.223 brass processing head setup Dillon S1050 / RT1500

[datguy]

I recently bought a Dillon S1050 in .45acp with a .223 conversion and two additional tool heads. One for .223 brass processing, the other to load .223. I'm at the point where I'm setting up the brass processing head. I have a RT1500 and 223 trim die. Currently I have the dies setup like so:

1. Casefeed
2. Decapping die. RCBS in this case, it's what I had on hand.
3. Swage. I haven't adjusted the swaging rod yet from how it was set for small primer .45acp brass. Backup die is set so it just touches the bottom of a case.
4. Priming - empty.
5. empty
6. Trim die with RT1500. It is screwed in pretty far. The locknut is at the top of the threads. This is yielding a case that fits my Sheridan engineering case gauge really well.
7. empty
8. empty. I just ordered a 21st Century Shooting expanding mandrel die that will go in this station when it arrives.

To be honest this is going way easier than I thought it would, and it has left me a little nervous. Any tips or things to look for on this setup?

I'm assuming that if the case is good in the case gauge, it is good to go? I ordered the expanding mandrel based on what I had read in various threads on this topic.

 

[LR338nut]

I would use the 650 to trim my brass, then put the trimmed cases into the 1050 and load away. Much easier than readjusting the 1050 every time you need to trim. I guess that is if you have a 650 as well.

 

[pmclaine]

I process/load .223 on a S1050 using two tool heads.

If using mil crimp brass make sure your swage is set correctly. It really helps setting the expander to take your deremel and cut the bottom of a case laterally so you can view how high the swage needs to be and confirm your backer rod is bottomed. I also bought a set of go/no go primer pocket gauges from a company that the name escapes me right now. They are a fantastic little tool. Helps to identify if the swage needs to be adjusted for a different headstamp and lets me no when pockets are blown out to the point they should be tossed. The set was cheap like $15 or so. Same company also makes a set of gauges to measure case mouth that I find handy. PM if interested and I will find the company site for the tools.

My process set up has the Dillon size die in station one. I size 80% or so in station one mainly because I want the expander ball to fix neck damage. On my load head I use a universal decapper to punch out cob media.

You will find that the trim size die is really oversizing if you set it up by Dillon direction. I set my trim die using a bump gauge to get my desired setback.

The trim die makes really tight necks. The tight is not an issue but in order to seat a bullet without shaving jacket I chamfer. The chamfer process on a Hornady 3 in 1 sucks. Im considering going to a mandrel setup to avoid this process.

 

[pmclaine]

Here is the primer pocket gauge

Swage Gage Small Primer Pocket Gauge

 

[datguy]

Thanks for the info! I have the primer pocket go/no-go gauge.