Progressive

ithacaartist · 09-08-2018, 01:13 PM

A Dillon Square Deal B was part of a package I bought from a friend a while ago--a Caspian frame 1911 Bulls-eye pistol built with all Colt parts in .45 ACP, the loading press, and a raft of empty brass and reloaded SWC rounds. The Square Deal presses can be converted to other calibers, but the conversion kits for other calibers turn out to be quite expensive. Moreover, they can't accommodate bottleneck shells like .30 Luger, or longer stuff like .30 carbine.

I wound up selling the Dillon press for enough to buy a new Lee Loadmaster, which is much more versatile and less expensive to change calibers. The Lee machine has less of a reputation for quality than other brands, perhaps, but apparently works well for someone who is a careful technician and able to keep track of things enough to quickly spot if things begin to go wrong and make the right adjustments.

rhuff · 09-08-2018, 03:15 PM

I think that the Dillon Square Deal press is good for the person planning to load just one or two straight walled pistol calibers. Since the dies are proprietary to that press, one can only load those calibers that Dillon makes the dies for. As far as I know, there is no casefeeder made for this press, but it is progressive and self indexing.

All in all, there seem to be a lot of folks that are very pleased with their Square Deal Presses. I load so many different calibers that I went with the Dillon 650, and then set up complete toolheads for each caliber that I load in quantity.....I also added a case feeder, as I am being better to myself than I used to be. I still have my old Lyman turret press, and it gets used for calibers that I don't shoot a lot of.

The price seems to be right on the Square Deal, and having Dillon back up their press for life, makes for a solid choice in my view.

Rick W. · 09-08-2018, 07:46 PM

Thanks for the kind and knowledgeable replies.

Looks like to me I might "need" a 45acp Square Deal. I looked over the fence at the Lee offerings as well. Several friends have the Lee models and think they are ok for their needs. Over the years, RCBS served me well in their single stage for pistol and rifle, and Dillion got me into progressives for pistol cases; no complaints. My old Lee autoprimes wore out years ago, but I fixed them with some help off the internet and a 45acp case. Reloading has been good times, sure has.

I was not aware that the square deal dies were not available in 30 Luger, these dies are smaller I guess to fit in the smaller head of the square deal. Guess I could fabricate the dies, but getting older, just leave the Dillon 450's alone and buy a new 45acp square deal.

Hard to imagine that the days of 3 dollar a box 9mm's with jacketed Winchester bullets has come and gone for me sorta speak. I see bullets have gone up some since I bought 9mm bullets last, guess tis time to get into the modern age huh?...........

sheepherder · 09-08-2018, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick W.

I looked over the fence at the Lee offerings as well.

I had a Lee turret press back in the 80's; forget which model. 6-position, quick change turret. But the turret was a slip fit on the axle but was loose in the vertical plane. If you sized a case, you could see the turret tilt. I had to put a feeler gauge under the opposite side to avoid wrinkling cases.

I 'batch' reload, so running 50 cases through and then moving turret and feeler gauge wasn't all that big a deal. But I expected more. There was no way you could run it as a progressive,.

The Lee was supposed to be a replacement for my RCBS Rockchucker. I ended up using both, as single stage presses.

Now I have another Rockchucker. I set my dies up for it and the accompanying shell holder and I'm a happy camper.

Rickybill · 09-21-2018, 08:13 AM

I have two Square Deals.
In general, one is always set up for .45 ACP and the other for whatever other cartridge I'm shooting at the time; 9mm now, .38 Super a few months ago.

I don't find caliber changes so onerous that I won't do it to load as few as a couple of hundred rounds.

09-08-2018, 01:13 PM	#1
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,409 Thanks: 7,583 Thanked 2,657 Times in 1,398 Posts	A Dillon Square Deal B was part of a package I bought from a friend a while ago--a Caspian frame 1911 Bulls-eye pistol built with all Colt parts in .45 ACP, the loading press, and a raft of empty brass and reloaded SWC rounds. The Square Deal presses can be converted to other calibers, but the conversion kits for other calibers turn out to be quite expensive. Moreover, they can't accommodate bottleneck shells like .30 Luger, or longer stuff like .30 carbine. I wound up selling the Dillon press for enough to buy a new Lee Loadmaster, which is much more versatile and less expensive to change calibers. The Lee machine has less of a reputation for quality than other brands, perhaps, but apparently works well for someone who is a careful technician and able to keep track of things enough to quickly spot if things begin to go wrong and make the right adjustments. __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

09-08-2018, 03:15 PM	#2
rhuff Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Az. Posts: 2,315 Thanks: 2,751 Thanked 999 Times in 734 Posts	I think that the Dillon Square Deal press is good for the person planning to load just one or two straight walled pistol calibers. Since the dies are proprietary to that press, one can only load those calibers that Dillon makes the dies for. As far as I know, there is no casefeeder made for this press, but it is progressive and self indexing. All in all, there seem to be a lot of folks that are very pleased with their Square Deal Presses. I load so many different calibers that I went with the Dillon 650, and then set up complete toolheads for each caliber that I load in quantity.....I also added a case feeder, as I am being better to myself than I used to be. I still have my old Lyman turret press, and it gets used for calibers that I don't shoot a lot of. The price seems to be right on the Square Deal, and having Dillon back up their press for life, makes for a solid choice in my view. __________________ Need DWM breechblock #21

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09-08-2018, 07:46 PM	#3
Rick W. User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 339 Thanks: 81 Thanked 359 Times in 198 Posts	Thanks for the kind and knowledgeable replies. Looks like to me I might "need" a 45acp Square Deal. I looked over the fence at the Lee offerings as well. Several friends have the Lee models and think they are ok for their needs. Over the years, RCBS served me well in their single stage for pistol and rifle, and Dillion got me into progressives for pistol cases; no complaints. My old Lee autoprimes wore out years ago, but I fixed them with some help off the internet and a 45acp case. Reloading has been good times, sure has. I was not aware that the square deal dies were not available in 30 Luger, these dies are smaller I guess to fit in the smaller head of the square deal. Guess I could fabricate the dies, but getting older, just leave the Dillon 450's alone and buy a new 45acp square deal. Hard to imagine that the days of 3 dollar a box 9mm's with jacketed Winchester bullets has come and gone for me sorta speak. I see bullets have gone up some since I bought 9mm bullets last, guess tis time to get into the modern age huh?...........

09-21-2018, 08:13 AM	#5
Rickybill User Join Date: Aug 2018 Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 12 Times in 6 Posts	I have two Square Deals. In general, one is always set up for .45 ACP and the other for whatever other cartridge I'm shooting at the time; 9mm now, .38 Super a few months ago. I don't find caliber changes so onerous that I won't do it to load as few as a couple of hundred rounds.