BRIAN ENOS

413dan

413dan

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so, just got done placing an order for a dillon 650 with brian enos. He has been so helpful in getting my order straightened out and ready to go. If anyone is thinking about upgrading to any of the dillon products, check out brianenos.com totally worth it glad i took the advice of other guys on the forum!


thanks BRIAN![grin]

can't wait for the new press to show up!!!
 
Brian is a great guy, he will listen to you and he gives great advice. He set me up with a 550B just before christmas with everything I needed to load 45ACP and he will not try to sell you more than you need. Enjoy your new 650!
 
I got my Dillion 550 through Brian. He is a good guy to do business with.
 
herd and wahs, brian has definitely been a pleasure to work with thus far, glad i heeded the advice of fellow NESers and decided to go with him.


EC, got the 650, bench wrench, his "as it should be" upgrade maint and spare parts kit, 2 toolheads and powder dies, casefeed assembly and all casefeed plate, powder check system, primer pickup tubes sm and lr, the wrench set, and 5 caliber conversion kits.
(and ec, if that precision class gets off the ground any earlier that'd be great, otherwise see you in sept!)


cost me a pretty penny, but have been saving for it since taking my reloading class, working any extra hours i can. and the way i see it, being so young this is just a worthy investment in my what i hope to be long happy shooting career




edit: not sure on lead time yet, assuming 3-5weeks hopefully sooner!
 
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I ordered my 650 as it should be from Brian May 13 and I thought that it was a 8 week lead time and possibly 12 weeks for the dies. I would love it to be a 3-5 week lead time!

I too would like to go to an EC class. I have been loading on my single stage from what I have read in my books and what I have watched on youtube, but a class would be great.
 
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After continuing battles with the casefeeder on my L-N-L, I'm seriously considering dumping it in favor of a 650.
 
ec,
from what you said about progressives in the basic class, i decided to go with a 650 over a 550 sinces it's autoindexing. Then after hearing about dillons no bs warranty and from another guy at my club that showed me his 650 setup, I was sold.


kayak, I definitely recommend taking EC's basic metallic cartridge reloading class. I did and it was invaluable. The internet is a great tool, but nothing like learning hands on in front of you from somebody who really knows their $#!+. I'm looking forward to taking his precision rifle reloading class.
 
EddieCoyle said:
After continuing battles with the casefeeder on my L-N-L, I'm seriously considering dumping it in favor of a 650.
Click to expand...

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts if you do so. I recently upgraded from a L-N-L to an RL1050 for 9mm. I've been trying to decide if I can stand to load other calibers on the L-N-L or if I need to bite the bullet and get 1050 conversions. The 1050 is infinitely more pleasant to use. I'm curious where the 650 falls between the two.
 
In addition to the L-N-L, I have a 1050 in .45 ACP, and a Square Deal B in 9mm. The caliber conversions for the 1050 are very expensive, so I'm not sure if I'll get any for it except maybe .223 with a Dillon trimmer. In my opinion, the caliber conversions for the Square Deal aren't worth it because I'd have to buy their dies (and I already have all of the dies I need).

I've used a 650 before, and it runs more like a 1050 than an L-N-L. I like the L-N-L when it runs right - which it never seems to do for long because of the shitty design of the case feeder. I had to make no fewer than 5 minor mods to the casefeeder to get it running even marginally, and I have to replace a bunch of casefeeder and priming system parts about twice per year. I'm getting sick of it.
 
EddieCoyle said:
In addition to the L-N-L, I have a 1050 in .45 ACP, and a Square Deal B in 9mm. The caliber conversions for the 1050 are very expensive, so I'm not sure if I'll get any for it except maybe .223 with a Dillon trimmer. In my opinion, the caliber conversions for the Square Deal aren't worth it because I'd have to buy their dies (and I already have all of the dies I need).

I've used a 650 before, and it runs more like a 1050 than an L-N-L. I like the L-N-L when it runs right - which it never seems to do for long because of the shitty design of the case feeder. I had to make no fewer than 5 minor mods to the casefeeder to get it running even marginally, and I have to replace a bunch of casefeeder and priming system parts about twice per year. I'm getting sick of it.
Click to expand...

I haven't had much trouble with the case feeder loading 9mm. My priming system is fubared though. Haven't taken the time to troubleshoot it yet; I just switched over to the 1050 instead.

My loading profile is different than yours. I'll probably load about 10k 9mm this year for USPSA. I want to get started loading 223 for action rifle; I have the components, just haven't had time for it yet. I also may load 45ACP and/or 38. That's probably about it. I don't shoot enough of anything else to make it worth it. It looks like converting the 1050 isn't THAT expensive, IF you do it the cheap but less convenient way. The toolhead and powder measure are what really cost. I'm thinking I could switch over and load 1-2k of one of the other calibers once a year and just deal with resetting the dies.

In retrospect, I probably should've sold my LnL at the height of the panic.
 
Although I cannot speak to the service of Brian Enos, I have never heard a bad word said his way and his forum has been very helpful for me. Another great site is CEDHK...CEDHK was great when I was looking for some replacement parts and info/accessories on the Mr. Bullet Feeder setup.

BTW...XL650 and never looked back!!
 
dddn41 said:
ec,
from what you said about progressives in the basic class, i decided to go with a 650 over a 550 sinces it's autoindexing. Then after hearing about dillons no bs warranty and from another guy at my club that showed me his 650 setup, I was sold.


kayak, I definitely recommend taking EC's basic metallic cartridge reloading class. I did and it was invaluable. The internet is a great tool, but nothing like learning hands on in front of you from somebody who really knows their $#!+. I'm looking forward to taking his precision rifle reloading class.
Click to expand...

I would have gone to the May one but I was out of town for work. I have loaded 500 round on my Big Boss II while waiting on the 650. I really need to find a good supply for primers....
 
kayak,
i hear ya, loaded about 8k rounds on my rockchucker since taking ec's basic class in march and am liking it, but something a bit more time efficient will certainly be nice. I'm thinking the wait time on mine will be 7-8weeks as well if you're still waiting. Hopefully sooner, but when it arrives, it arrives.
Out in western ma, where i am, have started to see a decent supply of primers showing up in a few shops. Guns n gear in agawam last week had some, but theyre still expensive everywhere.
 
dddn41 said:
kayak,
i hear ya, loaded about 8k rounds on my rockchucker since taking ec's basic class in march and am liking it, but something a bit more time efficient will certainly be nice. I'm thinking the wait time on mine will be 7-8weeks as well if you're still waiting. Hopefully sooner, but when it arrives, it arrives.
Out in western ma, where i am, have started to see a decent supply of primers showing up in a few shops. Guns n gear in agawam last week had some, but theyre still expensive everywhere.
Click to expand...

Yeah... unless you are loading match/precision ammo I agree that you should upgrade to a progressive.
 
Brian is a great guy. He called me on then phone to discuss my order. I initially ordered a square deal b but after speaking with him, I upgraded to the 550b. I am slightly envious of the 650, but I understand why Brian talked me into the 550b and I do not regret my final choice.
 
EddieCoyle said:
I like the L-N-L when it runs right - which it never seems to do for long because of the shitty design of the case feeder. I had to make no fewer than 5 minor mods to the casefeeder to get it running even marginally, and I have to replace a bunch of casefeeder and priming system parts about twice per year. I'm getting sick of it.
Click to expand...

EC.........precisely why I gave up on my two L-N-L's several years back and went with Dillon. Thing is, I'm not the fiddler that you are. I can manage reasonably well but the virtue of my patience comes into play.

I've bought a whole lot of stuff from Brian Enos, matter of fact probably 90% of all my Dillon stuff and have nothing but the highest praise for he and his daughter, both of whom have been extraordinarily helpful and gracious. His operation is top shelf.
 
EddieCoyle said:
After continuing battles with the casefeeder on my L-N-L, I'm seriously considering dumping it in favor of a 650.
Click to expand...

The 650 case feeder is much better. It has worked flawlessly since I purchased mine. I had a LnL for a while too, and am glad I made the switch to Dillon.
 
joe1231913 said:
The 650 case feeder is much better. It has worked flawlessly since I purchased mine. I had a LnL for a while too, and am glad I made the switch to Dillon.
Click to expand...

I lived with it for a long time until I got a 1050 and realized that it never stopped working because of the casefeeder. The 1050 would never stop working at all (ever) if some lunatic hadn't decided that small primers were a good idea for .45 ACP.

I'm going to keep the L-N-L around because I have about 30 calibers worth of shell plates and bushings, but I think I'm either going to get caliber conversions for the 1050 or a 650 for the stuff I load lots of.
 
EddieCoyle said:
After continuing battles with the casefeeder on my L-N-L, I'm seriously considering dumping it in favor of a 650.
Click to expand...

I know this is the student teaching the teacher, but what problem are you having with your case feeder? i bought my Hornady casefeeder from a guy that also said it didn't work reliably, but I cleaned it up and it works great for me. I load .223, 9mm, 45acp, 38/357 without any issues. The only minor issue I have is when feeding .223 the cases sometimes get stuck in the small rifle plate. The instructions are terrible, which I think has a lot to do with the issues that people have. There are a ton of different spacers and funnels that have to be in the right place to get it to feed reliably.

My other question is the Dillon casefeeder made by the same company that makes the Hornday one? They look terribly similar, but I assume you are having issues with the case feed part which is different.

Chris
 
*chris* said:
I know this is the student teaching the teacher, but what problem are you having with your case feeder? i bought my Hornady casefeeder from a guy that also said it didn't work reliably, but I cleaned it up and it works great for me. I load .223, 9mm, 45acp, 38/357 without any issues. The only minor issue I have is when feeding .223 the cases sometimes get stuck in the small rifle plate. The instructions are terrible, which I think has a lot to do with the issues that people have. There are a ton of different spacers and funnels that have to be in the right place to get it to feed reliably.

My other question is the Dillon casefeeder made by the same company that makes the Hornday one? They look terribly similar, but I assume you are having issues with the case feed part which is different.

Chris
Click to expand...

The Dillon and Hornady look similar from a distance (form follows function) but they're different designs. Here are the problems I have with my Hornady case feeder but not the Dillon:

  1. The angled cam piece that rotates to drop the cases has to be replaced twice per year because the edge breaks when it contacts the metal edge of the rubber bumper piece that pushes up to operate it.
  2. The rubber bumper piece has to be replaced twice per year because it wears out to the point where the metal edge on it contacts and breaks the cam piece (see above).
  3. To feed large diameter cases, you have to screw the adjustable spacer at the bottom of the cam rod out to about its last 1/2 thread. I've twice stripped mine trying to tighten it, and had to replace it. I keep hoping they'll make it 1/8" longer so it works, but they don't.
  4. The bottom bracket that holds the wire cam that runs the sliding part of the case feeder is made of thin sheet metal. It' doubles as the bracket that holds the bin for the finished cartridges. When the bin starts to get full, the bracket bends, and the cam timing changes.
  5. The microswitch on the case feeder hangs up in the off position when you feed big cartridges like the S&W 500. You've got to smack it to free it up about every 5 feeds.
  6. The bracket that holds all of the moving parts of the feed assembly is connected to the square tube upright with a single bolt. This allows it to rotate no matter how tight you make it, and drop the cases so that they miss the bottom plate and fall on the floor.
  7. When loading 9mm, a case will wedge sideways above the top of the feed tube in the funnel. This prevents the subsequent cases from dropping down the tube. Since this happens above the microswitch, the casefeeder keeps running, and will drop cases both onto the floor, and into the guts of the case feeder if you don't shut it off in time and clear it. This happens about every 10 minutes with some calibers (9mm, and .38 S&W are the worst, with .45 ACP close behind.)
  8. Pistol cases get wedged between the feeder plate and the hopper. This happens every 5 minutes.
  9. You have to keep the landing spot for the cases perfectly clean in order for it to function. One granule of tumbler media will cause cases to fall off.
  10. The sliding gate on the hopper opening is not long enough. Some cartridges that use the small rifle feed plate (.30 Carbine and .25-20 for example) will constantly jam up the feeder if they get to the top of the plate oriented mouth-first.
  11. There are up to 6 parts you need to interchange when you change calibers, with no instructions as to which ones to use. I keep a chart when I finally find a combination that sort of works.
  12. It's noisy as hell. Except for the sound of the cases clinking together, you can't even tell when the Dillon is running.
  13. I've had to modify every one of my casefeeder plates to keep the plate from popping off the hub every minute.
 
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The priming system needs some work too.

The sliding shuttle that moves the primer under the shellplate fits perfectly into a machined pocket in the base. It runs fine when it's very clean, but if any debris gets in front of the primer shuttle, it will not seat fully into the pocket, which causes the primer seating anvil to shave metal off the inside of hole on the shuttle. The shaved off metal pieces add to the debris load (which has no means of escape) and makes the problem worse. This causes the hole in the shuttle to become egg-shaped, and the edges of the anvil to become rounded. The anvil also gets side-loaded when this happens, causing the seating anvil to get loose. All of this makes primer seating more difficult.

I have to replace the anvils and shuttles about 4 times per year.

You can't 'feel' when this is happening, and it can happen quick. I've worn out a primer shuttle and anvil in less than 500 rounds because a piece of tumbler media got in front of the shuttle and I didn't know it.

They could've fixed this problem very easily - all they had to do was put some 'drain' holes in the front part of the machined pocket. This would allow any trapped debris that's shoved forward by the shuttle to fall harmlessly out of the bottom of the machine instead of ruining the primer seating parts.

The other big problem with the priming system is that the steel primer seating anvil bottoms out on the aluminum frame of the machine. This causes a deep dimple with a raised burr around it to form in the aluminum frame. Because of the debris problem outlined above, the dimple/burr on my machine isn't round - it's elongated, and it now causes the primer seating anvil to bend sideways even when the machine is running right. I had to scrape off the burr and superglue a thin steel washer to the frame to give the anvil a flat surface on which to land.

This could be easily fixed if they installed a steel insert into the frame under the primer anvil.
 
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If I ever get the time to clean the cobwebs from my LnL I will post the simple fixes for the casefeeder issues. I haven't used diller presses and won't compare one vs. the other, so whether or not you do blue or red doesn't matter. We all have our own favorites.

Each have their own positives and negatives so take it with a grain of salt.

-Trolling via S3.-
 
I have fixes for most of the problems as well - shit, I've loaded about 200K rounds on the thing.

It's just that the fixes only go so far, and many of them require frequent parts replacement. I have to pay for them now too. They stopped giving me parts a while ago.

Maybe they've improved the design/materials on the case feeder. I have one of the first ones they made. I pre-ordered it. I had to replace the base plate on my machine to even be able to mount the case feeder.
 
You would be hard pressed to load 200k on any machine without a good supply of replacement parts on hand.

It will take me years to load that many rounds at my current rate of zero in the last six months.

Soumds like another 1050 is in your future.

-Trolling via S3.-
 
UPDATE:

my 650 was sitting by the door when i got home today. It doesnt have any of the added stuff I got, but the press and included caliber kit have already arrived! cant wait for the rest to show up!
 
dddn41 said:
herd and wahs, brian has definitely been a pleasure to work with thus far, glad i heeded the advice of fellow NESers and decided to go with him.


EC, got the 650, bench wrench, his "as it should be" upgrade maint and spare parts kit, 2 toolheads and powder dies, casefeed assembly and all casefeed plate, powder check system, primer pickup tubes sm and lr, the wrench set, and 5 caliber conversion kits.
(and ec, if that precision class gets off the ground any earlier that'd be great, otherwise see you in sept!)


cost me a pretty penny, but have been saving for it since taking my reloading class, working any extra hours i can. and the way i see it, being so young this is just a worthy investment in my what i hope to be long happy shooting career




edit: not sure on lead time yet, assuming 3-5weeks hopefully sooner!
Click to expand...


i have been waiting 4 weeks for a small pistol primer punch, my guess is you'll
be waiting more than 3-5 weeks, in order to get thru to dillon i had to wait
75 minutes....
 
Andrew92fs said:
Although I cannot speak to the service of Brian Enos, I have never heard a bad word said his way and his forum has been very helpful for me. Another great site is CEDHK...CEDHK was great when I was looking for some replacement parts and info/accessories on the Mr. Bullet Feeder setup.

BTW...XL650 and never looked back!!
Click to expand...

i shave a 650, i really like the priming system, except my primer punch crapped,

the punch won't retract enough, 2 things happen, the shell plate gets jammed, if you

giv it a nudge you could shave a little of the top of the primer.

- - - Updated - - -

Andrew92fs said:
Although I cannot speak to the service of Brian Enos, I have never heard a bad word said his way and his forum has been very helpful for me. Another great site is CEDHK...CEDHK was great when I was looking for some replacement parts and info/accessories on the Mr. Bullet Feeder setup.

BTW...XL650 and never looked back!!
Click to expand...

i shave a 650, i really like the priming system, except my primer punch crapped,

the punch won't retract enough, 2 things happen, the shell plate gets jammed, if you

giv it a nudge you could shave a little of the top of the primer.
 

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