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Typical primer loss with Dillon 550


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I think...

Over time, gunk gets down into the space between the seating ram and the cup. This causes the primer to sit at the very top of the cup and if the anvil is a little proud of the cup, it can catch as it slides under the shellplate and flip it sideways or completely over.

Remove the seating assembly from your primer slide and disassemble and clean it out. This has helped me greatly in the past, ymmv...

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You will always loose primers trying to insert them back into crimped primer pockets. I have found that over tightening the primer tube causes a lot of problems. This will distort the plastic dispenser at the end of the tube and will cause primers to be dropped into the cup side ways. Gunk and trash around this area or a weak flat leaf spring will also create problems like this. Check to make sure the flat spring is tightly screwed in and the area around it is clean, check the tension you have on the top of the primer magazine tube and replace the plastic dispenser tip occasionally and you should be good. Also look at the stamping on the case head to get rid of the crimped primers and you should lose a lot less.

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could it be as simple as lubing the cases so the machine runs smoother/smoothly and doesn't cause the primers to bounce

in /   out of the cup while resizing or when the case comes out of the powder drop tube?!

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Two quick thoughts-I have have at least 6 550's in the past 20 years. Best case scenario- the occasional tight primer pocket, flipped primer, gremlins and the x wife are blamed for the random failures. 

 

Then I returned to the 1050 for 9mm. The percentage of rejects went down and my satisfaction increased....

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Interesting thread. I had a 450 that I bought back in the 80s that I upgraded to a 550 piece by piece and can tell you I had that issue with Wolf brand primers for some odd reason with both priming systems. CCI and Winchester have not exhibited that issue. I haven't had any of those primers in a while so I can't compare them to the CCI or Winchesters. 

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Interesting thread. I had a 450 that I bought back in the 80s that I upgraded to a 550 piece by piece and can tell you I had that issue with Wolf brand primers for some odd reason with both priming systems. CCI and Winchester have not exhibited that issue. I haven't had any of those primers in a while so I can't compare them to the CCI or Winchesters. 


I think the Wolff have more squared off edges around the primer cup. CCI and Winchester have more rounded. I agree, both the primer pick up tubes and primer feeding system like the more rounded primer cups better. Fo sure


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  • 2 weeks later...

I have only been loading 5-6 years but I do reload a lot I also have a 550b I have nowhere near this failure rate!  If I lose one in a 100 that would be a lot!  It sounds like something is very wrong to me.  I thought you were going to see the catch basket doesn't catch all the spent primers for this my numbers would be close to yours maybe a little higher miss rate.

Sounds like it's time to call Dillon they are great and anything that might be wrong is free to replace.

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I loaded several thousand rounds on a 550B and never had a sideways or flipped primer. I loaded CCI SPP into 9mm Blazer brass.

 

My initial thought is if a primer comes out upside-down or sideways it went into the primer cup that way. It's possible the primers are flipping because they're hitting crud in the tube. Are you cleaning your primer magazine tube regularly? I run an isopropyl alcohol-soaked pad (get them at a drug store) through my primer magazine tubes and primer loading tubes after every loading session with the primer following rod. If I've run around 500 or more primers, I will see a little sprinkling of gold dust (primer compound) on the pad.

 

The tightness of the nut on top is also a good thought. All you need is finger-tight. That's it.

 

Watch out the tip is still good too.

 

Technique also comes to mind. I am always very careful to hold the primer loading tube STRAIGHT up-and-down over the magazine tube, and pull the little clip out in a single smooth motion.

 

Hope this helps.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I would be curious to watch a video of your 550b while reloading a few rounds.  My only primer problem is upside down primers and that is due to my vibra prime dumping them into the tube wrong.  

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Mine started having similar problems so I took the priming system apart and replaced the following items with new parts from Dillon:

1. Primer Feed Stop Pin, part #14051.

2. Flexible Orifice (small) part #14024.

3. Primer Feed Stop Spring part # 13979.

Problem sol-ved.

When you put it all back together be sure and not over-tighten the knurled primer shield at the top of the tube.

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