In Memoriam: Mike Dillon

by
posted on February 9, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
dillion.jpg

Mike Dillon, a former member of the NRA Board of Directors and a giant of the ammunition reloading industry, passed away Nov. 7, 2016, in Arizona. He was 81 years old.

Dillon started reloading as a hobby, initially seeking to produce only enough ammunition to keep his own firearms fed. But in 1979 he founded Dillon Precision Products and began manufacturing reloading equipment and shooting accessories from the family garage. By selling directly to his customers instead of through distributors, and due to his willingness to stand by his company’s products with a lifetime warranty, Dillon quickly established a fiercely loyal customer base. That allowed his firm to grow rapidly into a major player within its industry.

In October 1990, Dillon also started publishing The Blue Press, a catalog/magazine with an emphasis on reloading and competitive shooting, which is still in production today. Around that same time another of Dillon’s business ventures, Dillon Aero, started work to redesign the U.S. military’s M134 Minigun, eventually successfully achieving adoption by the armed forces.

Dillon served as an NRA Director from 1993 to 1996, and sat on the Collegiate Programs, Membership, Public Affairs and Finance committees. An NRA Life member, during his tenure with the association he was particularly active in, and passionate about, efforts to increase membership, educate new shooters and combat political assaults against the Second Amendment.

“I feel that we are now at a ‘do or die’ point in the life of the NRA. I have enough historical hindsight to see that others have felt that way in the past; however, I don’t believe that the forces arrayed against us have ever been as powerful as they are now,” he once said. “The one-two punch of Hollywood’s violent television shows and movies, combined with the liberal left’s anti-gun messages, are having a telling effect on the public’s attitude towards gun ownership. Only a strong and well-financed NRA is positioned to oppose this juggernaut.”

Affiliated with the National Reloading Manufacturers Ass’n and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Dillon was also a founding member of the Cactus Combat League in his home state of Arizona, a competitive shooting group dedicated to USPSA, 3-Gun and Steel Challenge matches.

In addition to his work within the firearm industry, Dillon was an avid aviator. Prior to his transition into the reloading business, he had worked as a flight instructor, a crop duster, a commercial pilot for Trans World Airlines from 1966 to 1980, and a writer for Air Progress magazine from 1967 until 1974. Dillon was also a member of the Experimental Aircraft Ass’n, the EAA’s Warbirds of America, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Ass’n and the T-34 Ass’n, and had restored several dilapidated aircraft back into working order.

Dillon is survived by his wife, Carol; their three children, Stephen, Christopher and Stephanie; and nine grandchildren.

Latest

FN “Moroccan” Mauser, semi-automatic LRB M14SA
FN “Moroccan” Mauser, semi-automatic LRB M14SA

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Trijicon Releases Green-Dot RMR

For the first time, the Trijicon RMR will now be available with a green aiming dot, providing some benefits to shooters with astigmatism and red-green color blindness.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 15, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Firearm Industry Companies Consolidate, Others Close Doors In 2025

This year has already seen some big changes in the firearm industry. They don’t quite reach the tectonic shift in 2020, when legendary firms owned by Remington Outdoor were auctioned off, but there have still been some notable shifts within the industry in 2025.

Preview: Uni-Loader

The easy-to-use Uni-Loader can save high-volume shooters a lot of time and finger pain.

CZ 600+ Introduces Switch-Barrel Capability

In 2025, CZ USA expanded its 600 series rifle lineup with the CZ 600+, a design that delivers on the company's promise of a switch-barrel platform.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.