I load a few of the rounds you speak of (or something very close to them). Buy a cast iron framed press for starters (O frame or a Forster). I use almost nothing but Forster or Redding dies with a few others here and there. All my revolver ammo is done off Lyman dies for a good reason. The Forster seater is the best period. The Redding is a very good seater as well, but the Forster is also half the price. The Forster sizer is slightly different than the others, and that difference is a plus. The Redding bushing die is very good, and also uses Wilson bushings. Forster uses their own bushings, but otherwise are pretty much equale.
I either prime with the device on my Forster press or use a K&M. Sinclair sells a very nice (and expensive) one as well. The rest are paper weights except for the bench mounted Forster.
I throw charges with a cheapo Lyman #55 or a Harrell (expensive). The Lyman will do everything you need unless you can find a nice Belding & Mull ( no longer made). I use two different Pact electronic scales, and wouldn't slightly consider another. I do not even own a beam scale anymore for a good reason. For long grained powders I throw a charge a couple grains short, and trickel the rest. Redding also sells a couple nice powder measurers, but none measure long grained powders all that well, except for a B&M.
You need something to make measurements with. I use a 4" Mitutoyo dial caliper 90% of the time. But a dial (or digital) caliper cannot make accurate measurments when trying to measure the I.D. of a case because the blades have flats on them. They do sell a pin attatchment for them, but will be too big for the I.D. of most cases. For O.D.'s they are just fine. I use a set of small hole gauges, and measure them with a 1" micrometer. The Hornaday gauge setup is the simplest and best way to go for setting up you headspace and seating depth. Davidson also sells a similar gauge setup (have not used it). The best concentricity gauge out there is probably a NECO, but others like some of the other brands. I use my own, and like it. Not all dial indicators are the same! Avoid the Chinese ones! Most gear and rack indicators come with 10% built in lag (backlash), and this is what 90% of the concentricity gauges use. A wand type is by far the best. (I use either an Interrapid or the zero lag Brown & Sharpe)
I trim most rifle cases with a Wilson because it's the best I've found, and can be had fairly reasonable. Forster also sells a pretty good one, but the Wilson is a little better. I deburr the O.D. with a standard deburr tool like everybody else uses. But I deburr the I.D.'s with a modified tapered pin reamer (makes seating boat tailed bullets easier). K&M sells a better device that does the samething.
Back to presses a second. There is a wide margin of initial cost involved with presses. I've been using the same press since 1978, and it's just as tight today as it was in 1978. When your doing long cases it really puts a lot of strain of the press and the fulcrum points. Buy a good heavyduty press and be done with it! With the Forster you don't need a priming device, or shell holders that cost $10 a piece, and in the end you come out ahead when you add $50 for shell holders and a good priming device ($85+). The Redding is no better than a Rockchucker (gotta pay for their name and markup), and Rockchuckers can be had for around $130. A Forster is about $240. Power wise (and you will need this) the Forster is way out in front.
Suggest you do a search on these boards for comments made in the past
gary
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