Infernal Combustion

Agree with bofe954. I haven't used an SDB, and I sometimes think about picking up a used one when I see it cheap, but I really don't need it with the 550. I load .38 Special, .45 Colt, .45 ACP and 9 mm and it is fairly quick and easy to change calibers with the 550 - especially with Brian's deluxe conversion kits. Converting from small to large primers is also relatively painless on the 550 although I try to do all of one primer size before I convert to the other. I already had most of my dies from Lee because I started loading with a Lee Turret press, so being able to use the dies I already had saved me some money. I'm also a fan of the Lee crimp die, so I like using it. I got an M1903 Springfield rifle (made by Remington in 1942) for Christmas so I am about to start loading 30-06 for rifle. The plan is to use my idle Lee Turret for the rifle, but I like the idea that I can use the 550 as well if the need should arise that I start cranking out lots of rifle rounds. In short, the 550 is a bit more flexible (loads rifle and uses any dies) and caliber and primer swaps are fairly easy and quick on the 550.

I wish the ridges were a bit taller on the flipping side of the Dillon. There are always 2 or 3 stubborn primers that just won't flip in the Dillon that flip just fine in my Lee primer feeder. That said, I like the size and heft of the Dillon - I don't lose primers dumping from the package to the flip tray, especially Federals. Gotta be real careful trying to get primers into the tiny Lee feeder. I thought it took two 50 BMG cases for the Dillon tray - one per side.

Thanks for everyone's help. I will be adding Benos' primer feeding adjustment notes to my load notebook. I did figure out the problem. GrumpyOne was pretty close and his advice to operate with out a case in the shellplate was what was needed - sometimes I just don't think of the obvious. The shellplate wasn't too tight, but the primer slide bar was ever so slightly askew. When the shellplate came down on the priming stroke, it was just barely catching the primer cup, causing the primer to flip. It was just pushing down the edge cup but allowing it to snap back up, causing the primer to flip before the shellplate came completely down around the cup assembly. Loosening the primer slide a bit, centering the cup in the shellplate, and then re-tightening the screws solved the problem.

Thanks GrumpyOne and Braxton1. I hadn't thought about the shell plate being screwed down a bit too tightly. It indexes well, but it still may be a tad too tight, causing the primers to scrape the bottom of the shell plate or to catch the hole in the plate before the primer slide has move all the way forward. I can't feel it when cycling, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening. I'll check it when I get home from work tonight. If that doesn't do it, it will be a call to Blue CS in the AM as warpspeed suggests. I'll let everyone know the solution as soon as I have it.

Thanks guys. To answer some of the questions, I'm having the problem with Federal large pistol primers. I've used both CCI and Federal large pistol in the past with no problems. I do know I have the large primer feed tube (red end) in the primer feed assembly. I've also cleaned the slide, slide shim, and other contact areas with an alcohol pad. The bench is solid and I'm using the strong mount - not much shakin' goin' on. I also blew everything off with some canned air and have ensured I don't have a lost primer around any of the mechanisms. I also did a forum search on this problem before posting and found lots of problems with feeding, but not much of anything on why the primer might flip just before it gets seated. As I mentioned, the primers are feeding into the cup properly now - got that problem solved - and it is in the cup properly on the way to being seated. But when the cup disappears under the shell plate the primer gets "flipped". Could the piece that pushes the primer out of the cup be getting activated prematurely?

Howdy everyone. I've had my 500b for about 3 month now and loved it until yesterday. Spent 3+ hours trying to get the primer feed to work. Spilled primers all over the place twice, and loaded the pickup tube twice. Of course several disappeared in the process in the dark nether regions of the loading area. I will find them eventually, but didn't want to spend a lot of time on the cold concrete floor. I finally figured out that I didn't have the internal primer feed tube (the one with the red end for large primers) installed/seated properly. Finally got that worked out and managed to load about 25 rounds before a misshapen primer gummed up the works. Took the primer assembly apart for the third time (darn, I hate those screws on the bottom!) got the buggered primer out of the feed tube, set every thing up again, and ran into a new problem. The darn thing started "flipping" the primers after picking it up out of the feed tube but before seating it in the cartridge. I verified that the primers were going into the primer cup in the correct position from the primer feed tube, but after seating, I would examine the cartridge and see that it was installed upside down - shiny side toward the powder. Sometimes, it would not complete the "flip" and install the primer in sideways. I've loaded a couple thousand rounds on the machine - about half .38 special with small primers, and the other half .45 Colt with large primers. I've switched back and forth between the primer sizes a couple of times and have never had any problems. After the time I spend yesterday getting a total of about 25 rounds and losing or buggering up about 15 primers, I gave up. Almost thought about going back to the Lee Turret. Anyway, does anyone have any idea why the primers are flipping between pickup from the primer feed to seating the primer? How do I fix it? Thanks in advance.