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Thread: Looking for Dillon 550c upgrades

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by JimmyB62 View Post
    I’d just use your 550 for a bit and see how it works for you. If you find stuff that’s driving you nuts, then address it. It’ll work fine stock.
    This...

    Dillon has been making these for quite a while, and they're very customer oriented, and a bone-stock 550 is pretty much a perfect device as is.


    If you're itching to buy extras, then spend $7 on a set of SAE hex-head T-wrenches and mount them by your press:

    https://www.harborfreight.com/sae-t-...-pc-69369.html

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by JimmyB62 View Post
    I have and use both the 550 and 650 extensively. I think the 650 is probably a bit “safer” but both are fine if you pay reasonable attention. Also, I have zero problems with the 550 priming system.

    For the OP, I have a different spent primer cup with a tube to funnel spent primers into a container. Don’t remember which one it is or where I got it but it’s definitely a worthwhile upgrade. LED light set ups are fine but having strong room lighting is my preference. I’ve seen a few photos of guys who have adapted automobile back up cameras to monitor the shellplate stations. Looked kind of interesting but not where I’d go.

    I’d just use your 550 for a bit and see how it works for you. If you find stuff that’s driving you nuts, then address it. It’ll work fine stock.
    I agree with all this but will say that adding lighting to it is a super upgrade. Being able to see whats going on on the shell plate is a huge plus. Even with strong lighting in the room, the press will still cast some sort of shadow.

    I am not the best to answer this question because when i bought my 750, i literally bought every accessory that dillon makes and a few others from other venders. Turned a 650 dollar press into 1600 but i will say that i use every thing i bought and love it all. I did come from a classic turret press from lee and for 8 years i learned on that press and it had no frills so i had to do every stage manually and now that i have the 750 i cant believe the ease with which i can reload now. I can do 6-8 hundred 9mm and hour and if i had the prep work done i can do 5 hundred 556 an hour and that isn't something i could have ever dreamed of with the lee. Understand you will save time with some of the upgrades and you must figure out is it worth your time to not get those things. I have 3 young children and a wife so when i can spend 2-3 hours a month and reload what i need vs probably 8 without those accessories, than its worth every penny. Now to find some primers, that is the mission.

  3. #13
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    Thank you, gentlemen. I got the press set up yesterday and loaded a few rounds. I'm impressed with the speed and efficiency, it will take some getting used to, coming from a Lyman turret.

    At the very least, I will be mounting some kind of light on the press over the shell plate. Looking into the Inline mount as well as a better setup for cases and projectiles to be loaded.

    For now I will take the advice of just running it stock until I have a better idea of where it needs tweaking.

  4. #14
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    Only “mandatory” upgrade is the Inline Fabrication mount of your choice, makes a big difference in flex free operation and of course getting the press at your preferred working height.

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by CrowCommand View Post
    For now I will take the advice of just running it stock until I have a better idea of where it needs tweaking.
    This is a wise course of action...


    Quote Originally Posted by Coal Dragger View Post
    Only “mandatory” upgrade is the Inline Fabrication mount of your choice, makes a big difference in flex free operation and of course getting the press at your preferred working height.
    Hmmm... I bolted my 550 to a homemade bench. The benchtop is two sheets of 3/4" plywood. It doesn't flex at all.

    As for height, I built the bench at about my preferred working height, and I sit on a height-adjustable stool... Perfect.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bimmer View Post
    I don't get it... I've been priming with my RL550B for decades, and I've hardly ever had any problem with the priming system.
    You're lucky. I've not had my priming system active in 10 plus years. It used to flip primers completely, flip them half way and mash them, etc. It became too much of a distraction. I enjoy loading on the 550b with stage one empty, using primed brass.

    This gives me way more brass prep, but then I'm not losing my friggin mind clearing jams when I want to get ammo kicked out.
    "What would a $2,000 Geissele Super Duty do that a $500 PSA door buster on Black Friday couldn't do?" - Stopsign32v

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by markm View Post
    It used to flip primers completely, flip them half way and mash them, etc.
    I wonder if that's an equipment failure? (Mine is an RL550B, so maybe the -A models were problematic?)

    Or perhaps how you're running the press? Or the adjustment of how far the primer bar goes back and forth?

    (I'm not blaming you; I'm just trying to figure out why we've had such radically different experiences.)

  8. #18
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    I've run a 550b for years. It runs Fed and Win primers fine. CCI... it flips every now and then.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bimmer View Post
    I wonder if that's an equipment failure? (Mine is an RL550B, so maybe the -A models were problematic?)

    Or perhaps how you're running the press? Or the adjustment of how far the primer bar goes back and forth?

    (I'm not blaming you; I'm just trying to figure out why we've had such radically different experiences.)
    Usually vibrations/bumps from the dies in other stations would flip the primers around. I had issues with the primer magazine tube feeding too.
    "What would a $2,000 Geissele Super Duty do that a $500 PSA door buster on Black Friday couldn't do?" - Stopsign32v

  10. #20
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    Roller handle, bullet tray, strong mount and inline fabrication sky light. Bullet tray is handy, roller handle is just my preference but the sky light is just awesome. I stand while I reload and the sky light shines bright white light down onto the whole assembly. Easy to check powder is in the cases before bullet seating. The primer system has given me problems, I haven’t switched out the return spring in forever. It seems to lag on the up stroke and doesn’t pick up a primer. I end up using my left hand to ensure primer pick up. Some one said something about polishing the primer bar and even using Teflon lube for under the primer bar. I polished the bar well enough but haven’t used lube. Probably needs a new return spring.

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