There is no doubt that we shoot a lot of 9mm up here at the Ultimate Reloader Ranch—shooting steel, boxes, paper, and cans. The problem is we can never seem to load enough of it manually. To solve this, we grabbed our Dillon RL1100 and

Disclaimer

Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making with Metal Disclaimer: (by reading this article and/or watching video content you accept these terms). The content on this website (including videos, articles, ammunition reloading data, technical articles, gunsmithing and other information) is for demonstration purposes only. Do not attempt any of the processes or procedures shown or described on this website. All gunsmithing procedures should be carried out by a qualified and licensed gunsmith at their own risk. Do not attempt to repair or modify any firearms based on information on this website. Ultimate Reloader, LLC and Making With Metal can not be held liable for property or personal damage due to viewers/readers of this website performing activities, procedures, techniques, or practices described in whole or part on this website. By accepting these terms, you agree that you alone are solely responsible for your own safety and property as it pertains to activities, procedures, techniques, or practices described in whole or part on this website.

What is New with the DA3000?

While the DA3000 has been on the market since around 2022, Dillon has recently introduced massive firmware and mechanical upgrades to the system.

The three biggest upgrades are:

1. 50-Level, Two-Stage Clutch: The system now features a highly adjustable “Travel” clutch and “Work” clutch to protect both the machine and your components.
2. Refined Motion Curve: The shell plate rotation has been updated. Instead of a linear, jerky snap, the motor accelerates and then decelerates smoothly. This prevents case wobble, stops bullets from falling off the cases, and eliminates powder spillage.
3. Increased Dwell Time: You can now set the dwell delay (the time the machine pauses at the top or bottom of the stroke) up to 8 seconds. This is perfect for reloaders who want to single-load exact powder charges from a digital scale.

(Note: If you own an older DA3000, you can send it in to Dillon to receive these upgrades!)

Setup and Station Configuration

Assembling the DA3000 drive onto the RL1100 took a little over an hour. The instructions are excellent, and it is a straightforward process whether you are installing it on a brand-new press or one you have used for years.

For this 9mm run, we used fully processed brass from our Mojo project. However, because a stray piece of tumbling media can occasionally block a flash hole, we still utilized a universal decapping die in the first station as an insurance policy.

We filled the hopper with CFE Pistol powder and loaded Berry’s 124-grain bullets into the Mr. Bulletfeeder. This specific bullet weight provides light recoil and is incredibly fun to shoot.

Dialing in the Two-Stage Clutch

The real magic of this firmware update is the dual-clutch system. Through the digital interface, you set a Clutch Shift Point. This tells the machine exactly when to switch from the highly sensitive “Travel Clutch” (used when the tool head is moving freely down) to the heavier “Work Clutch” (used when the dies are actively sizing brass or seating bullets).

Here is the proper setup process:

1. Set the Shift Point: We lowered the tool head until it was just above the brass where the real physical resistance begins. We hit “Set” on the menu to record this exact height.
2. Set the Travel Clutch: The goal is to set the Travel Clutch as low as possible without causing false stops. We started at zero, but the friction of the powder measure bar engaging caused a false jam. After some trial and error, a setting of ⁠10⁠ provided reliable travel without stopping prematurely.
3. Set the Work Clutch: The work clutch needs to handle the force of bullet seating and crimping. We set this to ⁠15⁠ to provide enough pushing power to complete the load without forcing the machine through a dangerous jam.

To test the safety aspect, I placed a piece of brass sideways on the shell plate and let the machine run. With the Travel Clutch set low (at ⁠5⁠), the machine immediately sensed the obstruction and stopped, slightly denting the case mouth but preventing any catastrophic damage to the dies or the drive motor. When I cranked the clutch to its maximum setting of ⁠49⁠, it smashed the brass completely flat before the work clutch finally tripped. This perfectly illustrates why keeping your clutch settings as low as possible is critical for machine safety.

Range Results

Once dialed in, we hit the start button and let the machine do what it does best. In mere minutes, we had 100 perfectly loaded rounds of 9mm sitting in the bin.

We took the ammunition straight up to the ranch. Having a big progressive press automated by the DA3000 means drastically less time pulling a handle in the reloading room and far more time actually shooting on the range.

Conclusion

If you are considering automating your Dillon RL1100, now is absolutely the time to do it. The dual-stage clutch and the smoothed-out motion curve make this system incredibly safe and highly efficient.

Get the Gear

DA3000 Upgrade Service

Don’t miss out on Ultimate Reloader updates, make sure you’re subscribed!

Thanks,
John Masek