Published: April 2026 | Last updated: April 2026
Disclaimer: Specifications and pricing in this article are drawn from manufacturer and retailer sources current at time of publication. Stock availability fluctuates – verify current availability before purchasing.
At $385.00, the Dillon Precision RF100 Auto Primer Filler is in a different category from every other primer-related tool reviewed in this series. The Lee bench primer costs $35.99. The RCBS Ram Priming Unit costs $44.49. The Hornady 1911 Auto costs $99.99. The RF100 costs nearly ten times the Lee tool and four times the Hornady. That price is the first thing to address honestly, because the justification for it only exists in a specific workflow context – and for reloaders outside that context, it’s simply not the right tool regardless of how well it performs.
For reloaders inside that context – running a high-throughput progressive press operation where primer tube filling is a genuine production bottleneck and session interruptions cost real time – the RF100 is one of the most polished, functionally complete automated priming accessories in the market. Dillon builds it to the same standard as their RL 1100 and CP 2000 press lines: production-grade construction, electric motor drive, shielded primer tube to contain any detonation, and a design that genuinely removes human intervention from the tube-filling step.
The Large assembly covered in this review handles large primers – large pistol and large rifle – which are used in calibers like 45 ACP, 44 Magnum, 357 Magnum, 308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield, and similar. A separate Small assembly exists for small pistol and small rifle primers. Both assemblies are available individually, which means you purchase the size for your primary application and add the other later if your workflow expands.
Key Specifications
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Dillon Precision Products |
| Model | RF100 Auto Primer Filler Assembly – Large |
| SKU | 534153 |
| UPC | 609824970775 |
| Function | Fully automatic electric primer tube filler |
| Primer Size | Large (large pistol and large rifle) |
| Fill Time | Approximately 2 minutes per tube |
| Operation | Electric motor – button-operated |
| Primer Tube Shield | Yes – shielded enclosure during filling |
| Compatible With | Dillon primer pickup tubes; verify for other systems |
| MSRP | $385.00 |
| Approx. Street Price | $350.00 – $385.00 |
| Stock Status | Intermittently available – check current availability |
The two-minute fill time is the operational figure that matters most for evaluating the RF100’s value. If you’re running a Dillon RL 1100 at 600-800 rounds per hour and your primer tube holds 100 primers, you’re refilling tubes roughly every 7-10 minutes. Without the RF100, that refill means stopping production, filling the tube manually or with a manual filler, and restarting. With the RF100 running in parallel – tube loading while the press runs – you approach uninterrupted production flow. At that volume and rate, the $385 investment represents roughly 5-10 loading sessions to recover the cost in saved time, depending on how you value your time at the bench.
For a reloader running 200 rounds per session once a week, the math works differently. Two tube refills per session, two minutes each without the RF100, equals four minutes of tube-filling per week. The RF100 doesn’t pay for itself in that context – the Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime at $40-60 handles the same use case adequately at a fraction of the cost.
How the RF100 Works
The operation is genuinely simple, which is part of what Dillon charges for. The RF100 assembly mounts to the bench or press area. You pour primers from the original box into the top of the hopper – no tray orientation step, no individual primer handling – press the blue button, and the electric motor runs a vibratory orientation system that feeds primers anvil-down into the pickup tube. In approximately two minutes, the tube is full and ready to install in the press.
The shielded tube enclosure is a safety feature worth calling out specifically. Primer detonation during tube filling is a low-probability event, but one that carries real consequences. The RF100’s enclosure is designed to contain the energy of a primer chain-detonation during the fill cycle, protecting the operator from the flash and concussion that would otherwise reach the work area. Dillon designed this into the RF100 specifically because the tool handles a full tube of primers simultaneously – more primers in a concentrated space than most other filling methods involve at any one point.
This safety design is one of the meaningful differentiators between the RF100 and lower-cost alternatives like the Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime, which does not use a shielded enclosure. Whether that safety feature is worth the price difference depends on your assessment of the risk and your volume of operation.
Build Quality and Dillon’s Engineering Standard
Dillon Precision builds the RF100 to the same standard as their press line – which means it’s built to run continuously in a production environment, not to be used occasionally and stored away. The construction is metal and reinforced polymer throughout the load-bearing components, with the motor assembly sized for continuous duty rather than intermittent use.
The design reflects the same philosophy that runs through Dillon’s press lineup: reduce operator intervention at every step, contain failure modes so they don’t cascade, and build for longevity at high volume. The RF100 is designed to be running alongside the press during every session of serious production reloading, not positioned as an occasional convenience accessory.
The blue button operation is deliberately simple – one button, runs until the tube is full, stops. No settings to dial in, no feed rate adjustment, no configuration between primer sizes within the Large assembly. The simplicity reduces the failure modes and the learning curve equally.
Large vs. Small Assembly – Which Do You Need?
The RF100 is available in two assemblies that are not interchangeable: Large for large pistol and large rifle primers, and Small for small pistol and small rifle primers. The choice depends on your primary loading application.
Large primer assembly covers:
- Large pistol calibers: 45 ACP, 45 Colt, 44 Magnum, 44 Special, 357 Magnum, 40 S&W (some configurations)
- Large rifle calibers: 308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield, 300 Winchester Magnum, 7mm Remington Magnum, 338 Lapua Magnum, 6.5 PRC, 300 WSM
Small primer assembly covers:
- Small pistol calibers: 9mm Luger, 38 Special, 380 ACP, 357 Sig
- Small rifle calibers: 223 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, 308 Winchester (some configurations use small rifle), 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Grendel
A reloader who produces both 45 ACP in volume and 9mm Luger in volume will eventually want both assemblies – at $385 each, that’s a $770 investment in tube-filling equipment alone. At that level, the workflow producing those rounds needs to be genuinely high-throughput to pencil out.
Where the RF100 Belongs
The Right Context: High-Throughput Production Reloading
The RF100 makes clear sense in one context: a reloader running a Dillon RL 1100 or Dillon CP 2000 press at near-continuous production rates, loading thousands of rounds per month, where session efficiency is measured seriously and primer tube filling is a recurring interruption in the production flow.
At 600-1,000 rounds per hour production rate, primer tube fills happen every 6-10 minutes. Without automation, that means regular full stops. With the RF100 running alongside the press on its own two-minute cycle, the operator places a filled tube from the RF100 and starts another filling cycle simultaneously with resumed press operation. Session interruptions for tube filling shrink from a production bottleneck to a 15-second tube swap.
Commercial reloading operations, competitive shooters who produce 10,000+ rounds annually, and high-volume hobbyists running multi-hour weekly sessions are the natural RF100 customers. The tool is designed for that environment and priced accordingly.
The Wrong Context: Occasional or Moderate-Volume Reloading
For a reloader producing 200-500 rounds per session once a week, the RF100 is the wrong tool. The Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime at $40-60 handles moderate-volume tube filling adequately. Manual tube filling with a primer flip tray handles low-volume loading without any additional tool cost. The RF100’s price premium is not justified by the time savings at moderate production rates.
The stock availability situation – the RF100 is frequently out of stock and can have extended lead times – also matters for planning. If you decide the RF100 is the right tool for your workflow, factor in ordering lead time and Dillon’s current stock position rather than assuming same-week availability.
Dillon’s Progressive Press Ecosystem
The RF100 is designed first and foremost as a companion to Dillon’s own progressive presses, and it integrates most naturally into a Dillon-centric bench. The primer pickup tubes used in Dillon presses fit the RF100’s output assembly, and the two-minute fill cycle is timed around the throughput rates of Dillon’s mid-to-high-production press line.
| Press | Primary Use | RF100 Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Dillon RL 550C | Mid-volume versatile | Borderline – depends on session volume |
| Dillon XL 750 | High-volume rifle/pistol | Good fit at high session volumes |
| Dillon RL 1100 | Production-grade high output | Natural companion |
| Dillon CP 2000 | Commercial/competition production | Essential companion |
For RL 550C users, the RF100’s value depends almost entirely on how many rounds you produce per session. At 200-300 rounds per session, the primer tube refills infrequently enough that the RF100 adds cost without proportionate time savings. At 500+ rounds per session with the RL 550C running consistently, the RF100 starts to make more economic sense.
The RF100 can be adapted for use with non-Dillon progressive presses if their primer pickup tubes are compatible, but it’s a Dillon-native design and the integration is cleanest in that ecosystem.
Competitive Analysis
At $385, the RF100 has almost no direct price-tier competitors. The competitive landscape is:
Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime Automatic Primer Tube Filler – $40-60, vibratory orientation, no shielded enclosure, adequate for moderate volume. The direct alternative for reloaders who need automatic tube filling but not at RF100 production rates. For any reloader not running a continuous-production press at high throughput, this is the first option to evaluate before considering the RF100.
Hornady Lock-N-Load 1911 Auto Primer Tube Filler – $99.99, manual pistol-action, no electric motor, 2.6-star review average. Lower price than the RF100, not electric, and with a problematic review record. Not a meaningful alternative for production-volume users.
Manual tube loading with primer flip tray – $0 additional cost beyond a basic primer tray. Time-intensive but works at any volume, gives complete orientation control, no mechanical parts to fail. For reloaders not yet at production volume, this remains a legitimate no-cost alternative to any automated tool.
RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool – Primes cases directly rather than filling tubes, different category. For single-stage press users or turret press users who don’t use tube-fed priming systems, the RCBS bench primer addresses the priming task differently than a tube filler.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Dillon RF100 Large | Frankford Vibra-Prime | Hornady 1911 Auto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Electric motor / vibratory | Electric vibratory | Manual lever |
| Shielded Enclosure | Yes | No | No |
| Fill Time | ~2 minutes | ~3-5 minutes | Manual rate |
| Primer Size | Large only (Large assembly) | Both sizes | Both sizes |
| Dillon Tube Compatible | Yes (native) | Yes (with adapter) | No (Hornady native) |
| Production Rating | Commercial-grade | Hobbyist to semi-pro | Light duty |
| User Rating | No published rating | ~4.2 / 5 | 2.6 / 5 (15 reviews) |
| Price | $385.00 | $40 – $60 | $99.99 |
Setup and Operation
Mounting. The RF100 mounts on the bench adjacent to the press. Dillon recommends a stable, vibration-free mounting surface – the vibratory mechanism needs to sit level for proper primer orientation. The mounting hardware is included with the assembly.
Loading primers. Pour primers directly from the original box into the top hopper. No tray orientation, no individual handling. The RF100’s internal orientation system handles the anvil-down positioning automatically. Dillon specifies to use only one box (100 primers) at a time rather than dumping multiple boxes together, which maintains consistent orientation through the fill cycle.
Operating the fill cycle. Press the blue button. The motor runs automatically and the primers feed into the pickup tube inside the shielded enclosure. The cycle takes approximately two minutes. Do not open the shield or interrupt the cycle mid-run.
Installing the tube. Once the fill cycle completes, the tube slides out of the shielded enclosure and installs directly into the press’s priming system. Inspect the tube visually for orientation consistency before installation – even with the RF100’s reliable orientation system, a pre-installation check is worth 10 seconds.
Primer brand variation. Like all automated orientation systems, the RF100 performs most consistently with primers that have tight dimensional tolerances. CCI and Federal primers of consistent lot quality run cleanly through the system. Primers with dimensional variation between lots, or primers at the edge of the specification envelope, can occasionally produce orientation anomalies. If you source primers from multiple manufacturers, run each brand through the RF100 for the first time with a full inspection of the loaded tube before installing in the press.
Troubleshooting
Primers not advancing through the orientation system. The most common cause is primer dimensional variation or foreign material in the hopper. Empty the hopper completely, brush the orientation channel clean, and reload with fresh primers from a single lot. If the problem persists with a specific primer brand, that brand may not be within the RF100’s tolerance range for its orientation geometry.
Fill cycle runs but tube isn’t filling. Check that the pickup tube is fully seated in the assembly’s output position. An improperly seated tube can receive primers initially and then misalign as the column builds. Remove and reseat the tube before resuming.
Occasional inverted primer in the tube. Inspect the tube before installation – this is why the inspection step exists. Remove the inverted primer, inspect the remainder of the tube, and reload the inverted primer back through the RF100 hopper. If inverted primers appear consistently, contact Dillon service – the RF100’s orientation system should not produce this outcome regularly.
Motor runs but no primer movement. Check that the unit is mounted level. The RF100’s vibratory orientation depends on proper leveling to function correctly. Re-level the mounting surface and retry.
Contacting Dillon. Dillon’s customer service and warranty support is one of the genuine differentiators of their brand. For a $385 tool, any mechanical issue that doesn’t resolve with the standard setup steps warrants a direct call to Dillon. Their no-hassle warranty covers their equipment, and the company’s reputation for standing behind their products is well established in the reloading community.
FAQ
Does the RF100 work with non-Dillon presses? The RF100 is designed around Dillon primer pickup tubes. If your progressive press uses Dillon-compatible tubes – some non-Dillon presses can be adapted to use Dillon tube systems – the RF100 can work with them. For presses with proprietary tube systems, compatibility is not guaranteed. Contact Dillon before purchasing for a non-Dillon press application.
Do I need both the Large and Small assemblies? Only if you load calibers requiring both primer sizes in meaningful volume. For a reloader focused on 45 ACP and 308 Winchester production, the Large assembly covers both. For mixed 9mm Luger and 308 Winchester production, you’d eventually want both.
What does “intermittently available” mean for purchasing? The RF100 is a Dillon-made product with production runs that don’t always keep pace with demand. It is not always in stock at major retailers or directly from Dillon. If you decide to purchase, check current availability directly with Dillon Precision and major retailers, and plan for potential lead time.
Is the shielded enclosure actually necessary? The shielded enclosure is a passive safety feature – it’s there if a detonation event occurs during the fill cycle, not a feature you actively use. Primer detonation during tube filling is a rare event, but when it happens it happens fast. The RF100’s enclosure is designed to contain the energy and protect the operator. At the RF100’s throughput rates – where primers are being cycled continuously for long sessions – that passive protection is worth having.
Why is there no user rating for this product? No user rating was available at the time of publication for this specific SKU. The RF100 has a long track record in the Dillon ecosystem dating back many years and is widely discussed in high-volume reloading communities, but the listing reviewed here did not carry an aggregated rating. Dillon’s overall reputation for product quality and customer service is the proxy for product confidence where a rating is absent.
Can it fill a tube with mixed primer brands? Technically yes, but it’s not recommended. Primers from different manufacturers have dimensional variation between them, and mixing brands in the same fill cycle can cause orientation inconsistency where the orientation mechanism is calibrated for one primer diameter and encounters another. Run single-brand, single-lot fills for most consistent results.
Is the RF100 the best tube filler for a Dillon RL 1100? For a reloader running the RL 1100 at production rates, yes – it’s the purpose-built companion tool for that press at that volume. For an RL 1100 user running at more moderate rates, the Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime at $40-60 covers the tube-filling need without the $385 investment.
Conclusion
The Dillon Precision RF100 Auto Primer Filler Assembly Large is a production-grade tool built for production-grade use. At $385 per assembly, it is priced for the reloading context where its value is clear: continuous-operation progressive press loading at high throughput, where primer tube filling is a genuine workflow bottleneck and the shielded enclosure and two-minute fill cycle deliver meaningful session efficiency gains over any alternative.
Outside that context, it’s the wrong tool for the price. The Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime at $40-60 handles moderate-volume tube filling adequately. Manual tube loading handles low-volume reloading without any additional cost. The RF100’s price premium only makes economic sense when the volume is high enough and the session time valuable enough that $385 represents a reasonable investment in production efficiency.
Stock availability is a practical consideration alongside the price. The RF100 is not always on the shelf, and lead times from Dillon can extend weeks depending on demand. Factor that into your planning if you decide this is the right tool for your operation.
Choose the RF100 Large if you run a Dillon RL 1100, CP 2000, or XL 750 at high production rates with large primers, session time has genuine economic value to you, and the shielded enclosure’s passive safety benefit is relevant at the volume you’re running.
Choose the Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime instead if you need automatic tube filling at moderate volume – the practical choice for the vast majority of progressive press reloaders who don’t operate at commercial throughput rates.
Choose manual tube loading instead if your loading volume is low enough that tube-filling time is not a meaningful session bottleneck – the free option that requires no additional equipment at all.
Editorial note: Originally published April 2026. Article covers the Dillon Precision RF100 Auto Primer Filler Assembly Large (SKU 534153, UPC 609824970775, MSRP $385.00). No user rating was available for this listing at time of publication. Stock availability is intermittent – verify before purchasing. Internal links updated throughout to current myreloading.com equipment reviews and caliber guides.
