Dillon 650 turning primers sideways 38WCF

[Win1892]

I know...I know...call Dillon. I will tomorrow.

Just did a caliber change from 45ACP to 38-40. Relevance being, nothing changed with the primer handling. I have a lot of experience with the 650 with lots of calibers.

It seems as though the shell plate is not advancing 100% to the next position and the primer is being tilted slightly making insertion go bad wrong. Primer is turning 90 degrees and being crushed about 1 of every 5 or 6 cases. Sometimes it will load 20 in a row with no problem, then crush 3 in a row. No rhyme or reason to the malfunction timing.

The plate is settled on the ball bearing but the primer punch(or seater) is not centered on the shell plate opening.

No problem with the prior loading of 45ACP.

Almost seems as though the plate is machined crooked.

Frustration is running high!!!!!!!

 

[Red Cent]

I would suggest that the shell holder is doing OK. For some reason the brass is not being centered on the priming position. In normal times the case is held in a central position by the arm. The arm should be a business card away from the edge of the case. Tighter or looser, the edge of the primer will contact an edge of the primer hole and cause the flip. Adjust accordingly.

 

[rcmodel]

What brand of primers?
I had the same sudden trouble with Federal primers in my RCBS hand priming tool last spring, after working perfectly with everything else for 40 years.

If you switched to Federals, switch back.

rc

 

[Win1892]

Winchester primers

 

[rcmodel]

Never mind then!

rc

 

[cavman]

I have had the same problem with mine for a long time. I have been using CCI large pistol for 45ACP.

I even sent it back to Dillon and they did a nice work over and it came back nice and clean and all that. However, the primer problem seems to still be there.

Frustration? That is a mild word.

 

[Win1892]

38-40 is the only caliber I am having trouble with. I load about 8 different handgun calibers and do not have this problem with any of them.

Every 3 or 4 hundred I might get a flipped primer, but I think that is a different problem.

45ACP will give me trouble with a missed primer crimp.

The shell plate seems to be the issue.

I'll ask Dillon and report back.

 

[Seedtick]

Is this your first run of 38-40 with a new caliber conversion kit or have you had this particular kit running before?

Seedtick

 

[Master Blaster]

Sort of a rudimentary Question , but is the shell plate tightened down enough?

 

[Win1892]

I've loaded 38-40 on the Dillon once before. It was a short run and I do recall a little difficulty. I've used my single stage since then.

I have accumulated too many cases for single stage and have run about 800 so far, with about that many to go. That quantity is making the priming problem a real issue.

What's weird is the problem seems to be getting worse. Tonight I threw my hands up and came back into the house.

 

[joed]

There is a spring type arm on the priming station that positions the case for the primer. I had problems with the adjustment on mine when I went from .38 to 9mm. It was really something that I overlooked and a 2 minute call to Dillon took care of it. Those people really know their presses.

 

[rightside]

Sort of a rudimentary Question , but is the shell plate tightened down enough?
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That was my thought also, but I did have a similar problem with mine and found the base had loosened up from the shaft.

Try removing the shell plate and check the two large bolts from the base into the shaft, I check them now every caliber change.