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I'll skip the background because it's boring and stick to the point:
I have a Lee Loadmonster that I use for .38 and .45ACP. At least I did use it for .38, but it just punched a primer sideways through the primer feeder, and I've had enough. I'm sick of it's shit. I have two die holders, maybe three, and shell plates for .38, .45ACP, and .223, large primer feed and what's left of a small primer feed.
A friend just picked up a used, but clearly not used for a long time, Dillon 450. Bare press. Lot of surface rust, no primer tube, clear it's sat for a while. Has a shell plate on it that I believe would work for .45ACP if memory serves, looked it up, forget what we found, but no buttons. Has the auto-eject wire finger thingy (apparently some early models did not) and some kind of primer slide apparatus, and an empty threaded hole where the primer tube should be. If it isn't apparent yet, I don't know ####-all about Dillon presses.
I am sick of the Loadmonster's shit. It finally broke me down and I do not feel like any more tinkering with it. I'm over it. Other half of this quandary is that the guy who picked up the Dillon 450 is having second thoughts now that he's seeing how much more stuff he needs to get up and running reloading. So if I could beg the opinion of those here that DO know something about Dillon presses, I guess my question breaks down to two questions:
1: What would it take to get an old 450 up and running? Worth doing? First glance to me seems like I'd be looking at $200 minimum to be holding brass, priming, and dropping powder.
2: I guess this would be answered by #1, now that I think about it. Something about trading the Loadmonster and all the ancillary bits and pieces so the discouraged guy with the used Dillon could be up and running almost immediately (he's a good friend, I have scales and such I don't need). So I lied, I really didn't have two questions.
I have a Lee Loadmonster that I use for .38 and .45ACP. At least I did use it for .38, but it just punched a primer sideways through the primer feeder, and I've had enough. I'm sick of it's shit. I have two die holders, maybe three, and shell plates for .38, .45ACP, and .223, large primer feed and what's left of a small primer feed.
A friend just picked up a used, but clearly not used for a long time, Dillon 450. Bare press. Lot of surface rust, no primer tube, clear it's sat for a while. Has a shell plate on it that I believe would work for .45ACP if memory serves, looked it up, forget what we found, but no buttons. Has the auto-eject wire finger thingy (apparently some early models did not) and some kind of primer slide apparatus, and an empty threaded hole where the primer tube should be. If it isn't apparent yet, I don't know ####-all about Dillon presses.
I am sick of the Loadmonster's shit. It finally broke me down and I do not feel like any more tinkering with it. I'm over it. Other half of this quandary is that the guy who picked up the Dillon 450 is having second thoughts now that he's seeing how much more stuff he needs to get up and running reloading. So if I could beg the opinion of those here that DO know something about Dillon presses, I guess my question breaks down to two questions:
1: What would it take to get an old 450 up and running? Worth doing? First glance to me seems like I'd be looking at $200 minimum to be holding brass, priming, and dropping powder.
2: I guess this would be answered by #1, now that I think about it. Something about trading the Loadmonster and all the ancillary bits and pieces so the discouraged guy with the used Dillon could be up and running almost immediately (he's a good friend, I have scales and such I don't need). So I lied, I really didn't have two questions.