550 primer alignment issues

[memilanuk]

So... recently been working with virgin Lapua .308 Palma (SRP) brass and Fed 205M primers on the old Dillon RL550B. Hadn't been having a problem before with my ~8x fired brass, but I needed to switch over to new brass, so...

Started experiencing the occasional 'full stop' when I went to push the handle forward to prime the case. Pull it out, everything looks fine. Try it again... no go. Dig that primer out, cycle the primer slide to get a fresh one, and that one usually went in just fine. Tight, being brand new Lapua brass, but fine. I tried seating the 'problem' primer in another case - nope. Not happening. On one or two that I tried anyway the primer was definitely not going in correctly - almost like it was off center, hanging up on one side of the cup/pocket.

The occurences started increasing in frequency, until last night - of course, last night when I really *needed* to finish loading ammo to ship out today for a match - it just finally was every single primer refused to go in the hole. Had to break out the bench-mounted priming tool and prime all the cases first, then run them through the press for powder and bullet.

Not quite sure where to look for what the problem is. I took the shell plate off, and inspected both it and under it, to see if any grit or gunk had built up in the recesses around the case head and rim, that would preclude the case going all the way into the shell plate and lining up with the priming punch. Everything looked clean/clear.

Any suggestions on what to look at next?

 

[straightshooter1]

Sounds like something's out of alignment. . .???

 

[aprocast]

They say to run the primer slide dry, but I have used mine oiled for 20 years, it works nicer that way

 

[sea2summit]

Check that no powder has fallen in and gotten crushed inside the cup of the seater. It will knock the primers out of alignment.

Check that the cup is centered in the plate pocket.

Disassemble the seater and make sure there’s no debris inside that could be jamming it up.

Someone already said a little lube can help, I have some silicone on the arm and the seater.

Check the plate tension/ball and make sure it’s working as it should. Little silicone there too.

Watch when it’s grabbing the new primers, if they don’t come out of the feeder like they should the feeder lips could be mangled or the little flap stopper isn’t adjusted right.

 

[sinister]

Are any of the plate screws on top of the ram loose? That'll knock everything off-timing.

 

[memilanuk]

Had a chance to take things apart and mess with them a bit...

Yes, there had been powder spills, off and on. One of the 'hazards' of dealing with weighed charges, powder funnels, and other people interrupting me

They'd been cleaned up just like before, using ye ole shop vac, and one of those gun-cleaning two-headed 'tooth' brushes.

IME, powder in the priming cup tends more to leave 'dents' in the primer during seating, rather than dick up the alignment. But it was clean, regardless.

The sub plate was/is tight. The feed lips on the bottom of the primer tube look pretty much cherry. The feed plunger looks fine. Not sure how the primer cup could be out of alignment with the sub plate - there's very little clearance around that thing to begin with.

Really weird, because nothing was 'adjusted', but the error rate kept getting worse and worse, until just nothing worked.

 

[myronman3]

Call dillon and see what they say. Check out their forums as well. I actually stumped their CS team and picked up the answer on their forum.

 

[memilanuk]

Huh. Didn't know they had their own forum. I've usually used the brianenos.com forums.

To be honest, the last time I called Dillon, I was less than enthused with their 'troubleshooting' - it pretty much consisted of "box it up, ship it back".

 

[myronman3]

Huh. Didn't know they had their own forum. I've usually used the brianenos.com forums.

To be honest, the last time I called Dillon, I was less than enthused with their 'troubleshooting' - it pretty much consisted of "box it up, ship it back".

Well if you did box it up and ship it back, they’d fix it.

 

[myronman3]

The issue i stumped them on was a bullet seater for a 44 special on the square deal. The 44 seater i had didnt seat the bullet deep enough for the special. Reading on the forum, i found where someone used a seater plug for the 45 acp and it worked fantastic. So i ordered on of those, and that was my solution. I was kinda surprised the guy answering the phone didnt come up with that answer.

Everytime i’ve needed something, they’ve been fantastic. Never any bullshit, they just hook me up.

 

[memilanuk]

Mine was something that about 5 strokes with a small file fixed on the inside of the primer housing fixed. Hardly something worth boxing the whole thing up and shipping it back, in my book.

 

[99106]

https://www.dillonprecision.com/rl-550-series-xl-650-platform-alignment-tool_8_6_26408.html You may need to re align. I have had my 650 hang up a few ways. Usually shell plate too tight or binding, primer wheel dirty, remove both used acetone to clean / degrease then relubed. One other thing, make sure the cases are fully in the plate, the auto mechanism short strokes sometimes.

 

[aprocast]

So did you lube it?

 

[99106]

No did not lube. I previously used corncob or walnut to tumble with and between the dust from that, spilled powder or fired primer dust it would get gunky under the shell plate. Eventually that crap migrates over to the primer carrier wheel. Plate would hang and not fully rotate. I would pull shell plate and primer assembly, vacuum, wipe down everything with acetone or alcohol and reinstall dry. If you have not done the lightened detent, roller handle or bearing upgrades, I would recommend them. They smooth out the rotation and reduce powder spillage. Just remember to put old parts back if you send in to dillon for rma.

 

[jsthntn247]

Primer pockets too tight on the brass?

 

[myronman3]

Just did a google search.....you realize that brass uses small rifle primers, yes?

 

[myronman3]

I remember during the primer shortage, someone started making 45 acp brass with small pistol primer pockets....and how that fucked up a buddy of mine.

 

[jsthntn247]

I got some Alpha 308 brass with the pockets too small for 85% of primers

 

[Mike Casselton]

I remember during the primer shortage, someone started making 45 acp brass with small pistol primer pockets....and how that fucked up a buddy of mine.

That wasn't because of primer shortages. The small primer on the 45 ACP was for lead free ammunition.

During that time, the only lead free pistol primer was the SP.

Cases were ordered with small pockets for that reason, and that reason only.

We went through many different flash hole diameters trying to find ways to make them work better.
Ended up leaving them alone.

 

[myronman3]

Are these cases you’ve fired before, or are they brand spanking new/never loaded before?

 

[memilanuk]

working with virgin Lapua .308 Palma (SRP) brass

 

[myronman3]

I’d try a very slight chamfer around the primer pocket on one and see what you get.

 

[memilanuk]

Well... finished priming the last 100 of this batch (for this gun) yesterday; gonna have to get them loaded and packaged up to fly out next Tuesday for the SWN. After that... it's going to be a little while before I need to load them again (next big LR match is in late May or June).

It's interesting that I had almost no problems priming them on the bench mounted tool. Granted, that's a Primal Rights CPS, with machined shell holders from Sinclair, so the tolerances are *way* tighter. Even there, I had one that felt just a little funny going in.

Hopefully one good full-power firing with a competitive FTR load will 'fix' things. If not, it's either chamfer the pockets, or crimp/point the cups so they go in the hole smoother

 

[Sheldon N]

@milanuk

Have you aligned with the Dillon Alignment tool? (part # 13713) When setting up my 550 I get the platform lined up with the toolhead using the tool first. Then I adjust the position of the primer assembly at the bottom so that it is centered on the hole in the platform. Goal is to get the platform to be able to go up to the top in perfect alignment, then when it comes back down to the bottom position the platform should come down perfectly centered on the primer cup. If they are out of alignment you see the platform twisting or moving between top position and bottom position.