Caliber conversion for a Dillon 550 help request

[bigbossman]

The neighbor's wife cornered me yesterday, and asked for some help. Her husband has a Dillon 550 set up for 10mm, and his Christmas list includes wanting to be able to switch over to 9mm. I know nothing about caliber conversions on a 550, so I need a parts list....

What do I tell her to buy?

[BajaJames83]

You need:
Locator tabs and powder funnel

here is a good resource.

https://brianenos.com/dillon-rl-550b-caliber-conversion-cross-reference-chart/

[Old Flash]

To reload 9mm on a 550, you'll need the 9mm dies and 9mm caliber RL550 caliber conversion kit.
If you want to minimize the work of removing, installing and adjusting for the new caliber, get an extra toolhead and powder die. Check out the Dillon website for more info.

[uechikid]

He’ll need these.

https://www.dillonprecision.com/rl-550-caliber-conversion-kit_8_2_23598.html

https://www.dillonprecision.com/carbide-pistol-dies-three-die-sets_8_4_24445.html

One of these if he wants to keep his die settings.

https://www.dillonprecision.com/rl-550-series-toolhead_8_49_23605.html

[fish45]

At a minimum you'll need dies (80 $)and a caliber conversion kit (53 $). Half the reason to get a dillon is for the ease of reloading. If you do not get an additional toolhead/powder measure/stand (120 $)it defeats the purpose. However, its the holiday time mid-"pandemic" and money is tight. It depends on her budget entirely. Personally if my wife figured out any of the parts I need regardless of how little (or much) she spends I would be over the moon.

The easy way to change calibers:

Dies - https://www.dillonprecision.com/carb...8_4_24445.html
Caliber conversion - https://www.dillonprecision.com/rl-5...8_2_23598.html
Toolhead with powder measure and stand - https://www.dillonprecision.com/rl-5...8_2_23602.html

The hard way to change calibers:

Dies
Caliber conversion

Everything from Dillon is backordered several months. The only way to get it now/ for christmas is to buy it from someone that has it in stock. Backordering from Dillon is a nightmare and I would not do it unless I got the sales reps name, the time and duration of the phone call, order notification, and the exact amount they tell you it will be.

[bigbossman]

Thanks everyone, looks like you guys answered the question pretty completely.

Everything from Dillon is backordered several months. The only way to get it now/ for christmas is to buy it from someone that has it in stock. Backordering from Dillon is a nightmare and I would not do it unless I got the sales reps name, the time and duration of the phone call, order notification, and the exact amount they tell you it will be.

I went to the Dillon site and saw that...... looks like she's screwed. I'll poke around alternate vendor sites, but I'm not going to be too optimistic.

I think the complete ~$250 conversion kit with dies is the way to go. I like the guy, but I need to keep it as simple as possible if I want to keep him from blowing himself up - he's a retired Lynnwood Sheriff. The hell of it is that his wife bought him the Dillon press with everything needed to load one caliber (10mm), and it sat unused and unassembled in his garage for two frickin' years...... and now he decides to start reloading. I was with him when he plunked down a C note for 1,000 primers - that hurt to watch, and it wasn't even my money.

[sbo80]

as a gift from wife, I'd take a small box with a picture of said items and a "backordered" note. That's still a good woman!

[hermosabeach]

Gift Certificate... figure out the ballpark price- gift card

Save her the headache

there are 4 and 5 tool head holders for the 550

Gift card is the easiest answer

2nd easiest- call dillion to have them build out the parts list....

she could also add a spare parts kit

https://www.dillonprecision.com/rl-550-series-spare-parts-kit_8_113_23609.html

[RickD427]

You'll also need to swap from a large pistol priming system to the small pistol priming system.

The support folks at Dillon are awesome. I just got a long e-mail from them answering a bunch of questions I had on their RL1100.

They're a little bit swamped right now, like everybody else in the reloading business, but they got back to me in less than a day.

[sofbak]

So its $250+ to change calibers on a Dillon?
+Additional $$ if you have to change primer size too?

Wow. .. Is the blue kool-aide really that "tasty"?

Color me....red.

[Old Flash]

So its $250+ to change calibers on a Dillon?
+Additional $$ if you have to change primer size too?

If the Dillon 550 was originally bought as a package, it should already have both small and large primer setups (feeders and tubes) as well as large powder (mostly for rifle loads) and small powder bars.

[RickD427]

So its $250+ to change calibers on a Dillon?
+Additional $$ if you have to change primer size too?

Wow. .. Is the blue kool-aide really that "tasty"?

Color me....red.

If the Dillon 550 was originally bought as a package, it should already have both small and large primer setups (feeders and tubes) as well as large powder (mostly for rifle loads) and small powder bars.

"Old Flash" is right on point. If the OP has the original full package, he will not need a new priming system. But then, a lot of 550's have been re-sold and handed down without all of the original accessories.

As to the "Blue" vs "Red" (as well as the "Other Red", Orange, Dark Green and Light Green) thing, all of them require caliber change accessories. I briefly used a "Red" progressive before going to my Dillon and there was a reason that I made the change.

All of the various colors make good stuff, but Dillon support is far ahead of the others.

[bigbossman]

If the Dillon 550 was originally bought as a package, it should already have both small and large primer setups (feeders and tubes) as well as large powder (mostly for rifle loads) and small powder bars.

It was. Right now, the die set is the hangup.

[ysr_racer]

The neighbor's wife cornered me yesterday, and asked for some help. Her husband has a Dillon 550 set up for 10mm, and his Christmas list includes wanting to be able to switch over to 9mm. I know nothing about caliber conversions on a 550, so I need a parts list....

What do I tell her to buy?

Yeah right, your neighbors wife

Umm, my neighbor's wife needs a 9mm conversion kit for a 750. I already, I mean, she already has 9mm dies.

[bohoki]

i monitored die sets and someone sold dies in a toolhead without mentioning dillon and i snatched it up but you cant always get lucky

there are aftermarket toolheads

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dillon-Prec...W/162167715304.