Guides
Reloading QC, explained straight
Comparisons, safety guides, and press know-how from people who load every week. No hype — where a $45 die is the right answer, we say so.
RCM Laser Powder Check: Pro vs. Standard — Which One Do You Need?
The #1 question we get: what's the difference between the Laser Powder Check Pro and Standard? Same laser, same press-stop — the Pro adds the off-press centering fixture and centering dies. Here's exactly what that buys you and who should pick which.
Powder Check Systems Compared: Powder Cop vs. Lock-Out Die vs. Dillon vs. Laser
An honest comparison of every powder check option for progressive reloading presses — Hornady Powder Cop, RCBS Lock-Out Die, Dillon Powder Check, Mark 7 PowderCheck, and laser systems — with the real trade-offs of each.
RCM Laser Powder Check vs. Mark 7 PowderCheck Sensor: An Honest Comparison
Mark 7's PowderCheck sensor costs ~$200; RCM's laser powder checks start at $499. Here's exactly what the extra money buys — and when the Mark 7 sensor is the right call.
Squib Loads: What Causes Them and How to Prevent Them on a Progressive Press
What a squib load is, why progressives produce them, the warning signs that save barrels, and a layered prevention system for high-volume reloading — from process discipline to automatic powder checking.
Mark 7 PowderCheck False Alarms: Causes, Fixes, and When to Upgrade
Why the Mark 7 PowderCheck sensor throws false alarms — empty stations, probe fit, mixed brass, window settings — and how to fix each one before alarm fatigue makes your press less safe.
Double Charges in 9mm: Why They Happen on Progressives and How to Catch Them
A double charge of fast pistol powder can destroy a 9mm pistol. Why 9mm is uniquely vulnerable, how doubles actually happen on a progressive press, and the layered defenses that catch them.
Two Loaders, One Argument: The $200 Mark 7 PowderCheck vs. the RCM Laser
The powder-check argument every Mark 7 owner eventually has — told as a debate between two experienced loaders. The strongest honest case for the $199.95 factory sensor, the strongest case for laser measurement, the rebuttals both sides deserve, and where they actually agree.
The $39.99 Part That Makes a $549.99 Sensor Honest: Centering, Explained
Why the off-press laser centering jig and centering dies are the difference between a laser powder check that's merely good and one you can trust with your tightest windows — learned the hard way on our own twenty-press loading floor.
Bullet Check Pro vs. Standard: Presence Is Only Half the Job
The Standard tells you a bullet is there. The Pro tells you it's seated right — measuring height from a spot you choose on the bullet, and stopping the press when the seating die walks. Here's the difference, and why alignment is where bullet sensors live or die.
Powder Checks for Dillon Presses: What Fits a 550, 750, and 1100 — and What a Laser Adds
Dillon owners have three real powder-check options: Dillon's own alarm, the RCBS Lock-Out Die, and a stand-alone laser. Here's the station math for the 550, 750, and 1100, what each option actually does on a bad charge, and where the laser earns its price on a hand-cranked press.
More coming
New guides publish regularly — Mark 7 setup and troubleshooting, USPSA load consistency, and commercial QC documentation are all in the pipeline. Join the newsletter at the bottom of the page and we'll send new guides when they land.