Today, I drank the blue koolaid

Congratulations on your new loader and welcome to Club Blue!

I've heard the blue koolaid is pretty tasty! Congrats on your new acquisition. I'm sure you'll roll some nice loads out with it.

Congrats on the Dillon!
Someday I'm gonna have me a 650 too!
Til then my 550 will do nicely.

Gasitman-

The caliber changes aren't as bad as you think. It just takes a bit of time to learn how to do it quickly! After a bit of practice you will be an expert!

As far as the bent chute goes for the finished rounds, contact Dillon as soon as possible. They are top notch when it comes to customer service. When you pay the price of admission for a blue press you get treated as such. They will fix you up I am sure.

One last thing, you are going to fall in love with that press. I guarantee it. I know some people say Dillon equipment is overpriced. They only say that because they haven't used any of it.

Enjoy your new press, it's a beauty.

I wish I could afford one. I thought I was a big spender with my Lee Pro1k lol. Congrats, that thing looks sweet!

<-- Unemployed college student. I basically save any extra $$ to buy supplies or I just do some haggling. I just try to cobble onto what free stuff I can and go from there lol.

Sorry on your loss of the M1A though, but I guess it may be worth it. I have yet to know the taste of blue koolaid. Just orange soda and red koolaid.

My 650 is 14 or 15 years old. A couple of years ago (far, far into six figures) it started to hiccup on occasion. Returned to Dillon for an overhaul and it runs like new. Cost me freight one way.

I know I love my 550. Yes your powder funnel also works as a case expander. Should still work fine the way you are doing it so long as your powder die is screwed down far enough to fully actuate the primer slide. As far as yours not returning without the help of a failsafe rod, my measure has 2 springs that wrap around the hopper base and the metal piece in the end of the powder bar. Your linkage looks a bit different though so maybe they have done something to change that.

The kool aid is great and very dependable. You should expect a learning curve but Dillon's service desk will talk you thru it.

Regards,

Don't look at it as an expense, it's an investment. If you ever decide to quit reloading, you will probably be able to sell all your blue stuff for at least what you paid for it, even after years of use. At least that's been my experience in trying to buy some used Dillon stuff. I have blue four presses and all the accessories for them.

Powder Measure

" Another question I have is that the powder dispenser is acting like a expander die. I put my expander die in and backed off the powder measure. Not sure if it is made to do that, since it is set up for 45 auto, but that is what I was messing around with today. It is also very sticky. If not for the rod you put on it, it would not close all the way. "


It appears from the photo you posted that the powder bar IS NOT getting all the way to the proper position to drop the powder. The Powder measure depends on the CASE to activate the bar so the relationship of the powder funnel within the Dillon powder die does have/ or should have some "flaring or belling" of the case mouth (little bit) . The Failsafe rod you referenced is not to shove the powder bar to the drop position but to make sure the powder bar returns all the way. Dillon can better advise you (and quickly) but you ordinarily will NOT have sticking when the powder system is adjusted properly. Don't suffer in silence - Call Dillon - I have or have had several Dillon presses and those guys are Good on customer service.

Regards,

Your powder measure bar should be all the way flush when it dumps powder. This also determines bell on your case. There is some wiggle room here so you can bell more or less but the bar should be flush to have it dump the powder correctly.
+5 on calling Dillon if in doubt.
Have 1 1050 and 2 550's. My 1050 is SOOO old that it cost $895 and came with a lifetime warranty. Now they cost what $1700 and have a 1 year. Got to bring a 550 to them next week to do a overhaul. Life is good living close to them.

Good luck.

If that second pic shows full stroke of the powder bar, it's WaaaaY out of adjustment. It won't even dump powder with that stroke.

Use the powder station/funnel to flair your cases, then use the hole you presently have your expander in for a powder sensor die. Then you won't need that fancy light to check each case for powder level.

Use that 650 the way it was meant to be used. Station 1, size/deprime. Station 2, reprime, flair and dump powder. Station 3 to mount the powder check die. Station 4 to seat bullets. Station 5 to crimp.

As for the powder bar 'STICKING", It isn't "sticking, it's not meant to return by itself. It's made to be case activated to it's complete forward dump position while at the same time belling the case mouth,(handgun). The linkage is there to return it to the powder pick up position, or all-the-way-back. It's adjusted by means of the wing-nut on the bottom, which tensions the spring to compress a bit when the bar is back all the way.

Should still work fine the way you are doing it so long as your powder die is screwed down far enough to fully actuate the primer slide. As far as yours not returning without the help of a failsafe rod, my measure has 2 springs that wrap around the hopper base and the metal piece in the end of the powder bar. Your linkage looks a bit different though so maybe they have done something to change that.

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Why are you giving advise on a 650, when yours is a 550? They're different, just how different, I'm not sure. That's why I'll never give advice on a 550, I DON'T OWN ONE! There's no primer slide on a 650!

Gas, Hornady sells separate taper crimp dies for your 45, 40, 9mm etc. I use them for my five Dillon progressives.

Northark, the pictured powder linkage is the new style. The older ones used springs.

Snuff, the powder measures are the same on the 550 and 650.

I cant do that snuffy, I do not have the dillon dies for that. I also have never crimped 45 auto. I have the hornady dies that do not offer those 2 items, only seating, flaring, and the sizer

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Question here? Do you bell the case? How is it that you take the bell out of them? Don't believe they will feed very well with the bell still in them, at least not in any of my guns.

The Dillon is designed to slightly bell the case to ease bullet seating. If there's not enough bell you'll scrape lead off the side of lead bullets. You can also nick the plating on plated bullets (ruining that bullet, as it will not chamber). The taper crimp die should be set to just remove the bell and leave the case mouth flush to the bullet circumference.

Quote:
Should still work fine the way you are doing it so long as your powder die is screwed down far enough to fully actuate the primer slide. As far as yours not returning without the help of a failsafe rod, my measure has 2 springs that wrap around the hopper base and the metal piece in the end of the powder bar. Your linkage looks a bit different though so maybe they have done something to change that.
Why are you giving advise on a 650, when yours is a 550? They're different, just how different, I'm not sure. That's why I'll never give advice on a 550, I DON'T OWN ONE! There's no primer slide on a 650!

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That was a typo, i meant powder bar, but had primer slide on the brain. As far as trying to help when I don't own a 650, The 550 and the 650 use the same powder measure. The reason mine is any different than his at all is mine is an older model. It appears they have changed the linkage and powder bar return somewhat over the years.

Congrats !!

Only one issues, the black metal shoot the bullets fall down after they are made was bent to crap. I had to bend it, and now the paint is peeling.

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Call Dillon service, they'll have a new one on your doorstep in no time.