vintage loading tool survey

OK I'm in

   Within my inventory are several pieces of equipment now considered antiques. An Ideal 45 sizer, Ideal no. 5 powder measure, a few Ideal moulds and a Star Phelps progressive press. These things all function well and are occasionally used to produce ammunition. Some as recently as last month.

   The two presses which see steady regular heavy usage are original new purchases made by/for me and are no longer manufactured. A Lyman Spartan press received on my 15th birthday still works perfectly. The other is a Dillon RL 300. Mike Dillon assured me via telephone call, that this new press would serve me without fail for my lifetime, no bullshit. The serial number is 1980. Turns out, this was bullshit! Through the years I came to own three of these machines because Dillon abandoned this model and several of the parts proprietary to it became unavailable. Buying whole machines was the easiest way to get spare parts. Even when pressed for blueprints and drawings, there was no help to come. Reverse engineering, although terribly expensive, became the only viable option. This answer however, has provided two friends of mine with a working Dillon RL 300 press. While the Dillon RL 300 can't really be considered an antique, anyone seeking to own and use one will be hard pressed to do so. My RL 300 loads 38, 357 and 44 regularly at a rate of +/- 2000 rounds a month. On a more sporadic schedule it is equipped for and loads, 30-06. 8mm Mauser, 270, 35 Rem., Win 30-30, 7mm mag., 45 acp and 9mm. I must admit, of the three I have personal knowledge of, mine is the one which looks the worse.

             You tell me if my Dillon RL 300 could be considered “VINTAGE".

                                                                                                                       Roy