WSP primers in Dillon RL550B... Nothing But Problems

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300Whspr

300Whspr

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Anybody have any issues with Winchester Small Pistol primers in your Dillon?

I finished up with some CCI's that for the most part worked well. But I had a few hundred Winchesters that I wanted to use up, so I switched over to them, and it was downhill from there. I ended up using about 350 of them... and it was a fight all the way through... I don't think I ever went more than ten rounds without a misfeed. I adjusted, cleaned, adjusted some more, and couldn't get them to work reliably at all.

The silly things kept turning over upside down either inside the primer tube, or when the primer slide thing would pick them up, or they wouldn't feed at all into the primer slide/punch.

Any suggestions???

Today was really the first time I've used the primer feed on my 550... up to now I've been loading a bunch of pre-primed brass.
 
I don't have a Dillon but I do have a primer tube and if you were using the small pistol primer tube there isn't any way that a small primer inside that tube could turn upside down. Perhaps it might if you were using the large pistol primer tube and put small pistol primers inside it.
 
I had terrible problems with my old 550 feeding primers, same issues as yours and then some. I called Dillon and they sent me an entire new priming system and it solved everything. Granted my press is 30 years old, but Try giving them a call.
 
300Whspr said:
Anybody have any issues with Winchester Small Pistol primers in your Dillon?

I finished up with some CCI's that for the most part worked well. But I had a few hundred Winchesters that I wanted to use up, so I switched over to them, and it was downhill from there. I ended up using about 350 of them... and it was a fight all the way through... I don't think I ever went more than ten rounds without a misfeed. I adjusted, cleaned, adjusted some more, and couldn't get them to work reliably at all.

The silly things kept turning over upside down either inside the primer tube, or when the primer slide thing would pick them up, or they wouldn't feed at all into the primer slide/punch.

Any suggestions???

Today was really the first time I've used the primer feed on my 550... up to now I've been loading a bunch of pre-primed brass.
Click to expand...
300 whisper I have a Dillion 550 and I prime on it all the time. In fact I prefer WSP I have had to use cci because my LGS was out. I don't have any problems with the primers flipping in the tube. Like Milt 1 said you might have the large tube in but that wouldn't explain why the cci primers work. Sounds like a call to Dillion they have great customer service
 
I had some problems with the primer feed on my 550. The lesson is to call Dillon. As it happened the entire assembly had come loose. Took minutes to fix. Not saying this is your problem. Just sharing my fix on my problem. Try the phone. Why does this stuff happen on Sunday's or 11:30PM.
 
I believe it is the primers and not the press. I was using S&B small pistol primers in my Lee Pro1000 and at last use loaded over 3000 w/o a single failure until I ran out and had to start using Winchester again. From the very change over from the S&B I had nothing but trouble. Finally found that when the press was feeding the primer up into position and the primer pin raised the next in line primer was being dragged up with the pin and causing it to flip and stand on it's side. I then tried some CCI and a few of the S&B I had left and the problem completely disappeared. The finish on the Winchester primers is not as smooth as any of the others.
 
Do you put the plastic follower rod into the tube on top of the stack of primers before you pull the pin to drop them into the feeder tube? I do that and it stopped my problem of upside down primers on my 650.
Lafitte
 
They can’t turn over in the tube, unless you are using the one for large primers.

It the plastic orifice tip is messed up that could be the spot where problem occur. #1 cause of a problem there is because the anvil/cup is not fully seated into the aluminum slider before the set screw is locked down.

I use a spent case with the fired primer in place and do it like this.



Do that and replace the plastic tip. When you reinstall do not “tighten” the knurled retainer on top just run it down until the tube is contacted. Slide the low primer alarm on and that will keep it from being able to back out. Same goes for the SD and 1050 too because they all use the same plastic tip.
 
OK... just got back from work. Here's what I did in fighting with this thing last night...

  1. Cleaned residual oil off of the primer slide that had migrated over from the ram. No change. Actually made the primer slide a little "sticky" in operation due to lack of lubrication.
  2. Replaced the red primer magazine tube orifice with a new one. No change.
  3. Removed the Primer Magazine Tube, and cleaned with Cleaning Jag and Patch with Hoppes #9, followed by 90% isopropyl alcohol, followed by Brake Cleaner and then blown out with Compressed Air. That Tube Is CLEAN. No change.
  4. Backed out the Slide Pickup Adjustment Screw #13961 to allow the primer slide to travel deeper into the Primer Housing. Helped a *little* bit. Maybe not at all. Still misfeed every 3-4 rounds.
  5. Adjusted the Primer Seating Punch and Cup #13757/#13825 so that it was at the maximum height in the manual (1.220"). No change.
  6. Adjusted the Primer Seating Punch and Cup so that it was at the minimum height in the manual (1.215"). No change.
  7. Adjusted the Primer Seating Punch so that it was at the minimum possible height (1.213"). Helped a Little Bit... biggest improvement so far... but still unacceptable. Now misfeeds every 4-5 rounds.
  8. Gave up and "lived with it" until I got the batch of brass loaded. Tried to catch it each time when there was a misfeed or flipped primer, but didn't get them all... still had to pull 22 rounds with either flipped or no primer after I was finally finished.
I watched as best I could with an inspection mirror, and it looked as if the primers were flipping inside the red plastic magazine tube orifice #14024. Appeared as if the primers would flip sideways inside the plastic orifice, and then get flipped completely upside down by the primer punch and cup as it slides under the orifice to pick up the new primer. OR, the primer would hang inside the orifice, and not drop down to feed at all, especially if it was upside down inside the orifice.

D'OH!!!!


NOW, AFTER TYPING ALL THIS OUT... and looking through the manual after I'm not completely frustrated like I was last night... I think I just figured out the problem... It's called...

READ THE FLIPPING MANUAL...

RTFM CLOSELY! UNDERSTAND the FLIPPING MANUAL!!!

Notice, I had the tube with the RED orifice on it. I know I've read the manual through at least 3 times now before tonight while I was setting the machine up, but still I got it backwards that the RED is LARGE, and BLUE is SMALL (because the manual is so clear on it until you get to page 13, where it finally gives the color coding. Come on Dillon, you could do SO MUCH better here...). I had the RED orifice in there... thinking I had the correct tube and orifice for small primers in there. But I think I really need to check both the tube and the orifice... the guy I bought my 550B from had the pickup and magazine tubes ALL JACKED UP... he had different tips on each end of each tube... and confused the hell out of this first time Dillon owner until I called the factory to finally try to get the tube situation straightened out. I need to make sure that the blue tip is really on the small magazine tube and the red tip is really on the large magazine tube.

OK, that's my big DUH for the week... hopefully the rest of the week is smarter.
 
Last edited:
300Whspr said:
OK... just got back from work. Here's what I did in fighting with this thing last night...

  1. Cleaned residual oil off of the primer slide that had migrated over from the ram. No change. Actually made the primer slide a little "sticky" in operation due to lack of lubrication.
  2. Replaced the red primer magazine tube orifice with a new one. No change.
  3. Removed the Primer Magazine Tube, and cleaned with Cleaning Jag and Patch with Hoppes #9, followed by 90% isopropyl alcohol, followed by Brake Cleaner and then blown out with Compressed Air. That Tube Is CLEAN. No change.
  4. Backed out the Slide Pickup Adjustment Screw #13961 to allow the primer slide to travel deeper into the Primer Housing. Helped a *little* bit. Maybe not at all. Still misfeed every 3-4 rounds.
  5. Adjusted the Primer Seating Punch and Cup #13757/#13825 so that it was at the maximum height in the manual (1.220"). No change.
  6. Adjusted the Primer Seating Punch and Cup so that it was at the minimum height in the manual (1.215"). No change.
  7. Adjusted the Primer Seating Punch so that it was at the minimum possible height (1.213"). Helped a Little Bit... biggest improvement so far... but still unacceptable. Now misfeeds every 4-5 rounds.
  8. Gave up and "lived with it" until I got the batch of brass loaded. Tried to catch it each time when there was a misfeed or flipped primer, but didn't get them all... still had to pull 22 rounds with either flipped or no primer after I was finally finished.
I watched as best I could with an inspection mirror, and it looked as if the primers were flipping inside the red plastic magazine tube orifice #14024. Appeared as if the primers would flip sideways inside the plastic orifice, and then get flipped completely upside down by the primer punch and cup as it slides under the orifice to pick up the new primer. OR, the primer would hang inside the orifice, and not drop down to feed at all, especially if it was upside down inside the orifice.

D'OH!!!!


NOW, AFTER TYPING ALL THIS OUT... and looking through the manual after I'm not completely frustrated like I was last night... I think I just figured out the problem... It's called...

READ THE FLIPPING MANUAL...

RTFM CLOSELY! UNDERSTAND the FLIPPING MANUAL!!!

Notice, I had the tube with the RED orifice on it. I know I've read the manual through at least 3 times now before tonight while I was setting the machine up, but still I got it backwards that the RED is LARGE, and BLUE is SMALL (because the manual is so clear on it until you get to page 13, where it finally gives the color coding. Come on Dillon, you could do SO MUCH better here...). I had the RED orifice in there... thinking I had the correct tube and orifice for small primers in there. But I think I really need to check both the tube and the orifice... the guy I bought my 550B from had the pickup and magazine tubes ALL JACKED UP... he had different tips on each end of each tube... and confused the hell out of this first time Dillon owner until I called the factory to finally try to get the tube situation straightened out. I need to make sure that the blue tip is really on the small magazine tube and the red tip is really on the large magazine tube.

OK, that's my big DUH for the week... hopefully the rest of the week is smarter.
Click to expand...
300whisper we have all been there with something Or another. I would be struggling with something for 2 days trying to figure it out. My friend stopped by looked at it said here you go done deal your like AWE!!!!! Glad you got it figured out you will enjoy your Dillion I really enjoy mine.
 
Looks like some of us did not read the OP carefully. Post #2 got it. How about all that. It's still good to ask for help.

On my 550, the bracket for the rod that activates the primer slide was crooked. Called Dillon and got that fixed PDQ,
 
Yeah... we all have those kind of moments (or days) I'm sure. I was so sure I had the proper magazine tube in there, that I didn't even consider that it could be the wrong one. That's what I don't like about Dillon's manual for the 550... there are several instances in the text where they could have listed what is the proper color tube to use, instead they just tell you to look elsewhere in the manual. I don't know why the person(s) who wrote the manual thought they were that tight on space... trying to save ink I guess.

Has anyone come with an elegant solution to deal with the primers already in the magazine tube when changing sizes... or is it just dismantle the priming unit and pour them into a cup. Either way, I'm an expert at dismantling it... I can do it in 10 seconds now LOL!
 
Those primers in the tube can be a problem. What I do is to take the primer unit off the body of the press. Gonna have to do that anyway. Pour the primers in to a primer tray. I have extra tubes. I fill an extra tube. Mark what the primers are on the tube. Stick filled tube under the Strong Mount for later. A simpler way is to keep the carton/tray the primers came in.

Pull that magazine tube out with the unit still on the body of the press for another mess. Also call Dillon when you have a problem. Not sharpshooting you but you can save a bunch of time and sweat.
 
I pretty much exclusively use WSPs in both my 550 and 650 without an issue.......now.

After something like 8 years (no idea how many rounds) I started having issues with my 550 primer feed. I tried brand new systems from Dillon, polishing, cleaning etc. Finally I bought one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/JW-Systems-Dillon-Primer-Bearing/dp/B01L9Q2TX4



and haven't had an issue since.
 
Chuck R. said:
I pretty much exclusively use WSPs in both my 550 and 650 without an issue.......now.

After something like 8 years (no idea how many rounds) I started having issues with my 550 primer feed. I tried brand new systems from Dillon, polishing, cleaning etc. Finally I bought one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/JW-Systems-Dillon-Primer-Bearing/dp/B01L9Q2TX4



and haven't had an issue since.
Click to expand...

Chuck I bought mine on eBay a few years back. Huge improvement slides real nice!
 
I feel the primer track bearing makes a huge difference too! As for the primer tube deal. I also forgot to change the tube from large to small primers a while back. I managed to get about half of them to feed before I realized what the heck the deal was! That was and will be, the only time for that brain fart!o_O
 
My 550 is relatively ancient. Aside from my adjustment problem that system has been relatively trouble free. Keep the side clean. Replace plastic parts in a timely manner. No telling how many tens of thousands rounds have been loaded on that machine. I do not mean to disagree or in any way refute anybody. That improved slide was a solution in search of a problem. If my machine craps out it's operator error. This is a personal opinion.
 
If my machine craps out it's operator error.
Click to expand...

That happens but everything will wearout at some point and Dillon won’t call you to see if you need them to send you any free parts or are having problems, that’s the operators job.

Good news was the OP’s problem was just the wrong tip installed and he had the correct one at hand. That’s a win, win.

He also learned a valuable lesson in reading the manual. Lots of them leave much to be desired, the Dillon manuals are written and illustrated quite well.

Frustration can get the best of us sometimes and all we know at that point is “the dam thing doesn’t work”. The attitude just makes it more difficult to find the solution though.

His issue is peculiar in that from the OP , the small CCI primers worked in the large tube and tip.
 
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