Dillion vs Mark 7

[FluorideInMyWater]

hi guys (and gals).
i'm looking at buying a progressive reloader. i've looked at Dillions presses and Mark 7's Evolution hand cranked press. they look identical. I understand that Mark 7 was sold to another big company.......
So are Dillion and Mark7 part of the same company? it's just weird that they look idential for the most part.

i've watched a bunch of youtube video comparisons but mostly the reviews are not helpful....

does anyone have experience with both or one/ or the other? any recommendations?

there is a 4 - 14 week back order time, which i don't mind waiting. people on ebay are selling used models for more than a new one from either company.

i want to hand crank first because it's cheaper, but i'm going to want to upgrade to fully automated at some point.

Dillion 1050 is about $2100. Mark 7 evolution is about $3K, but i think has more add on accessories bundled in.

oh, forgot. now Dillion has the new RL 1100 and Mark7 has the new Apex machine. looking at thier sight it seems like it's super new and they don't have complete info on it....they should. but they dont. (Grrr)

any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated!
thanks!

[David Jackson]

I have no idea about Mark company but I can tell you that Dillon may have the best customer service attitude of any company I have ever worked with. You are looking at some pretty exotic presses, and I can tell you that I have an almost bottom of the line Dillon Square Deal made probably in the mid 1990s which I bought used and whenever I have a problem I call Dillon. These days, because of so much traffic, they ask for my number and call me back. Then I discuss my problem with someone who knows the machines inside and out and, more often that not, if I need a new part, even if it is a part I lost somewhere in the garage, it is sent out to me free of charge. If someone gets a primer stuck in the tube used to load them Dillon says to let them know and they will send you a new one, again free of charge. I have no idea whether or not the reviews you read said anything about customer service, but if they did I would imagine they would heap high praise on Dillon's just as I have.

[JR18]

Iv reloaded on a 1100 and I will say it’s an amazing machine especially after using a hornady LNL. The Mark7 has 10 stages vs the 1100 8 stages. It was also made to run an autobot from the ground up as where the Dillion was not.

[RickD427]

I just went through the same thing. I've been reloading my handgun stuff for 30 years on a Dillon 550. I decided to use the COVID Lockdown and ammo supply shortage to upgrade my equipment. I took a hard look at the Dillon RL1100 and the Mark 7 Evolution/Apex.

In sum, here's what I found:

1) The Mark 7 seems to be well engineered, but was created by a relatively small company. Normally that's a bad sign for longevity. But Mark 7 was acquired by Lyman. They're a major company, and have a pretty good record in the business. That was a "win-win" for the folks involved and gives some assurance that Mark 7 will be around for a while. There's no relationship between Dillon and Mark 7/Lyman. They're gonna be competitors in the marketplace. If history is any guide, they'll either sharpen each other, or one will eat the other.

2) Dillon's customer service is quite exceptional, and has been so for a very long time. Too soon to tell about Mark 7, but as a guide, Dillon's folks answer the phone and Mark 7's folks do not.

3) The major advantage to the Mark 7 is that you get ten loading stations while the Dillon only has seven (or eight depending on how you count). If you want to run a bullet feeder, a powder check and separate seat and crimp dies, you're gonna run outta space on the Dillon and will not on the Mark 7.

4) Both the Dillon and Mark 7 can be upgraded to a motorized drive (using the Mark 7 unit on a Dillon). The process looks more easily done on the Mark 7. If Mark 7/Lyman decides to adopt an "Eat E'm" approach to Dillon, they may withdraw that capability for the Dillon press in the future.

5) The cost to change calibers appears to be a lot higher on the Mark 7.

6) Lyman appears to have gone to a more "Cost Effective" manufacturing approach for the manual press. The "Evolution" press used a lot of CNC stuff and had a very well finished appearance. The "Apex" press uses a lot of cast parts and has a much more crudely finished appearance. I haven't used either press so I can't speak to their relative functional capability.

For me, the choice really boiled down to whether I wanted to use a bullet feeder. I really don't. I like to manually seat the bullet myself. That gives me the opportunity to view each case and load. Too much automation can lead to mistakes and I don't need that much speed. That led me to choose the Dillon.

But the Lyman acquisition did a lot to comfort me about Mark 7's newness and smallness challenges. If I had desired to use a bullet feeder, or an autodrive, I woulda gone with the Mark 7.

[tyler_sti]

They both have their issues and quirks but bottom line is the Mark 7 simply runs better automated. I would opt for the mark 7 after running two 1050's both manual and automated. I believe the mark 7's primer and case retention system to be superior, along with being able to run powder check and bullet feeder without having to use a combo seater/crimp die.

[FluorideInMyWater]

I just went through the same thing. I've been reloading my handgun stuff for 30 years on a Dillon 550. I decided to use the COVID Lockdown and ammo supply shortage to upgrade my equipment. I took a hard look at the Dillon RL1100 and the Mark 7 Evolution/Apex.

In sum, here's what I found:

1) The Mark 7 seems to be well engineered, but was created by a relatively small company. Normally that's a bad sign for longevity. But Mark 7 was acquired by Lyman. They're a major company, and have a pretty good record in the business. That was a "win-win" for the folks involved and gives some assurance that Mark 7 will be around for a while. There's no relationship between Dillon and Mark 7/Lyman. They're gonna be competitors in the marketplace. If history is any guide, they'll either sharpen each other, or one will eat the other.

2) Dillon's customer service is quite exceptional, and has been so for a very long time. Too soon to tell about Mark 7, but as a guide, Dillon's folks answer the phone and Mark 7's folks do not.

3) The major advantage to the Mark 7 is that you get ten loading stations while the Dillon only has seven (or eight depending on how you count). If you want to run a bullet feeder, a powder check and separate seat and crimp dies, you're gonna run outta space on the Dillon and will not on the Mark 7.

4) Both the Dillon and Mark 7 can be upgraded to a motorized drive (using the Mark 7 unit on a Dillon). The process looks more easily done on the Mark 7. If Mark 7/Lyman decides to adopt an "Eat E'm" approach to Dillon, they may withdraw that capability for the Dillon press in the future.

5) The cost to change calibers appears to be a lot higher on the Mark 7.

6) Lyman appears to have gone to a more "Cost Effective" manufacturing approach for the manual press. The "Evolution" press used a lot of CNC stuff and had a very well finished appearance. The "Apex" press uses a lot of cast parts and has a much more crudely finished appearance. I haven't used either press so I can't speak to their relative functional capability.

For me, the choice really boiled down to whether I wanted to use a bullet feeder. I really don't. I like to manually seat the bullet myself. That gives me the opportunity to view each case and load. Too much automation can lead to mistakes and I don't need that much speed. That led me to choose the Dillon.

But the Lyman acquisition did a lot to comfort me about Mark 7's newness and smallness challenges. If I had desired to use a bullet feeder, or an autodrive, I woulda gone with the Mark 7.

wow. great info. yes i saw that mark7 was aquired by Lyman. i watched a video from the shot show 2020. the rep indicated that the evolution is made ready for automation and higher speeds more efficiently as dillion is not. you can automate the dillion but it's really not designed for the higher speed and volume that the evolution/revolution are.
so i guess dillion is not assocaited with mark7 then. that was my initial impression, but i guess mark7 "copied" dillions design........or seems to have by the look of it. my ultimate goal is to automate but i don't have the money to do that yet, so i guess i'll start with the evlolution and then upgrade later.
yes, i've heard dillions cutomer service is second to none. great feedback for them. i do want a bullet feeder. don't want to have to drop a bullet every 10 seconds. no thanks.

now one big question is about "quality control" i don't know how to integrate that, or if there is another device that you can run the finished product through to weed out rounds that have issues. i'm asking this because i may try to sell excess ammo at gun show. that is probably another discussion. i don't know if i would need to get insurance for that endevor like an FFL06 would get. i wouldn't want 1 bad round to cause a catistrophic malfunction and then get sued.......

[FluorideInMyWater]

wow. great info. yes i saw that mark7 was aquired by Lyman. i watched a video from the shot show 2020. the rep indicated that the evolution is made ready for automation and higher speeds more efficiently as dillion is not. you can automate the dillion but it's really not designed for the higher speed and volume that the evolution/revolution are.
so i guess dillion is not assocaited with mark7 then. that was my initial impression, but i guess mark7 "copied" dillions design........or seems to have by the look of it. my ultimate goal is to automate but i don't have the money to do that yet, so i guess i'll start with the evlolution and then upgrade later.
yes, i've heard dillions cutomer service is second to none. great feedback for them. i do want a bullet feeder. don't want to have to drop a bullet every 10 seconds. no thanks.

now one big question is about "quality control" i don't know how to integrate that, or if there is another device that you can run the finished product through to weed out rounds that have issues. i'm asking this because i may try to sell excess ammo at gun show. that is probably another discussion. i don't know if i would need to get insurance for that endevor like an FFL06 would get. i wouldn't want 1 bad round to cause a catistrophic malfunction and then get sued.......

oh, it appears that they no longer make the evolution. they replaced all their presses with the Apex 10. i know they are manufacturing "in house" now b/c of lyman. a don't kknow if this is good or bad. hmm...

[eaglemike]

wow. great info. yes i saw that mark7 was aquired by Lyman. i watched a video from the shot show 2020. the rep indicated that the evolution is made ready for automation and higher speeds more efficiently as dillion is not. you can automate the dillion but it's really not designed for the higher speed and volume that the evolution/revolution are.
so i guess dillion is not assocaited with mark7 then. that was my initial impression, but i guess mark7 "copied" dillions design........or seems to have by the look of it. my ultimate goal is to automate but i don't have the money to do that yet, so i guess i'll start with the evlolution and then upgrade later.
yes, i've heard dillions cutomer service is second to none. great feedback for them. i do want a bullet feeder. don't want to have to drop a bullet every 10 seconds. no thanks.

now one big question is about "quality control" i don't know how to integrate that, or if there is another device that you can run the finished product through to weed out rounds that have issues. i'm asking this because i may try to sell excess ammo at gun show. that is probably another discussion. i don't know if i would need to get insurance for that endevor like an FFL06 would get. i wouldn't want 1 bad round to cause a catistrophic malfunction and then get sued.......

No Mark 7 didn't copy Dillon's design. There's some similar design elements.
There were reloaders before Dillon using a round shell plate, and a tool head carrying the dies up and down, a vertical primer magazine, etc. Did Dillon copy that design? No, but they used some similar design elements. The older reloader even used a similar primer pickup tube (again before Dillon), but it was all one piece without a plastic tip. They also had a primer flip tray before Dillon.
Dillon made a conversion kit for the Star reloader before they made complete reloaders. Mark7 built an automation kit for the 1050, before they started making the Evolution as I understand it.

[galun]

wow. great info. yes i saw that mark7 was aquired by Lyman. i watched a video from the shot show 2020. the rep indicated that the evolution is made ready for automation and higher speeds more efficiently as dillion is not. you can automate the dillion but it's really not designed for the higher speed and volume that the evolution/revolution are.
so i guess dillion is not assocaited with mark7 then. that was my initial impression, but i guess mark7 "copied" dillions design........or seems to have by the look of it. my ultimate goal is to automate but i don't have the money to do that yet, so i guess i'll start with the evlolution and then upgrade later.
yes, i've heard dillions cutomer service is second to none. great feedback for them. i do want a bullet feeder. don't want to have to drop a bullet every 10 seconds. no thanks.

now one big question is about "quality control" i don't know how to integrate that, or if there is another device that you can run the finished product through to weed out rounds that have issues. i'm asking this because i may try to sell excess ammo at gun show. that is probably another discussion. i don't know if i would need to get insurance for that endevor like an FFL06 would get. i wouldn't want 1 bad round to cause a catistrophic malfunction and then get sued.......

[Divernhunter]

Buy Dillon. You will be thankful later

[BajaJames83]

It really depends on what your end goal is. If you really want to go automated the Mark 7 is specifically designed for it.
I have a Super 1050 that is powered by a Mark 7 Pro and while is works the dillon was just not designed for it and when it does act up it can be a little harder to trouble shoot issues.

[FluorideInMyWater]

It really depends on what your end goal is. If you really want to go automated the Mark 7 is specifically designed for it.
I have a Super 1050 that is powered by a Mark 7 Pro and while is works the dillon was just not designed for it and when it does act up it can be a little harder to trouble shoot issues.

good to know.
apparently the Apex10 is not out yet. i emailed them and asked when they would be available and i never got a response. (not a good sign)

[9mmepiphany]

If you haven't yet had a chance, take a look at the YouTube channel Ultimate Reloader. He has a breakdown of the changes between the original Evolution and the Apex 10...they did some cost cutting in manufacturing and added additional parts while keeping the price the same.

The two big changes between the Dillon and the Mark 7 are the additional stations on the Mark 7 and that it is gear driven.

Much as the original Dillon was in improvement on the Star reloader, the Mark 7 Apex is a product improved 1050. Mark 7 was founded by 3 USPSA shooters who got tired of having to "hack" their 1050s to keep them running smoothly, so they figured out how to "fix" it to address it's weaknesses. One of the biggest improvements was basing their powder measure on the one by Hornady/RCBS...and they even tweaked that to improve it

[3fcattle]

[FluorideInMyWater]

ok, so i'm going under the assumption that you are using all fired brass that hasn't been processed in anyway. so you're not buying once-fired brass that has already been deprimed, cleaned, trimmed, tumbled, etc.

so does that mean you've purchased a few thousand rounds already and then shot them, picked them up and then take them back to the press? or do you buy new or fired brass from somewhere.......?
i whould think it would be cheaper to start with once fired processed brass and then bulk primers, bullets, and powder?
what quantity do you shoot?