January 2, 1935 – November 7th, 2016
- flew for TWA
- writer/photographer for Air Progress Magazine
- started the warbird restoration movement in the 1960’s
- redesigned and manufactured the M134 Mini Gun
- Restored – P-40 Warhawk.
- Restored – TT-1 Pinto jet
- Restored – 3 T-34A military trainers
- Restored – UH-1H Huey
About Mike Dillon
Mike Dillon was the founder of Dillon Precision Products, the Arizona company whose progressive reloading presses became a fixture on the benches of competitive shooters and high-volume handloaders. Before entering the firearms business he built a long aviation career as a flight instructor, crop duster and Trans World Airlines pilot from 1966 to 1980, and he wrote for Air Progress magazine from 1967 to 1974. He started Dillon Precision in 1979 out of his family garage, selling directly to customers and backing his machines with a lifetime warranty, a policy that helped build the company’s reputation.
Around 1990, his Dillon Aero operation began redesigning the M134 Minigun, and the improved gun was eventually adopted by the U.S. armed forces. In October 1990 he launched The Blue Press, a catalog and magazine for reloaders and competitive shooters that is still published. Dillon served on the NRA Board of Directors from 1993 to 1996 and was a founding member of the Cactus Combat League in Arizona. He died on November 7, 2016, at age 81. For gun owners, his legacy is practical: affordable, reliable ammunition at home and a faster gun for the troops.
Key Facts
- 1966-1980: Commercial pilot for Trans World Airlines
- 1979: Founded Dillon Precision Products in his family garage
- Around 1990: Dillon Aero begins redesigning the M134 Minigun
- October 1990: First issue of The Blue Press
- 1993-1996: NRA Director
- November 7, 2016: Died in Arizona at 81
