience of an indexable shellplate and interchangeable toolheads!
Caliber changes are easy with the AT 500. You can switch from .30-06 to .243 in 30 seconds! Whether you're working up target loads or putting together a few rounds for deer season, the AT 500 is quick and easy to use. The AT 500 comes with a "universal" shellplate that accepts .223 Rem., .22-250, .243 Win., .30-06, 9mm, .38/.357, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, and several other popular rifle and pistol calibers.
*RL 550B shellplates/caliber conversion parts may be purchased to load additional calibers that are not listed below.

(Empasis mine)

Here's the upgrades and prices to make the AT500 an AT550B:
http://dillonprecision.com/template/p.cfm?maj=19&min=0&dyn=1&

I also have thought that this would be a good way to go for me as I just don't trust a fully automatic process but I would like to go a little faster than what my single stage will allow. Perhaps, in the future, I'll gain some confidence and decide to go to the automated process. If that happens I would be halfway there with the AT500.

Chipper

 

[Northwest Cajun]

Thats what I did,
To upgrade to a 550 it is more expensive buying piece by piece than a 550 out the box, but it will let you start small and work up.

Cajun

 

[g56]

To upgrade to a 550 it is more expensive buying piece by piece than a 550 out the box, but it will let you start small and work up.

Makes a good starter set up!

 

[Chipper]

Northwest Cajun,

Was it difficult to change the 500 shell plate to the 550B shell plate? Also, did you need to install the indexing mechanism? I was just wondering if it could be setup as something like a turret press without being fully automated.

Chipper

 

[Northwest Cajun]

I can do it blind folded with one hand tied behind my back in 20 seconds.............
Seriously, It is a very simple procedure. The press is very simple to assemble and run. Yes, it can be set up either way, with the at-500 shell plate or the regular 550 plates. It's only a center bolt that has a set screw holding it in place.



As we say in the Air Force... It's Army proof!

Cajun

 

[Chipper]

Thanks! That sounds like just about what I was looking for.

Chipper