I'm looking to try and increase the efficiency of my 556/223 reloading for my AR15. I consider myself somewhat a reloading noob, because I've only been reloading for a little over a year and I don't know plenty, but I've had good success so far and enjoy shooting in higher volume. I've already reloaded 2000 rounds of 223 and then loaded 3000 rounds of 9mm. The 9mm has spoiled me because there is less case prep. Out of the tumbler and into the case feeder on the 650 it goes. I'm looking for any way I can save time with the 556/223 case prep. I'm afraid the answer is going to be a Dillon 1050, which I'm not quite ready to invest in, but maybe there is something else I'm not aware of.

My current process starts with sorting mixed range brass into three piles: 223, 223 with crimped primer pocket, and 556. I process them as three separate batches. I tumble them and clean them prior to depriming. They're lubed and run through a full length resizing die on a single stage press. Next I check case length with dial calipers and any that need it are run through a Dillion Rapid Trim on it's own single stage press. If its a batch with a crimped primer pocket I then run it through a Dillon primer pocket swaging tool. Next the brass goes in the 650 which is set up with an auto case feeder, first stage empty, second stage Dillon powder measure, third stage bullet seat, third stage crimp, and done.

I know that's already a pretty slick set up but the 9mm really got me looking for a way to save time and reduce case prep, because I want to load thousands and thousands of rounds.

I guess this is a good place for a disclaimer: I'm loading for training classes, recreational shooting, and competition where I'm slaying paper targets and the farthest shots are 100 yards, maybe 200, so I'm going for bulk here with Wolf or CCI Primers, CFE 223 or AR Comp, and 55 gr FMJ BT projectiles. I'm not concerned with sub-moa accuracy or slight variations in velocity. Safety and functionality are most important.

I got my one big idea for improving efficiency when I was reading an article about bulk reloading and they said that since the Rapid Trimmer has an outside the case full length sizing die, I can run the brass through the trimmer in its single stage press first. I could then move the full length sizing and depriming die to the first stage in the 650 and eliminate the use of that other single stage press. My head was like *BOOM* that's huge eliminating the work at one additional press, but that doesn't help me with my brass that needs the primer pocket swaged, of which I have a TON of. I couldn't go from deprime to priming in the 650 without running it through the swaging tool.

I think the 1050 is the best solution because it has a built in primer pocket swaging tool in the press from what I'm told, but I'm not ready to make that jump yet. Is there a better way I can process ALL of my brass without buying the 1050?

Any tips or suggestions are appreciated!