View Full Version : ? on Dillon 550B
platoonDaddy
03-18-14, 14:21
Called them two days in a row and was 22nd & 24th on the waiting list, therefore the following question:
Part - 14025 Primer Slide Return Spring Retainer
What size punch and do I remove from the left or right side? When I reinstall, from left or right side? Or doesn't it matter what side to remove & reinstall?
Thanks
Its a roll pin right? Shouldnt matter which way you remove it I dont think. And as to size, whatever fits in the hole? Its pretty small if I remember correctly.
Im trying to figure out what broke on your machine that you would be taking that apart?
ETA: Im not near my machine. Is the return spring held in just by that roll pin and then the other end loops around the part on the actual slide? So the spring never leaves the machine? I havent messed with my 550b in a while as its at my old mans house.
platoonDaddy
03-18-14, 14:34
Its a roll pin right? Shouldnt matter which way you remove it I dont think. And as to size, whatever fits in the hole? Its pretty small if I remember correctly.
Im trying to figure out what broke on your machine that you would be taking that apart?
ETA: Im not near my machine. Is the return spring held in just by that roll pin and then the other end loops around the part on the actual slide? So the spring never leaves the machine? I havent messed with my 550b in a while as its at my old mans house.
Yep it is a roll pin. The spring is mushy and yes the spring is secured to the roll pin and loops on the end of the slide.
Yep it is a roll pin. The spring is mushy and yes the spring is secured to the roll pin and loops on the end of the slide.
I would try to drive it from left to right since im pretty sure they install it right to left. That is, if you can get to the left side of it and have a long roll pin punch.
Again, if I was actually in front of my 550b I could figure it out pretty quick.
My least favorite part of a 550b is the primer system. Ive probably loaded 30k some odd rounds on the 550b my old man and I got in 2008 and the primer system gives the most headaches. One of the reasons I went to a 1050, the primer system is light years better.
My least favorite part of a 550b is the primer system. Ive probably loaded 30k some odd rounds on the 550b my old man and I got in 2008 and the primer system gives the most headaches. One of the reasons I went to a 1050, the primer system is light years better.
Interesting. I went caveman and started hand priming brass. I'd have taken a baseball bat to my 550b by now if I were still fighting that God damned priming system.
platoonDaddy
03-18-14, 15:33
Interesting. I went caveman and started hand priming brass. I'd have taken a baseball bat to my 550b by now if I were still fighting that God damned priming system.
My least favorite part of a 550b is the primer system.
Interesting both of you feel the same way I do: every pull of the handle, I ensure their is a primer returning to station #1. Pain in the ass.
RJ, thanks for the info on the roll-pin.
Interesting both of you feel the same way I do: every pull of the handle, I ensure their is a primer returning to station #1. Pain in the ass.
Now hand priming may not be for everyone.... but it fits my psych profile well.... and let me tell you how much more enjoyable running the 550 is when you're not clearing primer jams. :cool:
Interesting. I went caveman and started hand priming brass. I'd have taken a baseball bat to my 550b by now if I were still fighting that God damned priming system.
The 1050 uses a slide and same dropper tube design as the 550b, but the slide is physically controlled back and forth. No flimsy ass rod that bends, no weak ass spring for the return, no binding, etc... There are two springs that basically hold forward tension on the assembly and the piece on the tool head that controls the whole thing moves through the arc of the assembly forcing the slide back and forth. I havent had really any issues with it through around 10k rounds except a couple sideways primers(10 I think in 10k rounds) which I THINK occurs when adding a new tube of primers while loading. I dont know how to combat this.
If photobucket ever catches up I uploaded a short video of how the thing works.
Now that we are 100% off track from the OP's thread topic.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/rjacobs1/th_VID_20140318_154146.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/rjacobs1/VID_20140318_154146.mp4)
platoonDaddy
03-18-14, 16:47
No issue with being off-track. Have my answer and now learning about the 1050. Dang, that is sweet, thanks for uploading the video. Did you look at the 650 prior to your selection of the 1050? Saw a video on youtube, where a primer went off with the 1050.
No issue with being off-track. Have my answer and now learning about the 1050. Dang, that is sweet, thanks for uploading the video. Did you look at the 650 prior to your selection of the 1050? Saw a video on youtube, where a primer went off with the 1050.
Ive set a few primers off with the 1050(I think 4 in 10k). So far havent blown the whole stack. Ive crushed a few and I am pretty sure they were on the verge of going off. 2 of the 4 were sideways primers in the primer slide and as I was trying to free it they went off. I know how to deal with these now. Ive set 2 off where the spent primer decapped just the head of the primer leaving the "body" of the primer in the pocket. No way to really deal with this. I have read that this is an issue with range brass that gets wet. The primer corrodes into the pocket and when you de-cap all you punch is the head. You cant really feel it with the swage either.
This is one of the issues with seating on the stroke since you have no feel. I will say its not a huge issue though, just have to have your swage set right and if anything doesnt feel right you stop and check things out.
I did look at the 650, but once you add the case feeder and a bullet feeder things get REAL tight and busy on the tool head. That and the swage station sold me on the 1050 since I load a ton of mixed range pickup brass and trying to sort through that is a pain in the ass. 1050 is about 400 more than a fully loaded up 650, but IMO its worth it. The primer feed on the 650 is supposedly wonky too.
High Altitude
03-19-14, 13:16
550 would be MUCH better if the slide was 100% supported through out its movement and the activation was solid like the case feeder instead of the rod.
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I've got an old 550 and the primer system has yet to give me any problems. 550 #2, not as old as #1 550, on the other hand is a real PITA. You just assume that it won't move the primer while automatically pushing the bar with your thumb. That part of my particular press should be painted red.
Keith
550 would be MUCH better if the slide was 100% supported through out its movement and the activation was solid like the case feeder instead of the rod.
I think the rod would work better if the components that the rod drives weren't cheapo die cast junk. The surfaces get scored over time and the back and forth movement gets sticky and sketchy.
I never had a primer iginite though... And I've smashed a fork ton of primers with that stupid thing.
Now hand priming may not be for everyone.... but it fits my psych profile well.... and let me tell you how much more enjoyable running the 550 is when you're not clearing primer jams. :cool:
Hand priming is the only way to prime as far as im concerned. There is no better way to feel what is happening when priming.
I have not removed the priming system from my 550, but it has never seen a primer.
I have not removed the priming system from my 550, but it has never seen a primer.
I just have the operating rod removed so the primer bar doesn't go back and forth... The priming system is still there as it provides suspension for the press.
550 would be MUCH better if the slide was 100% supported through out its movement and the activation was solid like the case feeder instead of the rod.
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Over at Brian Enos's forum I read a thread very much like this...One person there made a plate like the one that the primer bar rides on, only it was about 2" longer, This supported the primer bar when it came back to pick up a primer, appears to stopped a lot of problems. Myself I figured out that the primer system needs lubed, (despite what Dillon says) and I use Hornady one shot case lube, It won't contaminate the primers (it's just a type of spray wax) and it really helps.. Just don't use it as a case lube...
I've got an old 550 and the primer system has yet to give me any problems...
I have a 1996-vintage RL550B, and the primer system has NEVER been a problem. I do keep a small brush (from an hair trimmer) to keep the channel free, and I put a drop of oil in the channel now and again.
Really, it's the goddamned powder system that hangs up and drives me nuts...
Really, it's the goddamned powder system that hangs up and drives me nuts...
I've had to take mine completely apart a few times. Again.. it's the cheapo die case alloy parts. I have the old return spring powder measure version on mine.
I can't really complain about that system though. I recently put a new rifle powder bar in mine... The original was scored up pretty bad from pure wear and tear.
Mine gets a little pissy with Norma 202 powder, but Benchmark and H322 flow great.
You have to take the time which isn't much to adjust the primer set up. Some times I want to buy another 550 to avoid the primer size change. I bought my 550 in 1991 and I like it, though the 650 seems like loads at warp speeds.
Keeping an eye on the primer feed on my 550b is kind of a pain sometimes, still, I have loaded thousands of rounds and I still enjoy the machine. I may try hand priming at some point, just to see the difference for myself. I have only loaded handgun on my 550b.
Keeping an eye on the primer feed on my 550b is kind of a pain sometimes, still, I have loaded thousands of rounds and I still enjoy the machine. I may try hand priming at some point, just to see the difference for myself. I have only loaded handgun on my 550b.
All of my tool heads have station 1 empty. I know I'm sacrificing efficiency in a sense. But my time on the press is infinitely more enjoyable when I'm not messing with primer tubes, flipped/smashed primers, and rough seating primers that jar the whole press.
platoonDaddy
03-26-14, 09:16
All of my tool heads have station 1 empty. I know I'm sacrificing efficiency in a sense. But my time on the press is infinitely more enjoyable when I'm not messing with primer tubes, flipped/smashed primers, and rough seating primers that jar the whole press.
What are you using to: resize, eject spent primer and seat new primer?
What are you using to: resize, eject spent primer and seat new primer?
I decap, resize, etc on a single stage. That's the other thing.... Decapping off my Dillon keeps it cleaner.
I hand prime .223 with a sinclair priming tool, or I prime .45 / .308 using the priming system on the single stage.
I think I posted this a while ago. The best hand priming tool I have found is the RCBS with the universal shell holder. It is almost as good as the Sinclair for consistency and much faster. I also have had good results with the RCBS APC primer strip system on my RCBS2000 press.
It is interesting the things that bother people with reloading equipment. I have recently started to use my Redding BR3 powder measure with the Dillion adaptor and expanders on my RCBS2000. Even though it requires an extra motion to charge the case powder charges are very consistent even with some powders that don't flow real well. Also, any jolting of the press has little effect on the powder charge. I do use a Dillon powder checker on station #3 in case I have a brain fart and forget to charge the case.
I have polished the primer slide on my 550b with some scotch brite, I noticed that due to the die cast, there were some imperfections that allowed primer residue to build up quickly causing it to stick. I have seen some improvement in the primer slide operation since the polishing.
platoonDaddy
03-27-14, 06:16
I have polished the primer slide on my 550b with some scotch brite, I noticed that due to the die cast, there were some imperfections that allowed primer residue to build up quickly causing it to stick. I have seen some improvement in the primer slide operation since the polishing.
Great idea, thanks. For sure the slide area is like the human foot, it catches everything running down the body.
EDIT: MARKM thank you, will check out youtube and see if there are any videos on the Sinclair.
mattiep321
03-27-14, 07:03
I find the redding components to be the best made and have seen outstanding consistency with their BR3. Lately on my .308 loads I've been weighing each as I work on a 1000yd load for my pss but even with long cylindrical powder it still throws within .2 grains everytime.
Very few good things in NY State but Redding is definitely one of them. Still wish I could leave though...
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