[MCgunner]

I've had this thing about 7 years, a "square deal" progressive. It was $250 when I bought it. It never has fed primers too well. Tonight I think I used 70 primers to load 50 rounds. :rolleyes: It's been sitting a long time and I tried to clean it up, brought it in and loaded on it just for a test run really. I just need to get the primer feed going smoothly and it'll be okay, but I've learned to always check the primer pocket on each throw to make sure it got one. Slows things, but it's necessary. It is faster than my Lyman turret press, but it's frustrating sometimes.

[BEARMAN]

GOTO www.dillonprecision.com get their phone number and call them . With your press in front of you and you on the phone, they can talk you through the setup or repair or suggest you send it back to them.

[cordex]

Call Dillon. They'll help you out.

[trodery]

I once bought a used Square Deal B on Ebay, I had a couple problems with it so I called Dillon. They told me to send it to them...when I got it back about 10 days later it was comletly re-built!

Dillon's no BS Warranty is the best warranty I have ever seen gun related or not.

DILLON ROCKS!!

Send your SDB to Dillon...they WILL fix it up for you!

[MCgunner]

Wow, I didn't know that. Thanks!

[cbsbyte]

Primer feeding is the weakest link on all progressive presses. Though some models, and makes are better than others in this dept.

[benedict1]

I had a SDB for about two weeks and sent it back for exactly the same reasons. The primer system was totally kaput. I was on the phone with Dillon tech support 2-3 times a day on some of the more frustrating days. They did their best.

I gave up and went to simpler, less expensive, non-progressive equipment and have been loading perfect rounds for weeks, no primer problems at all. I can load about 200 rounds per hour with my gear and that's enough a couple of times a week to keep us shooting. And I see every primer go into the cup, correctly. If it doesn't it is always my error and I can correct it immediately with my current setup.

As noted above, you can expect problems with progressive priming systems, some much worse than others.

[crackerjack]

As stated, call dillon let them help you get it adjusted . Their presses can be trying to get adjusted properly but once done perform great. If all is up to spec and in proper adjustment you don't have to accept alot of malfunction because it is a progressive press. A solid mount and smooth consistent handle strokes will also aid operation. If my memory is correct there was a certain brand of primers that had some history of malfunctions at one time with dillons but dillon can advise on . When the sdb is right it is a great working machine.I have no ties with dillon other than owning several of thir presses. Don't give up on it or quit till you get it right.

[strambo]

The only time I had priming problems was when the little plastic piece at the bottom of the feed tube got out of whack. Once I figured this out (and Dillon sent me a no hassle replacement) no problems since.

[MCgunner]

Thanks for all the input. I'm going to mess with it today. I think part of the problem, after thinking about it, was that I only put 50 primers in to start with and there wasn't a lot of weight forcing them down the tube toward the end. I didn't have a LOT of trouble till I had loaded about half of my run. I was having to force the primer cup back in every stroke with my finger. Maybe some lithium grease would help. I didn't wanna spray a bunch of WD40 on it and contaminate my primers.

Anyway, with 100 rounds of primers in there, it may feed a lot better I'm thinking. It's not mal-adjusted, just a little corroded. It's been sitting out in my shop over the years and I live by the bay. Pretty hot and humid down here not to mention the salt air. I'll call Dillon as a last resort. Good to know they have good tech help and warranty. Can't be much other than corrosion bothering the priming. Priming was my problem. If it got a primer, everything else was fine.

I do have a turret press I've used for 30 years, a Lyman, to fall back on, but I'm a bone head. I wanna make this thing work right. LOL When I first got it, I would go crankin' it out thinkin' it should be all automatic. But, I quickly learned to take my time with it and check the primer as it primes each one. Don't get in no big rush cause if you get a problem and don't catch it, you just wasted not only cases and bullets, but time. :rolleyes: I ain't lookin' for factory loading rates, but I would like to load a little smoother than things went last night.:rolleyes: And, I don't need to be cussin' like that around my grand baby. LOL!

[P0832177]

The best advice is to call Dillon and get it squared away!

[loadedround]

I have two Dillon 550b's myself and have 4 friends that load IPSC 45 ACP's on on SDB's. No one has a bit of troulbe with their presses; but remember what Dillon says in their Instruction Manual, " don't suffer in silence". Do what all the others have said to do, " call Dillon and have them make it right". Dillon does not sell a reloader that doesn't work!:banghead:

[clasiter]

All hail the blue koolaid drinkers.lol

[MCgunner]

It's working a lot better, now. I haven't called Dillon, but the little primer tube block is working now that some of the lube has worked in and the primer bar is working better. I loaded up another 50 rounds just takin' it easy. It is a little off on the timing when working it really slow, but a little help with a thumb indexes the carrier plate all the way. I didn't waste but about 6 primers this time and 4 of 'em got knocked sideway as I was fiddling with friggin' military brass (not decrimped primer pocket) so that don't really count. Not much waste this time and went fairly smooth and fast. I'm happy with it, anyway. What this thing really needs is to be USED, so I've decided not to let it sit. :D It just sat up, got musty and rusty, so I'm working it out and getting it limber again.

One thing this thing has always done is occasionally the spent primers will back up in the block below the decapper. I took it apart after I'd bought it and drilled out that hole and it don't do that so much anymore. I'll occasionally have to rod out that hole with a coat hanger wire, but not often since I drilled out the hole bigger. That little bucket that hangs below to catch the spent primers got lost, somewhere out in that mess I call a shop. :banghead: But, it was sorta useless anyway. I prefer just putting a bucket under it to catch the spents. But, it is nice just to be able to rip out a couple of boxes in the time it'd take me to decap and prime 50 the old way.

I do need to get a .38 special die set and or maybe a .45ACP die set for it. I shoot a lot of 9mm and that's what I got it in, but heck, I can BUY 9mm WWB for $6.50. :rolleyes: I have it set up to shoot the load I used to use in IDPA, accurate and just does meet minimum power factor. Buying bulk Winchester bullets from Midway, it costs me about 5 bucks a box of fifty. I have a cast load, 105 grain SWC bullet, that's quite accurate, but can't push that bullet fast enough to make minimum without it leading the bore up. I have a good stash of bullets, but think I might set it up for cast loads when I run out. Don't shoot IDPA much anymore and I cast range scrap for nothing. Good practice ammo, works the action 100 percent, but not much recoil like a +P load. Still, it's the cheap way to go.

I bought a 124 grain mold for 9mm, but that bullet is worthless in every gun I've fired it in, actually key holes the target. :rolleyes: Advice, don't buy a Lee 124 grain truncated cone mold.

[Quinch]

All hail the guys who buy a damn good press with outstanding customer support.

I have an SBD, to switch between primer sizes you have to adjust the primer feed system slightly.
Do you have the manual?

It should work like clockwork if properly adjusted. No manual indexing involved.

[45auto]

Best bet is to have Dillon rebuild it so you can start fresh.

I've had a SDB a long time now, back when they were $189 :eek: , and they do need to be kept clean and lubricated to run smooth.

If you like to do things yourself, then Dillon will talk you threw it. I'd buy their parts kit, even though they replace parts free, if you want to keep loading immediately.

I replace the primer feed "tips", plastic, fairly often before they split and cause a mess with the primers.

When loading 45, I do use One Shot lube which greatly reduces the "effort" needed to load and "smooths" out the cycling of the SDB, which is important IMO.

Good luck

[3rdpig]

I don't have a Dillon, so I can't help you out much, but on my Loadmaster I've found 3 things that help with primer feed.

First, make sure the adjustments are correct and don't try tweaking the adjustment to get a deeper primer seat unless you know the press can do it without flipping primers or jamming the feed mechanism.

Second get a bottle of powdered graphite and put a thin tube on it, like the one that comes on WD-40 cans. Every few hundred primers I give a puff of graphite into the chute on the primer feed.

Make sure that you swage or chamfer any military primer pockets and even the non military cases sometimes have sharp edges around the pockets that catch primers.

These three things have kept the primers feeding smoothly even when I get down to the last few primers.

Also, I don't know if this trick will work on the SDB, but I was told that putting a second sizing die, minus the decapping pin, in the priming station wil help line the case up and make primer seating on the Loadmaster much smoother. I haven't tried it because after I learned the above 3 things I haven't had any more primer feed problems.

Good luck!

[Glock9]

Stick a 45acp shell on top of the black plastic primer rod. It's a perfect fit.

I've got 2 SDBs and a 550 and have a shell on each primer rod and never have problems with primer feeding.

[tac5mh8]

Just, my input, but i have had older presses, foul on the inside of the primmer tube, make sure its clean, no dents, bends, and also i noticed cci primers and the dillon, seem to give a bit of trouble, I have had this happen on a 550, as well, use other primers, and works great, Good LUck

[benedict1]

What does a 45 ACP empty do?? Is that in the instruction book?

[Father Knows Best]

I have two 550's, both of which I bought used. Neither has given me any problems.

I also have an SL900 shotshell press that I bought on ebay. It showed up with several parts missing, and others broken. Even the platform (big cast metal piece) was cracked. I called Dillon to order replacement parts, and they wouldn't let me pay for them! They even figured out that it was an older version, and sent me all the parts to upgrade it!

I love Dillon....

[cordex]

What does a 45 ACP empty do?? Is that in the instruction book?
If placed on the plastic follower rod, it adds a little weight to it and helps push the primers into feeding position better.

[strambo]

Thats a cool tip.:D I don't have a.45 ACP right now, but I still got plenty of brass.

[MCgunner]

I have an SBD, to switch between primer sizes you have to adjust the primer feed system slightly.
Do you have the manual?

Yeah, I've got the manual and everything it came with. I'll check out what it says.

Cool tip on the .45 case! A .45 colt case is heavier, and heck, I think I have some .45-70 brass out in the shop. :D