Help with primer change on Dillon 550b

[ZLBubba]

Man, I damn near body slammed my Dillon 550B last night. I've loaded about 400 rounds of 5.56 so far and wanted to switch over and do some 45 ACP for the first time. I'll be damned if I can't get the primer change right.

The primer bar is contacting the shell plate on the down stroke preventing the primer seating mechanism to be aligned and therefore unable to seat a primer. I've fiddled with the primer bar, the primer cup holder, the spring, and the shell plate itself hoping to remedy this. I'm beginning to think my primer bar is out of spec and I have to order a new one.

Here is a pic of the issue:

Can you see how the primer seating mechanism isn't aligned with the shell plate? I've worked the bar back and forth to manipulate its position, but it seems to always be too far left to clear the shell plate. Any suggestions?

 

[wirehand]

Re: Help with primer change on Dillon 550b

Have you tried leaving the primer tube loose(the two allen screws) until the shell plate is around the bar, and snugging the primer tube after?

There is also a allen screw at the back of the primmer tube block, this only allows the primer bar to go so far forward under the springs pressure.

Does the bars pin contact this screw?

 

[jet_lagged]

Re: Help with primer change on Dillon 550b

+1

I always leave the 2 primer screws loose and push the handle to the prime position to allow it to self center the punch assembly in the hole, then tighten things up.

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Help with primer change on Dillon 550b

Wirehand got me over the first issue. The shell plate will now come down over the primer cup. However, I can't for the life of me get the primer cup spring to compress, allowing the primer cup to seat the primer in the case pocket. Any idea what they would be?

 

[hofhine1]

Re: Help with primer change on Dillon 550b

Sometimes, and this is after alot of loading, the area around the cup that holds the primer gets gunked up and needs a real cleaning.

That held me up once.

Next one isn't so easy, your platform might have become mis aligned, how this could happen without you loosening the platform to ram bolts, I do not know.

But dillon makes an alignment tool to set that back to spec, it's kind of a deal, and if you haven't been under the shellplate and messed with those mounting screws that is most likely not your issue.

Mine is usually related to little pieces of primers/powder/stuff in the wrong place so the bar won't align correctly with the priming station.


sean

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Help with primer change on Dillon 550b

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hofhine1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sometimes, and this is after alot of loading, the area around the cup that holds the primer gets gunked up and needs a real cleaning.

That held me up once.

Next one isn't so easy, your platform might have become mis aligned, how this could happen without you loosening the platform to ram bolts, I do not know.

But dillon makes an alignment tool to set that back to spec, it's kind of a deal, and if you haven't been under the shellplate and messed with those mounting screws that is most likely not your issue.

Mine is usually related to little pieces of primers/powder/stuff in the wrong place so the bar won't align correctly with the priming station.


sean </div></div>

Thanks for your input. As embarrassing as this is, my problem was much more simple than I ever imagined. On my primer bar, the plunger was already attached so I was resting the primer seating cup on top of it, instead of removing the plunger and dropping it through the spring and seating cup. Yes, I am an idiot. Two days where I wasn't reloading AND tearing my hair out. Well, that was my first caliber change and I'm certain I'll never make that mistake again.