I feel the time has come for me to move on from my single stage press.  I would love some insight into all 3 of these presses.  I currently load .45 ACP and .223.  


I don't want this thread to turn into a fanboy brawl.  I want to know from people with experience what they would buy if they were to start reloading today and why.  I don't want money to be the deciding factor either.  I don't want a 100 dollar difference to be the deciding factor when choosing a press.  A couple hundred bucks is a different story.  

I'm sure I will think of more to ask.  But right now i have to go to work and look forward to seeing many comments when i get back :)

TBH if your buying new, any of the three presses will work fine.  There all quality tools backed by solid guarantees.

All are good companies.

Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper.

Dillon seems to be the most popular of the three, at least on gun forums.

I see more used Dillon stuff for sale too, so if you add to your setup in the future, you may save a few dollars buying used.

I went with the 650 myself.

I have very little experience in the Dillon and RCBS.  But I just got my LnL AP on Tuesday and so far I like it.  I agree with other sentiments and the primer system can be flakey, but so far it's been pretty reliable.

I will say based on the very little interaction I've had with Dillon, is that die swaps are a much longer process than the Hornady.  The LnL system is pretty basic and so far I like being able to swap calibers in about 10 minutes.  The Hornady also comes with free bullets (500 with the press, 100 with a die set).

You need to do a little research about what you need and want.  Quality isn't an issue here, your own needs and wants is.  Up front, for my needs, RCBS fit best.  Perhaps a Dillon or Hornady may fit you better...it just depends....

If you want to be able to change a whole set of dies at once you want a machine with removable die heads...only Dillon and RCBS will work.
That's not to say Hornady's LnL individual die quick change feature isn't another way that works and some people adore.  My personal preference is to have loaded heads ready to go for all of my caliber changes.

If you plan on spending the big bucks on a case feeder then only Hornady and Dillon will work, because RCBS's design doesn't make one feasible.  Only bullet feeders are an option on them.  It's been two years since my purchase and I've finally ordered a Hornady bullet feeder for pistols.  Not that I'm feeling deprived...just...more impatient...I blame it on computers.

As for the primer loading bottleneck, RCBS is the only choice, if you want the newest, fastest, safest, most trouble-free primer system available.  The other two still use tube loaders. I'm very spoiled having CCI pre-loaded primer strips just waiting to use.  Effortless and fast.  On the other hand most of us old farts resist change...I usually do...don't know what got into me to give RCBS's APS primer system a try!  I'll never go back, but tubes still work fine...just like they have for the last 100 years...but expect a turned or upside-down primer once in a while...and don't force anything with a fully loaded tube above it...they can all go off at once.

Since you are loading only two calibers, caliber change speed is probably not that important.  However, I load 10 calibers, and ended up choosing RCBS for the primer system and the caliber and primer size change speed.  Hornady is next fastest, followed by Dillon, and of course, that's not counting the time to change-over their case feeders.  But again, your needs aren't mine.  If I had the money and space...I'd have one of each. They are all that good.

RCBS has the smallest footprint, because it's the smallest casting.  Hornady is bigger, and Dillon wins the size contest.  But of course Hornady and Dillon have to be bigger...they are cast out of Aluminum.  RCBS's frame is cast iron.  

Bottom line...there is no perfect system.  Each press has its strengths and weakness.  You need to personally determine which weakness you can overlook, and which strengths you need most.  Good Luck.

Ulitimate Reloader has detailed videos describing the operation of all 3 presses.  I went with the Hornady LnL and it should be here next week!!!  

The only one I have experience with is the Hornady Lock N Load AP, which I own.

I have been very pleased with it.  It's well made and sturdy.  Unlike other progressives, it indexes in half stages on each stroke instead one full stage on the downstroke.  I suspect this causes it to run smoother than others.  It also primes on one of the half stages.  I like this because the case is then not in line with the powder measure....if a primer were to detonate (I've not had this happen yet, btw) the force of the primer would be vented into the main body of the press, rather than straight up into a measure containing a half pound or more of gunpowder.  The Hornady press also uses the Lock N Load bushing system, where you screw the dies in to bushings, which you then lock into the press.  This is nice because once you have your dies set, you don't have to reset them between uses.  You just lock the bushing in and the die retains its setting from its last use.

The only weakness in the design is the case retention spring.  This is a small spring that wraps around the shell plate and holds the shells in place.  These tend to break after a while.  However, they are very cheap (something like $2 a piece) so just keep spares onhand.

The only other criticism I have is the primer loading process, and this applies to the Hornady and the Dillon.  You use a pick up tube to load primers in an aluminum tube.  This process is very tedious and annoying as hell.  Frankford arsenal used to make a nice little tool that would load the tubes for you en masse, but it was discontinued.  Dillon has a machine that will fill primer tubes for you, but it's expensive.  What's truly irritating is that Hornady has a tool that will fill primer tubes quickly for it's shotgun press, but not for the Lock N Load AP.

You will likely start adding on expensive accessories if you load on a progressive for long  I'm hankering for a case feeder, Dillon Primer Tube filler, and a bullet feeder, each of which is about 300 bucks a piece.  I feel you don't get the full benefit of a progressive press until you at least have a case feeder for it.

I also like RCBS X-dies in conjunction with a progressive machine.  Once set properly, these prevent your bottlenecked rifle cases from lengthening to the point that they need to be trimmed.  They do need to be trimmed once when you set the X-die, but after that, the cases will not need to be trimmed for the life of the case.  I also like to use Hornady OneShot lube.  Now, some here despise it.  And it will cause problems if you don't follow the instructions.  But if you do, OneShot is nice because it won't contaminate the powder, so you don't have to size, then tumble, then resume loading.  With X-dies and OneShot, you can stick an empty case in one side of the press and get a loaded round at the other side without interruptions.  Just remember to tumble after loading to remove the one shot from the outside of the case.  And don't let anyone tell you that tummbling live rounds is dangerous.  It isn't.

I went with the DILLON XL-650 and if I had to do it over again,  I'd still go Dillon

the USPSA/IPSC monthly magazine has a survey from shooters at the Nationals
stuff like holster, reloading press, bullet, ect.
the DILLON is the leader every year.

the 650! buy it, use it, love it.

I personally would go with the AP again, but that's just because I load so many different cartridges and the Dillon's change over costs would be a buzz kill.  Anyone using a tube fed priming system should make a couple of these.  Fast, easy, and a hell of a lot cheaper than Dillon's tube filler.

Which reloading press is right for you?

Lee Pro 1000

Some people have fairly good luck with them and swear by them.  Most people just swear at them. If you want a cheap press and like to constantly tinker with a press then a Lee Pro 1000 might be right for you. There are more negatives than positives reviews on the web about them. I know one guy that swears by his. I have never used one myself.
.
Lee Classic turret press

If you are going to look at a Lee turret press Only look at the Classic.  Its not a progressive press and you have to pull the handle 4 times for each round.  It’s slow, It’s cheap, It works.  If you are on a tight budget it will give you more production for the same price as a lot of single stage presses.
One Hour Production Rate 200

The Dillon Square Deal

The Dillon Square Deal is a pistol caliber only press... no bottle neck cartridges.. The Dillon Square Deal uses proprietary Dillon dies so you won't be able to use any dies you might already own.  If you want to change calibers you have to buy more Square Deal proprietary dies for it. The Dillon Square Deal has a small footprint which is a benefit if you are limited on bench space but a detriment if you have big fingers. The Dillon Square Deal is the least expensive of the Dillon press line. If you are sure you are only going to load one or two pistol cartridge then this might be the press for you.
One Hour Production Rate 350

The Dillon RL550B
RL550B is manual-indexing four station progressive press.  The Dillon RL550B is the workhorse Dillon press line.  It can load almost any centerfire rifle or pistol cartridge.  It has 120 caliber conversions available for it.  In the Dillon line the Dillon RL550B is the most economical add calibers to. It has less expensive caliber conversions than other Dillon presses. If you were buying just one Dillon press and wanted the most bang for the buck, it would be a Dillon RL550B. According to Dillon more RL550s have been sold than any other progressive machine in the world.  
One Hour Production Rate 500

The Dillon XL650
The XL 650 is auto-indexing five station progressive press.  The XL 650 was built from the ground up to be an auto-indexing press  with a case feeder. The Dillon XL650 comes standard with a tube system for an automatic case feeder. The automatic case feeder is sold separately So the advertised starting price doesn’t accurately reflect the true price of a Dillon XL650. A fully set up Dillon XL650 cost twice what a Dillon RL550B cost but produces twice as much ammo an hour. The caliber conversions for the Dillon XL650 are noticeably more expensive than the RL550B. For large volume reloading, versatility and ease of use a Dillon XL650 is hard to beat.
One Hour Production Rate 800
The Super 1050 B
The Super 1050 B is the king of the Dillon line.  It is designed for commercial use and not normally in the running for what press should I buy.  If you need it you know you need it.
One Hour Production Rate 1200

Hornady Lock N Load AP
The Lock-N-Load AP is an auto-indexing, 5-station progressive press that features the Lock-N-Load bushing system, which allows calibers to be changed very quickly.  The Lock-N-Load is the cheapest press to equip with additional caliber conversions. During Automatic Indexing Each station moves 1/2 a stage on the upstroke and 1/2 a stage on the down stroke and the up stroke, making for a smoother function. This means less chance of flinging powder out of cases.  The Lock-N-Load AP can be used with or without a case feeder.  This allows you to start at a Dillon 550B price but to upgrade to a  Dillon XL650 speed press at a later date. The earlier editions of this press were known to have issues and were more in line with Lee quality presses.  With the new generation of presses Hornady is trying to go head to head with Dillon including matching their warranty.
One Hour Production Rate 500 with case feeder 800.
So which reloading press is eight for you?
That depends…
How much ammo you are going to make a month average?  
What is your budget?  
How much time do you have to reload?
How many different calibers do you want to reload?
Here is my personal picks.
Budget $300 or less…… Lee Classic turret press
Budget $300 to $600 …. Hornady Lock N Load AP

Budget over $600 with more than 3 calibers…. Hornady Lock N Load AP with bullet feeder.
Budget  over $800 with 3 calibers…… Dillon XL650
Budget doesn’t matter with 1 caliber …. The Super 1050 B
You only want to buy one press to last for the rest of your life….. Dillon RL550B

Dillon XL650 is by far the most popular; it's been around a lot longer than the LNL AP and has a lot more aftermarket support for it.

The RCBS Pro 2000 is kind of a niche market.

When I bought my Dillon XL650 I had set out after the Hornady LNL AP, but at the time Hornady couldn’t keep up with production and they were very hard to find.  So I ended up purchasing the Dillon XL650.

Now that I have owned and operated the Dillon XL650 I would not trade it for any other press on the market today.

If being able to change out individual dies is something that is important to you, then the LNL AP may be the way to go.    But other than that feature, the Dillon XL650 has a much better track record, much better manufacture support, a lot less problems and all in all I think you would be happier with the Dillon XL650 in the long haul.

The die bushings in the LNL AP are pretty cool, and I admit from time to time it would be nice to be able to remove a single die from the tool head without having to mess with the adjustment...   That said I can't say it's worth buying the LNL AP for that feature alone, unless you anticipate needing to remove dies independently on a regular basis.     The other advantage the LNL AP has is its powder measure is slightly more accurate because of the type of power measure it is, it also throws stick powder like Varget better then Dillon's "Slide" type powder measure.

That said, if the powder measure was your only deciding factor, the LNL AP powder measure can be installed on a Dillon XL650 with little effort and you can have the best of both worlds.

If the LNL AP was significantly cheaper than the Dillon XL650, I would say it's the way to go for the "average' medium volume reloader.   But since it's only a slight bit cheaper than the Dillon XL 650, I think the Dillon is a better overall press.

On that note, I don't think you would be unhappy with either the Hornady LNL AP or the Dillon XL650 press.  (At least not for awhile),  But I have to say IMHO in the long haul I 100% believe you will be much happier with the Dillon XL650 as you cross the 3k, 5k, 10k+ rounds reloaded marks..

-Masta

Shotgunred:  Spoken like a true blue Dillon 550 user, and RCBS hater.  Lets totally ignore the Pro 2000 because its an RCBS.  IMO and experience it competes well with the Hornady and the Dillon 650...and blows the doors off  the obsolete 550 in every category.  Caliber changes are faster, its an auto progressive with 5 stations, and it has the best and safest primer system out there. Changing primer size takes all of 10 seconds.  Price is less than the 650 once you buy all the caliber change kits.  Lifetime guarantee is as good or better than Dillons.  It certainly doesn't deserve to be ignored.

AeroE brings up an RCBS feature no other progressive has.  You can buy the manual index version and have Dillon 550-like control if you feel the need. And upgrade to full auto-advance whenever you want, for a hundred bucks and some change.  Try "upgrading" a 550 to auto-advance....that would be coughing up the cost for a Dillon 650 plus caliber change kits.  Not to mention the 650 is not so fun to use without a case feeder, since you have to load cases on one side and bullets on the other side of the press...so add that to the upgrade cost.  The RCBS upgrade kit takes 30 minutes to install as per my experience.  Once installed there is no way to have an out of sync problem as people experience with other presses when they go out of adjustment.  Buying the manual and the kit versus just buying the auto-advance press, is only  $60 more.  So some may prefer to start that way.  

BTW AeroE, you know I've been hot on getting a bullet feeder...so I felt the need to address your complaint on seeing case powder levels after charging. Adding a bullet feeder means no powder check die is possible.  I'm about to start a thread to address that....will work for any brand press.  For good or bad I ordered the Hornady bullet feeder with .45 and .40 feeder dies...surprisingly it came in from Grafs yesterday.  (Was supposedly backorderd.)  Will be doing a thread on that experience soon too.

You didn't read my first post!  The answer is no...so far.  The RCBS design is such that one places a case and a bullet on the same side.  So a feeder would be between the stations 5's case ejector and the APS primer feeder under Station 1.  A feeder done the normal way, would be in the way of the APS primer system.  RCBS reasoned that offering a bullet feeder, which they did, would be just as good, faster in fact, due to the ease of manually placing a case, versus manually feeding and aligning a bullet, coaching it into the seater.  What RCBS didn't do is provide bullet feeders for everything, sharing one collator, to be fed and seated on one station.  So it turns out that it hasn't replaced the ease of a case feeder.  If a person feels they have to have a case feeder, a 650 or LnL may fit better. The Dillon 550 folks now have a case feeder available, but for only pistol, so those users have the same type of problem.

The RCBS, "niche" as one poster called it is for those who reload lots of pistol and rifle calibers and want a faster safer primer system.  I reload 10 calibers, in small 500 to 1000 round batches.  The norm on most presses, of changing out calibers for the press, primer system, and case feeder is such a pain, that small batches like I do are a major headache...people give up and start buying more presses.  With RCBS's Pro 2000 that's not necessary...and the lack of a case feeder is a blessing not a curse.  I ended up ordering the Hornady bullet feeder...mostly because it is simpler in design than RCBS's, and so damn easy to change pistol calibers...and equally easy to take off-line and choose not to use it (just pull the feeder spring off and change the die head).  So I can use it for pistol and not for rifle.  The #1 reason to buy a Pro 2000 is simplicity, and quick and easy caliber changes.

The 10-second primer size changes on a Pro 2000 are simplest of all:  1. Raise the ram.  2. loosen and unscrew the primer rod. 3. screw in and tighten the other size primer rod.  Grab a box of primers of the new size, push a strip in, and start cranking rounds.

If fast means automating both sides...case and bullets...you are right.  Automating one side, the bullet feeders make Pro 2000's just as fast.  RCBS has been making progressives for a long time...just not as good a one as the Pro 2000.  Nobody has been making them as long as Dillon, which is why they still have the front tits.  That said, the arrogance you spoke of has allowed some good alternatives to make it in the market.  Market share for Hornady is gaining every day.  RCBS's giant corporation arrogance prevents the same, even though they finally have a really good product.  You think Dillon is guilty of arrogance?  RCBS does no marketing of the Pro 2000, and their efforts on their bullet feeders, while worthy projects, are stupidly done. (3 bullet feeders requiring 3 collators and 3 stands...no conversion kits)  They will have to change that...but they could have done it the easy more profitable way.  They are looking for market forces to tell them they need conversion kits...when the market as a whole don't even know they have the products....again no marketing.  The funny thing is, the 2 rifle bullet feeders are really trick, single station feeders, and have been available in stock for 2 months almost everywhere.  Get on the RCBS website today,  and you will fine NO mention that they even have rifle bullet feeders....sigh, the RCBS way. (arrogance in spades)

The best kept secret of all...APS.  Few try it who ever want to go back to tubes....  Sad thing is RCBS marketing does nothing there either.

I own a Dillon 550 Dillon 650 and a Honraby LNL. I personally think the 650 and LNL are the best choice for most people.  I lean towards the LNL because you can buy the press for the price of a 550 and upgrade to a case feeder later. So for someone starting out they don't have to lay out $800 bucks or more.   The 650 really needs its bullet feeder. But Dillon will completely rebuild you press if you wear it out.  Who else will do that? The 550 and the Honraby LNL will soon find themselves for sale. I am willing to put up with the outrageous prices of 650 caliber changes because of its production rate and buying a Dillon is a life time investment.

I don't hate the RCBS.  I ignore the RCBS because it is a niche machine and I don't know anything about it.  I have never seen one so how could I honestly talk it up or down?

Really?  You certainly didn't "ignore" the...
...that you have also never used.

And you ignored the RCBS Pro 2000 because it is a niche machine....that's rich... why?...because another poster said it is?....Who also has never used it?

If you were interested in honesty, a simple suggestion that there are other presses out there, you know nothing about, and that your recommendations are based on your personal experience, would have made your first post useful without being dishonest, or arrogant.   By that measurement, you should have "ignored" the Lee 1000 as well...and any other press you mentioned that you haven't used.

Do you work for RCBS?  Because you are extremely protective over this RCBS Pro 2000 machine..

The fact is the RCBS Pro 2000 IS a niche market machine.   While YOU say it has the best priming system, you don't mention that you either have to buy more expensive primers loaded on special feed belts or manually load primers into these feed belts.   Also RCBS doesn't even offer a case feed system for this press,  and 99% of people will agree that to be considered in competition with the LNL AP and the Dillon XL650 it MUST have a case feeder..

I would NEVER suggest someone to buy a Dillon XL 650 if they were never going to buy a case feeder, there is just no point, if you never had any intention of buying/using a case feeder, you might as well stick to the 550.   Why would ANYONE buy a fully progressive press that doesn't/can't use a case feeder?   It kind of voids the point!

I know your argument will be "But we have a bullet feeder which equals out the case feeder",  which isn't really true because I can hand feed bullets much faster then cases AND the LNL AP and Dillon XL650 can both use a bullet feeder making them both superior as far as speed/progressive loading.

I have never used the RCBS Pro 2000 and unless it has a case feeder, I never will.

The Pro 2000 IS a niche market machine, for those people like you out there and for whatever your reasons LOVE the machine, which is GREAT.   But the Pro 2000 is definitly NOT the machine for the majority of people looking for a progressive reloader.   I would dare to call the RCBS Pro 2000 a Hybird Progressive press (Much like the 550b) and not put it into the came class as a true progressive press.

There are many out there that will ONLY load on a single stage press and while for the life of me I can't see any reason why someone would want to take hours to load a handfull of rounds that is what they want and like so more power to them.   Same with you.  You love your RCBS Pro 2000, so more power to you but to try and convince the rest of the world that it's an equal or better press then the LNL AP or Dillon XL650, is just a bias opinion at best.

Now I know you are going to quote this post and tell me that *I* am bias because I don't even have a Pro 2000 and say that it's not equal or better then the XL650 or LNL AP and that is fine because I am willing to bet that the majority out there agree with me on this argument.

In any case, I am thrilled that you found a machine that you love to reload on and I am thrilled that you promote the equiptment that you love.

The fact is EVERY press on the market has atleast 1 problem/issue about it, many presses have LOTS of problems/issues.   Instead of trying to convince everyone else that 1 press is better then another just because it's what you have we should all try to stick with the facts and tell others the +'s and -'s of each press and let them decide which +'s and which -'s they are willing to live with.   I think that even you will agree all 3 of these presses have very different problems/issues with each of them,  yet all 3 are great presses.

-Masta

I was in the market for a progressive a couple of years ago, and after looking at the Dillon, Lee, RCBS, and Hornady offerings, I went with the Hornady LNL AP.  Bear in mind, the main factor in my decision was based on feature set / engineering details that appealed to me, not necessarily price; I'm a single guy with a successful small business, so I had the cash to do what I wanted.  My opinions / findings (based on online research, and in some cases, hands-on access):

Lee was ruled out, for me, pretty fast, due to the amount of tinkering needed to keep them going (whole videos, etc. dedicated to tweaks, etc.), and plastic parts being used in areas that didn't seem to bode well for longevity.  The equipment I learned on years ago, that my Stepdad bought, was all Lee... a single stage press, powder measure, dies, etc. It worked OK for learning, but parts kept breaking on the press (bad aluminum castings, not me muscling it, I wasn't that strong back then, I was a teenager).  They do sell two different progressive models, but neither floated my boat; some guys love 'em, more power to 'em.

Looked at Dillon, really, really hard.  I had the scratch to go all Blue, and was damned close to getting a 650XL with the bells and whistles ... had everything priced out, etc. and then a little birdie told me to look at the other options.  Anyhow, Dillon, is, of course, great, good sturdy stuff, a few issues with the priming system (saw it on a live, in use system ... not a big, big deal, but left me wondering why they did it that way)... powder measure didn't impress me with ease of setting changes, etc. but it seemed reliable once set.  Cool bells and whistles (literally) like the powder level alarm, low primer alarm, etc.  Like I said, I was pretty much set on going that way.  Good stuff, can't go wrong with them.

Looked at the Hornady LNL AP (the older style one with the ejector spring instead of the new design, with the little ejector "nub").  The price was right (especially when all of those free bullets were factored in –– I believe they still offer that as an inducement).  I like the primer feed system better than the Dillon, and also the Powder Measure was a bit more to my liking.  Sturdy design; one of the plusses over the Dillon is that the Hornady has grease fittings (zerks) on the critical moving parts, so lubing the press is easier; on the Dillon, some disassembly is required.  I liked the die system (bushings) a little better than the die plate design. The spent primer disposal on this is better, too, as it's just a hose you direct into the nearest trash can.  The retainer spring setup on this press is great; it's easier to pull a case for inspection, etc. on this press than the other guys' presses.

At the time, I did not look at RCBS; I have since my purchase, and it looks like a very nice press, and has a lot going for it.  Cast Iron as opposed to Cast Aluminum frame (the Hornady and Dillon are cast aluminum) .. pretty slick.  One thing I don't like is that primer strip system they use, but I believe you can switch it to primer tube setup for minimal or no cost.  The station order is a little less flexible, as the powder measure is in a fixed position.  I hear good things about this press.

So... now that I've been using the Hornady for a couple of years, what are the negatives?  Well, the ejector design on the original AP was a little goofy with certain calibers, but not enough to make me hate it.  Hornady changed the design a year or so ago, and offered a low-cost upgrade kit, which I installed with little trouble (and it works pretty good).  I did have to slightly tweak the primer seating bit by sanding down the "plug" on the backside of the shellplate mount for the LP seater to work with Wolf Primers, took all of five minutes; seater worked fine with other brands, so I don't really count this as a Hornady issue.  I added a piece of straight dowel to the top of the primer stack to help that last primer feed into the shuttle (I think Hornady now ships the press with a little plastic rod to do this job).  Shellplate availability became an issue about the time the new ejection system was in play; they stopped making shellplates for a bit (or at least stopped shipping them, it seems) while they retooled to produce the new ones.  On the plus side, for a small fee, they took my old plates and machined the little groove in them to work with the new ejection system when I upgraded.  I don't believe it's a problem anymore, but, I haven't bought any new shellplates in quite a while.

Anyhow, that's my experiences / research.  BTW, if you can find someone nearby with any of these presses, or if you can find a local store with one setup for sale, get some hands-on time; If you lived near me I'd let you load some ammo on my press (with my help, of course) to see what you think.  I've done that before for some folks I've ran into before.

Vroom, where in KS are you?  I would also call Graf's and talk to them.  They sell all 3 presses and actually have all 3 setup in thier showroom.  They are located in Mexico, Mo (about 20 min North East of Columbia)

yes they do.

I also know of a couple issues with case feeders.  The first (I have heard this from others as I do not have a Dillon press) is that if you don't have a 650 or 550 with case feeders mounted to something very sturdy then you can have mis-feed cases.  My LnL is mounted to a free standing bench that moves a little bit but i haven't has this issue yet.  Also i was talking with a couple of USPA shooters this weekend.  One of them had a low number (he thought off the top of his head it was a 4k serial) LnL w/ original case feeder.  He has converted it over to the newer ejector system.  Anyways he was complaining how much of a fit the 9mm cases give the feeder.  I haven't tried 9mm yet but i have done .40 without issue.

Already said that...then I had to defend RCBS as worthy as even a choice.  I haven't promoted my press as better than Dillon's 650 or Hornady's AP,  for anybody but me.  I only said is it a great press, worthy to be considered as a choice, as it will fit some reloaders better, as it did me.  I wouldn't have even posted past my first post in the first place, had the Pro 2000 been mentioned as a choice.  I think my first post was pretty unbiased and encouraged the O.P. to research his own needs.   Then came the post that suggested there were only two choices, Dillon or Hornady...or if you're short of funds try Lee.  I'm pretty sure you would have responded similarly if the choices mentioned in his post were only Hornady and RCBS.

Anyway here's a copy of my first post....pretty much said what your last paragraph said...nobody has to defend anything over that...unless you want to argue over APS again.  That paragraph was biased, I admit.  But I've used tube-fed primer loaders for 40 years, I earned the bias.  IMO APS is safer, faster...if you can stand the big $2/1000 hit.   You want to refute that?  Try the APS system for a year...then you have the right.

I went with the LnL for one simple reason.  It was available locally at both Bass Pro and Cabelas.  When I wanted the case feeder least week, I just drove to Cabelas and bought it.  What can I say, I am an immediate gratification type guy.  

I've only used my Dillon(650), so I don't know about other presses, other than I'd like to try the Hornady. I don't have any complaints about the dillon other than the cost of components to keep it running.



The RCBS machine seems to be the least popular. I don't know if that's because of a previously poor reputation(they marketed one progressive so bad that if anyone ships one back to the factory for work, they just ship a new press) or if others just beat them onto the market with high quality machines and they haven't caught up.

You guys didn't read the part where the OP didn't want a fanboy brawl.  The OP seems smart enough to base his decisions on opinions and feedback.  My guess is arguing back and forth doesn't help him or anyone else.  Off to GD with you!

I actually am not a Dillon fanboy by any means; I don't have 'brand dedication' like most here.    Just like I don't have a favorite type of music, I like some songs from many types of music and there is no 1 band or 1 singer that every song they sing is great.   Same with electronics, reloading equipment, car manufactures, etc, etc.

I like a song, a model of reloading press, a model of car/truck, etc, etc.   I don't care if it says Dillon, Nike, Chevy, Ford, RCBS, New Balance, etc.

My stand point is that this is a help forum, so anyone whom is offering their assistance/opinion should try to look out for what would possibly be best for the OP, not our self.

While I have no doubt the RCBS Pro 2000 is a great press and does a great job, It is definitely not a press that meets the needs of the majority of reloaders looking for full progressive reloading.  The Dillon 550B I also consider to be a limited progressive press that has a limited market.   I feel most that are going for a full progressive press are doing so because they want to A) Increase production and B) Automate as much of the process as possible to reduce the number of manual processes that need to be done.

I also feel that unless just starting out in reloading, there is no reason for someone to buy a press that they will only want to replace within a couple of years because they didn't buy a press that meets their needs to begin with.  Allot of this has to do with the OP knowing what they plan to do with the press now and in the future as well as what capabilities they are looking for, next comes the proper recommendation(s) from the people offering advice/opinions to the OP with the OP's interests in mind.

Based on all of that is why I don't suggest the RCBS Pro 2000 as the best option for a progressive reloading machine.     If someone asked for a progressive type reloading machine that doesn't use tube fed primers and they don't care about a case feeder, then I would definitely suggest the RCBS Pro 2000 as a press for their needs.


Anyway I don't want to take away from the OP's post, I just want to make sure they have all the information they need to make their own educated decision so that they can purchase the right press for their current and future needs so they won’t want/need to purchase another press in the near future.

Hopefully no feelings were hurt; I certainly don't mean any disrespect to anyone.

-Masta