My First (of many) Dillon Question

[Squaregrouper]

Today I bought an XL650 setup to run 9mm and 10mm (not .40, because...). I also plan on loading other calibers, but we will focus on .357 Sig....
The .357 Sig shares the same plate as a 10mm (not .40) and the same bullet size as a 9mm. Would it be logical to buy a new toolhead and install my existing dies, then pirate the existing parts vs. buying a whole new Dillon caliber conversion kit? I'm pretty sure the parts in a .357 Sig conversion kit are already included in the combo of 9mm and 10mm (not .40) kits.
From my years of loading on a Lee progressive, I have learned to load EVERYTHING in a caliber before switching to another caliber because caliber conversions on the Lee ABLP are a major PITA to tune in.

 

[Art3]

I don't know what a lot of that means...but I do know how to bump a thread for a friend in the hopes of someone more knowledgeable seeing it.

 

[Squaregrouper]

I don't know what a lot of that means...but I do know how to bump a thread for a friend in the hopes of someone more knowledgeable seeing it.

Think of it this way...
You have a .223 reloading setup and want to load .300 Blackout. The .300 Blackout is based on the .223, so most of the parts are interchangeable.
.
Thanks for the bump.

 

[FN509Fan]

https://www.rcbs.com/rcbs-how-to-reload/rcbs-reference-tables.html shows 10mm, .40 Cal and .357 SIG all use the same holder. I have a set for my SDB (was one of the first to get one) and the plate is the same as the .40.

 

[Squaregrouper]

https://www.rcbs.com/rcbs-how-to-reload/rcbs-reference-tables.html shows 10mm, .40 Cal and .357 SIG all use the same holder. I have a set for my SDB (was one of the first to get one) and the plate is the same as the .40.

The .357 Sig is basically a 10mm necked down to 9mm. My logic is that having both 9mm and 10mm kits would greatly reduce the need for a Dillon caliber conversion kit.

 

[smdub]

I think you are on the right track. There is no need to buy the complete caliber conversion. Dillon posts the parts in each conversion kit. So look up the parts you have and the ones you need (which may be nothing.)
IME, it is handy to have a toolhead for every caliber you want to load on the machine. If you are doing it on a 650, then you must need it fairly often and in high quantity. So buy a new toolhead and put the 357sig dies in it. You can reuse the other parts as they don't require 'setup'. Just mark them that they go to both kits/calibers and you can remember where you put them when you need it for the other caliber.

 

[Biggfoot44]

The .357 Sig is basically a 10mm necked down to 9mm. My logic is that having both 9mm and 10mm kits would greatly reduce the need for a Dillon caliber conversion kit.

.357 Sig is essentially. 40S&W necked to 9mm

9 x 25 Dillion is essentially 10mm necked to 9mm

 

[FN509Fan]

The .357 Sig is basically a 10mm necked down to 9mm. My logic is that having both 9mm and 10mm kits would greatly reduce the need for a Dillon caliber conversion kit.

The seating dies Dillon supplied many moons ago are stamped with a 9 and the sizing die is stamped with 38. I think the tapered 9 case is too wide at the bottom of the sizing die to properly neck the .357 as it only uses .15" of the die at that diameter. Hence the straight walled 38.

 

[brianns]

Yes. Use your 9mm seater die, .40/10mm shell plate and .357sig re-sizing die. I have an RL550B and reload all those calibers.

There’s a chart somewhere that you can lookup where you can find all the shell plates and indexing pin sizes. After awhile you realize you already have parts for new calibers and you don’t have to buy whole new conversion kits.

 

[outrider58]

The most important thing with Dillons is choosing the proper powder/flare funnel

https://www.rcbs.com/rcbs-how-to-reload/rcbs-reference-tables.html shows 10mm, .40 Cal and .357 SIG all use the same holder. I have a set for my SDB (was one of the first to get one) and the plate is the same as the .40.

Yup. The 10mm is just a longer .40. A 357sig is a 10mm case(I'm not say you can make a 357 sig case from a 10mm case, I don't know if you can) necked down to 9mm.

 

[atblis]

Already covered but just use the 10mm/40 S&W stuff, but get a 9mm powder funnel thingy. That's what I do on an XL650.
You can't really make 357 Sig from either 40 S&W or 10mm
-- 10mm case could be size sized and trimmed, but it has large primer pockets so it still wouldn't be the same as factory
-- 40 S&W case is too short. Running 40 S&W through a 357 Sig die results in a neck that is slightly shorter.
Nothing wrong with 40 S&W. It isn't weak at all when you consider that it fits in a 9x19 sized gun. It's actually just as powerful as 357 Sig while operating at lower pressures.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Yup. The 10mm is just a longer .40. A 357sig is a 10mm case(I'm not say you can make a 357 sig case from a 10mm case, I don't know if you can) necked down to 9mm.

.40 is essentially a shortened 10mm

.357 Sig is * almost * , but not quite , a .40 necked down to 9mm . If you literally ran a .40 case into a .357 sizing die , it will be a few thousandths too short . I read where back during one of the ammo panics that some small ammo mfgs did that when .357 brass was unavailable . Use the right bullet with long enough bearing surface , and seat out to .357 COL . But it takes tweaking and testing , don't automatically use published .357 data .

Full length 10mm brass necked to 9mm is its own wildcat ctg , the 9 x 25 Dillon . It had a minute and a half of blip on the IPSC radar . The volume of gas thru an efficient compensator could eliminate muzzle rise , or even cause muzzle Dip . It's still occasionally played with by ballistic geeks to brag about hitting 2,000 fps with light bullets , but it's mainly a stunt , as there are no suitable bullets for hunting or defense at those speeds .

 

[smdub]

It's still occasionally played with by ballistic geeks to brag about hitting 2,000 fps with light bullets , but it's mainly a stunt , as there are no suitable bullets for hunting or defense at those speeds .

The phillips screwdriver shaped solids wouldn't do the trick?

 

[Biggfoot44]

Actually , that would be an interesting avenue to persue . Somebody would have to do a bunch of independent speculation R&D , as it would be a niche within a niche , within a niche , without any market demand .

Totally spitballing , with similar velocities , and similar diameter , there could be some overlap with basic R&D for a .350 Legend anti personnel round .

To rephrase , 9 x 25 is unsuitable for any existing conventional .355 projectiles .

 

[erwos]

.357 Sig is * almost * , but not quite , a .40 necked down to 9mm . If you literally ran a .40 case into a .357 sizing die , it will be a few thousandths too short . I read where back during one of the ammo panics that some small ammo mfgs did that when .357 brass was unavailable . Use the right bullet with long enough bearing surface , and seat out to .357 COL . But it takes tweaking and testing , don't automatically use published .357 data .

Hear me out, but as long as you're loading to the same OAL, I wouldn't expect published .357 data to present a problem if everything else is the same. You'll have slightly less neck to hold your bullet in place, but the functional case volume is the same, and thus pressures shouldn't be different. This assumes 1) you're headspacing off the shoulder and 2) there's no brass thickness difference.

 

[kstone803]

The simple answer to your question is just buy a new tool head with powder drop. Use the existing shell plates. Toolhead with powder drop gets you where you want to be.

 

[Sarguy7777]

Agree with the others here. Use the 10mm shell plate and buttons. I use the same.shell.plate for 223 and 300 AAC, as well as the 308 plate for 8.6 BLK. Definitely get another tool head per caliber. I like to have a powder dropper for every tool head as well. It gets more expensive but time is money. I don't empty my powders back into containers, I just label my powder droppers and have a few powder droppers ready to go. It's really not that bad to change calibers on a Dillon press, even when going from small to large primers. Pro tip, don't bother with the whole bar for a primer size change, just change the little head that catches, and the pushes the primer upward.

 

[Squaregrouper]

OP Here again...
This post is only about powder feeding.
I bought toolheads for .357 Sig, .38 Special and .223/5.56 (I already have dies). I am now considering doing what is in the video below vs. buying complete powder measure assemblies for each caliber. (I have 2 complete powder measures with both bars)
If I go this route I will only need powder measure dies and powder funnels for each toolhead, correct?
.

 

[outrider58]

OP Here again...
This post is only about powder feeding.
I bought toolheads for .357 Sig, .38 Special and .223/5.56 (I already have dies). I am now considering doing what is in the video below vs. buying complete powder measure assemblies for each caliber. (I have 2 complete powder measures with both bars)
If I go this route I will only need powder measure dies and powder funnels for each toolhead, correct?
.

Correctamundo!

 

[Squaregrouper]

Correctamundo!

Thanks