Just offering this as an informational review of my recent problems with my Dillon Square Deal press (one of the original ones, not the "B", so let's just call it SD). I have loaded maybe 3000 rounds so far for .45 ACP and generally things have gone well. Then there were many years the press just sat idle since I got involved in other stuff. Last year, I got back into shooting and reloading and I started experiencing problems. I do believe some of the problems were bullet related, but most were SD press related. What follows are some details of my experiences. The bottom line is everything is fine now and I am a happy camper, but the road was a bit rocky.
The first problem I started to see was flipped primers and sometimes poorly seated primers on station 2, especially when the primer feed tube was about empty. I called Dillon and they said it likely was the nylon primer release at the end of the feed tube being worn out or the primer feed mechanism being out of adjustment. They sent me a couple of new nylon tips (man they were hard to get on the tube!) and told me how to make sure the feed mechanism was properly adjusted. After that, primers stopped flipping, but I still had occasional insufficient seating depth problems.
While fixing the primer flipping problem, I also asked them for some replacement nylon washers that had split, and a new delrin bushing that was cracking. It really is true that it depends on who answers when you call. When I told one guy I needed a new delrin bushing, he sent one - just one. When I later mentioned to another guy about how I had to replace one, he sent a package of 4 without even asking if I needed extras. It definitely varies depending on who you speak with.
Working out a load for IDPA, I decided to try a cast bullet. I used the MBC IDP #4-XD 200 gn 0.452 diameter bullet. I had problems in loading them where the bullet would not press straight down into the case on station 3. It would cant a bit where if you rolled them on a table the bullet would wobble as it rolled. The rounds also would not consistently feed in my HK 45C pistol, nor would they "go" in my Wilson case gauge. I never did solve that problem and I have to assume it is bullet diameter not being acceptable in the HK 45C chamber. So, I went to loading a plated bullet and all has been well ever since. (Maybe that's why HK said to not use cast bullets!)
The next problem was getting inconsistent bullet seating depth on station 3. I was really puzzled by that since nothing ever moved from where I set it. At least the bullets were being seated straight in the case now and not canting. But the seating depth would vary by a lot more than I thought it should, and more than it ever had before.
At the same time, I was getting inconsistent crimp on station 4. Sometimes it would over-crimp and other times it would not seem to crimp enough. Also, when the crimp was applied and the handle was pulled back, it made a very noticeable clunk like something was sticking. Dillon could not help me on that one. They asked if I tumbled brass and I said yes, I wet tumbled. They said that was a bad thing to do and that lightly cleaned cases (not tumbled) were much better, and that the brass might be sticking because it had completely no lubrication at all. I have always tumbled, but used dry media in the past. I had (and still have) a hard time taking their comment seriously.
So at that point, I had little faith in my SD press. Then one night when I was loading up some rounds for next summer IDPA practice, I had a real strange problem. As I was priming a case on station 2 using the upstroke of the handle, I felt the handle go much farther forward and stop when the handle was flat against the press! I looked down and the bottom tang of the handle had broken (see picture below). There also was a short crack at the point of the break leading back up the handle. Long story short, Dillon sent me a new handle and the press works perfectly now.
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Apparently, others must have had problems with those handles since, as you might be able to tell by the new handle in the picture, they beefed up the design a bit. I don't know, but breaking a handle seems like a pretty big deal to me, but the guy I spoke with did not seem surprised when I told him what had happened. Wow. I was grateful they replaced it, and had the parts in 2 days.
Now the press works perfectly. Primer depths are consistently good, bullet seating depth is perfect every time, bullet crimp is exactly the same on all rounds, and there is no longer a clunk on station 4 when the handle is lifted. I am concluding that the handle being probably cracked and not quite broken caused the problems. All I know is I replace the handle and they all went away. So I had an overall good experience with Dillon in getting problems solved, although finding the exact cause of the problem took a while. Just thought some may be interested in my findings.
Lou
The first problem I started to see was flipped primers and sometimes poorly seated primers on station 2, especially when the primer feed tube was about empty. I called Dillon and they said it likely was the nylon primer release at the end of the feed tube being worn out or the primer feed mechanism being out of adjustment. They sent me a couple of new nylon tips (man they were hard to get on the tube!) and told me how to make sure the feed mechanism was properly adjusted. After that, primers stopped flipping, but I still had occasional insufficient seating depth problems.
While fixing the primer flipping problem, I also asked them for some replacement nylon washers that had split, and a new delrin bushing that was cracking. It really is true that it depends on who answers when you call. When I told one guy I needed a new delrin bushing, he sent one - just one. When I later mentioned to another guy about how I had to replace one, he sent a package of 4 without even asking if I needed extras. It definitely varies depending on who you speak with.
Working out a load for IDPA, I decided to try a cast bullet. I used the MBC IDP #4-XD 200 gn 0.452 diameter bullet. I had problems in loading them where the bullet would not press straight down into the case on station 3. It would cant a bit where if you rolled them on a table the bullet would wobble as it rolled. The rounds also would not consistently feed in my HK 45C pistol, nor would they "go" in my Wilson case gauge. I never did solve that problem and I have to assume it is bullet diameter not being acceptable in the HK 45C chamber. So, I went to loading a plated bullet and all has been well ever since. (Maybe that's why HK said to not use cast bullets!)
The next problem was getting inconsistent bullet seating depth on station 3. I was really puzzled by that since nothing ever moved from where I set it. At least the bullets were being seated straight in the case now and not canting. But the seating depth would vary by a lot more than I thought it should, and more than it ever had before.
At the same time, I was getting inconsistent crimp on station 4. Sometimes it would over-crimp and other times it would not seem to crimp enough. Also, when the crimp was applied and the handle was pulled back, it made a very noticeable clunk like something was sticking. Dillon could not help me on that one. They asked if I tumbled brass and I said yes, I wet tumbled. They said that was a bad thing to do and that lightly cleaned cases (not tumbled) were much better, and that the brass might be sticking because it had completely no lubrication at all. I have always tumbled, but used dry media in the past. I had (and still have) a hard time taking their comment seriously.
So at that point, I had little faith in my SD press. Then one night when I was loading up some rounds for next summer IDPA practice, I had a real strange problem. As I was priming a case on station 2 using the upstroke of the handle, I felt the handle go much farther forward and stop when the handle was flat against the press! I looked down and the bottom tang of the handle had broken (see picture below). There also was a short crack at the point of the break leading back up the handle. Long story short, Dillon sent me a new handle and the press works perfectly now.
Apparently, others must have had problems with those handles since, as you might be able to tell by the new handle in the picture, they beefed up the design a bit. I don't know, but breaking a handle seems like a pretty big deal to me, but the guy I spoke with did not seem surprised when I told him what had happened. Wow. I was grateful they replaced it, and had the parts in 2 days.
Now the press works perfectly. Primer depths are consistently good, bullet seating depth is perfect every time, bullet crimp is exactly the same on all rounds, and there is no longer a clunk on station 4 when the handle is lifted. I am concluding that the handle being probably cracked and not quite broken caused the problems. All I know is I replace the handle and they all went away. So I had an overall good experience with Dillon in getting problems solved, although finding the exact cause of the problem took a while. Just thought some may be interested in my findings.
Lou
