PSA: Dillon price increase July 1

[chadbag]

I got an email from Dillon yesterday evening that there would be a price increase on July 1. I didn't even open the mail until late last night. The press increases are pretty hefty if I understand the list correctly, though right now, not everything on the Dillon web site reflects the price increase yet. Maybe they will be done updating it later today.

If you were planning on getting a press from Dillon, you may want to run over and submit an order if your press has not been updated yet. The email said the price increase would affect only new orders after the increase goes into effect, and not backorders. Maybe you can slide in at the last second under the old price if that is what the site is listing.

(YMMV -- don't know what they will do with stuff ordered on July 1 but where their website has not reflected the new pricing.)

[Bimmer]

No surprise, and no skin off my back... I mostly buy used Dillon equipment via eBay.

It's plentiful (and usually deeply discounted) when we aren't in the middle of a panic.

Nowadays, Dillon's .380ACP dies (which I'm lackadaisically searching for) are going for $200 or so (!), which is just stupid.

[1_click_off]

I was curious as to what the bump would be and took a screen shot of the essential 550c 9mm package. It went from $1,014.00 DOWN to $1,001.97. I don’t know what else bumped up, but thought it was strange this went down.

[chadbag]

I was curious as to what the bump would be and took a screen shot of the essential 550c 9mm package. It went from $1,014.00 DOWN to $1,001.97. I don’t know what else bumped up, but thought it was strange this went down.

Make sure the "essentials" are the same... Maybe the package got re-organized as to contents.

I was working off the price list they sent me for individual presses and conversion kits for the initial PSA.

[chadbag]

No surprise, and no skin off my back... I mostly buy used Dillon equipment via eBay.

It's plentiful (and usually deeply discounted) when we aren't in the middle of a panic.

Nowadays, Dillon's .380ACP dies (which I'm lackadaisically searching for) are going for $200 or so (!), which is just stupid.

Just order them from Dillon and wait 6 months (or whatever the backorder time is). That way you won't pay more than retail. You may not be getting used set at "discount" but you got them.

[Bimmer]

Just order them from Dillon and wait 6 months (or whatever the backorder time is). That way you won't pay more than retail...

Yeah, but Dillon (over)charges a lot for shipping, so I avoid buying from them directly.

I'm in no hurry — I'm years away from loading .380ACP again. (I don't shoot much of it, and I have a stockpile, and in a pinch I could keep using my old non-Dillon dies to make more.)

I'm guessing that once things go back to "normal," there's going to be a LOT of lightly used or "open box" reloading equipment for sale for cheap...

[chadbag]

Yeah, but Dillon (over)charges a lot for shipping, so I avoid buying from them directly.

I'm in no hurry — I'm years away from loading .380ACP again. (I don't shoot much of it, and I have a stockpile, and in a pinch I could keep using my old non-Dillon dies to make more.)

I'm guessing that once things go back to "normal," there's going to be a LOT of lightly used or "open box" reloading equipment for sale for cheap...

probably, if things ever get back to normal.

But I don't think Dillon really overcharges for shipping. We're just used to subsidized shipping or free shipping from Amazon and the like.

If you buy a press or something from Dillon the max you'll pay is $30, and I can assure you it costs them a lot more than $30 to ship that press to you. A single die set comes in at $17, which is probably high, but since they ship Fedex Ground/Home Delivery in most cases, which usually costs them a residential surcharge, by the time they pay their shipping people, the Fedex Charge -- especially to East Coast people, and packing materials, I bet it comes close to that... I don't know what kinds of discounts they get from Fedex -- I assume pretty good ones, but shipping is not inexpensive. And if you have a back ordered item, and they make two shipments, they probably pay more in shipping than the order brought in in shipping charges.

I don't know this, but I would guess that their shipping department runs at a loss. Small orders pay a higher percentage of the order cost in shipping, while large orders pay much less than actual shipping. (Speaking of lower 48 US states here). I am not trying to defend them, rather just explain about how much shipping costs and it isn't all free PRIME shipping in real life. I know when I send someone a press, it costs me a really big penny, which I eat as a cost of doing business.

[Bimmer]

probably, if things ever get back to normal.

But I don't think Dillon really overcharges for shipping...

A single die set comes in at $17, which is probably high...

Things WILL go back to normal... At least as far as reloading equipment is concerned. There are only so many guys out there that want to load .380ACP and need a set of dies.

I'm also just not convinced that there are thaaat many serious potential reloaders out there.

Once ammo prices go back to sane levels, then the cost advantage of reloading will be diminished, and a lot of the guys who thought they would start reloading because they don't like paying 75¢/round for 9mm ball will offload that equipment.


Shipping: I agree with everything you're saying there.

If I can put in a big order with Dillon ($200+), then paying almost $20 for shipping hurts less, but charging $17 to ship a set of dies is BS — when I've sold dies via eBay, I shipped them for half that via USPS.

Philosophically, saying a company like Dillon "subsidizes" its shipping department is like saying that a grocery "subsidizes" the bagging department, or that a mall "subsidizes" its parking facilities... Almost all of Dillon's sales are shipped (though I've been to the store in Scottsdale), and Dillon is simply choosing to charge a lot for shipping, which does irk (like groceries that charge for bags, or malls that charge for parking).

[JiminAZ]

Liking that I live like 3 miles from Dillon. Haven't been to the store in years though, don't need anything.