Need suggestions for a problem with my Dillon Priming System

[Zaydok Allen]

About a year ago I started loading on a Dillon 550B. I loaded 45 ACP and 10mm until just recently. I switched over to the small primer bar because it was time to get into 38 Special. It's funny how wee those primers look compared to LPPs.

Anyway I've hit a bit of a snag. I typically load up 50-100 primers in the pickup tube, drop them in, and away I go. Well I had an issue where the primer cup was catching on the shell plate, and as a result, when it popped in line it would flip the primer on it's side, and I actually primed two cases sideways. That scared me a bit, and I'm glad I apply gentle steady force when loading and don't go too fast. I fixed that issue by pushing the ram fully forward so the primer cup was fully engaged with the shell plate, and then tightened the nut that is used to adjust the movement distance on the primer bar and cup. Problem solved.

Now what is happening is that the last two primers in the tube will not drop into the seating cup. So I torqued my head around into a difficult space and looked. What is happening is the primer feed tube tip is not retaining the last two primers. They are somehow dropping lower than they should onto the plastic retention peg than they are supposed to, so when the primer cup enters the primer feed system, the edge of the cup is hitting the primer, and stopping short. I am able to get them out if I stick the tip of a knife in and lift the primer up as the cup enters the feed system, but that is tremendously irritating, and I'm not a fan of putting a pointy steel item into the primer feed system, while pulling the handle. If something slips, I could end up hitting the primer with the knife tip. However unlikely, I'm not comfortable with how it's running.

So none of this seems to me to be a "just try a different primer feed tube" sort of solution, but maybe it's just the tip that needs replacing. What baffles me is why only the last two primers do this. I would think the weight of a fully loaded primer feed tube would cause this simply due to weight. I tried not using the low primer indicator rod also, thinking it was somehow putting pressure on the stacked primers and causing an issue.

The only other thing I can think to try is to grease the primer retention peg, as the directions suggest is needed for regular lubing. But I just did that like 4 months ago, and have only loaded like 1000 rounds since then.

Does anyone have any other suggestions I'm missing? This is frustrating after the relatively easy operation I had with the large primer bar. It makes me want to buy a second 550 just so I don't have to mess with changing primer feed systems.

Let me know if I need to clarify what is happening, and thank you for any and all suggestions.

 

[Texas10mm]

Call Dillon. They're still open.

 

[roval]

did you replace the primer feed tube from lpp to spp? it also has to be seated properly , you gently twist it till it falls into a groove that is at 6 oclock position.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

did you replace the primer feed tube from lpp to spp? it also has to be seated properly , you gently twist it till it falls into a groove that is at 6 oclock position.

Yes to all those. The primer tube size was the first thing I checked since it'd make sense that the large primer tip wouldn't retain the primers right.

 

[rfwobbly]

4 simple steps...
• The primer cup has to be flush, or below flush, with the platen so that the shell plate never interferes with the primers. That's done by loosening the set screw in the primer slide and pushing the primer mandrel down. (If it won't go down, then remove the mandrel and remove 0.010" of length from the small end.)

• The bent wire controls how much force is used when primer slide retracts. Sounds like you either have trash up inside the primer well restricting full shuttle travel, or the shape of the rod is not forcing the primer shuttle back far enough. Remove the primer column and clean that area.

• Take a 40 cal 180gr bullet and slide it inside a 45ACP case. Then, slide the 45ACP case over the big end of the black primer feed rod. It will stay in place all by itself. This will add just enough weight to improve the primer feeding when the primer column is empty.

• The plastic lips at the bottom of the primer feed tubes are extremely delicate. If the lips have ever been mangled by rough installation, or attacked by the primer shuttle, then they need to be replaced. A replacement part came with your press. The old one simply twists/pulls off; the new one gets gently pushed on until fully seated. (You'll swear it's glued on, but it's not.)

 

[glc24]

4 simple steps...
• The primer cup has to be flush, or below flush, with the platen so that the shell plate never interferes with the primers. That's done by loosening the set screw in the primer slide and pushing the primer mandrel down. (If it won't go down, then remove the mandrel and remove 0.010" of length from the small end.)

• The bent wire controls how much force is used when primer slide retracts. Sounds like you either have trash up inside the primer well restricting full shuttle travel, or the shape of the rod is not forcing the primer shuttle back far enough. Remove the primer column and clean that area.

• Take a 40 cal 180gr bullet and slide it inside a 45ACP case. Then, slide the 45ACP case over the big end of the black primer feed rod. It will stay in place all by itself. This will add just enough weight to improve the primer feeding when the primer column is empty.

• The plastic lips at the bottom of the primer feed tubes are extremely delicate. If the lips have ever been mangled by rough installation, or attacked by the primer shuttle, then they need to be replaced. A replacement part came with your press. The old one simply twists/pulls off; the new one gets gently pushed on until fully seated. (You'll swear it's glued on, but it's not.)

+1 to the feed tube lips. If they are out of round just a hair, they will cause problems properly feeding primers. I know!

 

[rfwobbly]

The extra weight on the black primer feed rod really helps overcome a lot of deficiencies and irregularities in the feed tube lips. Using that system, I got over 10 years out of my last part.

 

[jmorris]

On the 550 and SD you have to make sure the seating stem is fully seated, if it’s not it will be high enough to tear up the plastic orifice tip on the feed tube and otherwise mess things up. Once they are damaged they are trash but your press came with extras. When you install the last one you have in stock call Dillon and have them send you another pack, they are free.

This is how I swap them on a 550, not in the video but mentioned that you will need to swap to the correct tube as well.

 

[cheygriz]

Call Dillon.

 

[Kp321]

Two observstions. Just today, I helped a friend diagnose primer feed problems on his 550. Come to find out, he had a small primer feed lip assembly on a large tube. The large tube allowed the small primers to hang up and one even turned sideways and stopped every thing from working. Small tube with small feed lip solved everything.
My first Dillon was a 450 which came with an aluminum rod topped with a brass nut as a follower rod. Instead of weighting the plastic follower rod on my 550's, I have made one from a 1/8" piece of brass rod with a plastic knob on top. It works perfectly and locks the primer feed out when empty. No, I don't use the low primer alarm.

 

[GaryL]

• Take a 40 cal 180gr bullet and slide it inside a 45ACP case. Then, slide the 45ACP case over the big end of the black primer feed rod. It will stay in place all by itself. This will add just enough weight to improve the primer feeding when the primer column is empty.

Have not heard about the bullet inside the case. I learned about the 45acp case on the end of the rod on this site shortly after getting the 550, and that has worked very well. The extra weight probably would improve things slightly. Pretty rare to have any issues with it (don't recall the last time I had one), but might have to give it a try anyway.

 

[rfwobbly]

Pretty rare to have any issues with it (don't recall the last time I had one), but might have to give it a try anyway.

Agreed. It's almost got to be pieces of the old primer feed lips stuck up inside the "primer well", keeping the primer shuttle from retracting all the way.

 

[rfwobbly]

Call Dillon.

Maybe they'll send over one of their highly qualified service technicians.




.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Maybe they'll send over one of their highly qualified service technicians.

View attachment 814231


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I'll take a hammer to my press if it gets her to come over.

Update coming. Working the issue now.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

On the 550 and SD you have to make sure the seating stem is fully seated, if it’s not it will be high enough to tear up the plastic orifice tip on the feed tube and otherwise mess things up. Once they are damaged they are trash but your press came with extras. When you install the last one you have in stock call Dillon and have them send you another pack, they are free.

This is how I swap them on a 550, not in the video but mentioned that you will need to swap to the correct tube as well.

So I've managed to fix the issue. This video illustrates what I originally tried to do. For some reason though the seating stem would not release from the bar. I got frustrated and tightened it back down.

I then installed the small primer bar. When something was catching, I tried adjusting the seating stem.

So after watching this video again, I realized I made a critical error. I put force on the cup and stem with a wrench handle, but what I should have done was what @jmorris illustrated at the end of the video. Forbthe life of me I don't know why I did it that way. I needed to put a case in the shell plate that still had a spent primer in it, push the handle forward, and tighten the set screw on the bar that retains the seating stem.

After adjusting the slide distance screw I still had an issue. It was the seating stem sticking up too far.

So bottom line is I over tinkered. jmorris is the winner.

200 trouble free rounds later, and I think I have it tweaked up right. Even though I feel a little stupid, I learned something.

Thanks to all who gave suggestions. I appreciate the help.

 

[jmorris]

So I've managed to fix the issue. This video illustrates what I originally tried to do. For some reason though the seating stem would not release from the bar. I got frustrated and tightened it back down.

Glad you got it figured out.

The reason the seating punch might not have come out is because it can be loose and still retained by the set screw as there is a reduced shoulder. Another turn on the set screw and it likely would have popped out on its own. You can see me keeping it from doing so with my left thumb around 27 seconds in as I back the set screw out.



No need to feel bad. The only reason I know as much as I do is becuse I have already had the same problems myself. Boy do I which the internet existed back then. Dillon has always been pretty good over the phone though.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Glad you got it figured out.

The reason the seating punch might not have come out is because it can be loose and still retained by the set screw as there is a reduced shoulder. Another turn on the set screw and it likely would have popped out on its own. You can see me keeping it from doing so with my left thumb around 27 seconds in as I back the set screw out.

View attachment 814463

No need to feel bad. The only reason I know as much as I do is becuse I have already had the same problems myself. Boy do I which the internet existed back then. Dillon has always been pretty good over the phone though.

I actually completely removed the set screw and it was still sticking tight. It was odd as I figured it would pop right out. I had to grab the stem with pliers and pull kind of hard to get it out.

Boy you aren't kidding about the internet. I have learned so many things over the years interacting here on THR. The wealth of knowledge here is staggering.

 

[rfwobbly]

No need to feel bad. The only reason I know as much as I do is because I have already had the same problems myself.

+1

 

[Eddietruett]

Maybe they'll send over one of their highly qualified service technicians.

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I would probably buy several new presses if she would come help me set them up! It would probably take a long time since I'm not real smart and would have to go over everything several times. Now that would be customer service at its finest!!!