Adventures in Progressive Reloading - Part 1

This will be the first post in a series of entries talking about the move from single stage precision rifle reloading to the world of high volume pistol reloading on a progressive press.

I've been reloading for a few years now exclusively on a single stage Hornady press.  It's been great, and I've gotten to the point I can turn out consistent ammo, tuned ammo for my rifles.   Others may feel differently, but there is no way in hell I'd have wanted to take the plunge into progressive without that experience under my belt.  Progressive reloading is a whole different duck, and without the foundation learned from a lot of time spent at the bench, I'm pretty sure either a) my head would have exploded or b) I'd have made a mess of a few batches and wasted a lot of time.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that if you're reading this blog, you're a bit like me - a voracious consumer of information about our hobby and someone who does a good bit of research before making any decisions.

By far, the best and most complete repository of pistol reloading information I've found has been here:   http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?act=idx

Given that I make my living as an IT nerd herder, my first step was to define my requirements...  What was I looking to accomplish?

a) I wanted something that produced safe, accurate and reliable ammunition
b) I wanted something that maximized my time investment and was efficient in operation.  (I put a high value on my free time, and doing copious amounts of tedious shit in my time off is not in the game plan.)
c) I wanted a quality/reliable piece of equipment.  If there is anything I've learned in our sport, it's that cry once, buy once, is the right path.
d) I didn't care about changing calibers.  This was about high volume production of 9mm.  So setup/retooling time wasn't a factor.
e) I wanted a company with a good reputation for support 
f) Bonus points for local/readily available parts and accessories

The final decision ended up being easier than expected..  With Dillon being a local company and their support, warranty and reputation, I was left really just deciding between their three consumer level presses.

Let me highly recommend a FAQ/Guide that Brian Enos has put together:
http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillon.html

Using that guide it quickly became apparent that the XL650 was the best fit.   A quick drive, a large charge, and a mountain of boxes later...  I was ready to get setup.