blujax01

I'd check the groove right after a shell would catch and I wouldn't see anything come out when I scraped it with a dental pick. Thanks. From the information you presented up to now, I could have guessed that you had already checked but you never know.

I think I see your problem...

Is it as simple as cleaning powder from the grooves in the shell plate? Particles do get caught up in there from time to time.

Honestly, 45/70 is another reason I have an LnL Classic mounted on the bench next to the XL650. No more than I shoot my Marlin SBL, I could not justify the cost of the conversion.

Oh don't misunderstand me, my decision to wait on the case feeder was purely economic. My point was that you can run without one. And Silverbolt is correct - a 3/4" bench top may not give the desired stability. I bought a 4x8x3/4 sheet of oak plywood, slit it lengthwise, put down a coating of wood glue, turned it face-to-face, and screwed it together on 24" centers. Add a 1x2 furring strip along the front edge to finish and you will have a Solid foundation.

I've thought about it, considered the unnerving *Crack* and subsequent "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!????" from the Missus if one did go off, as well as the fact that the primer cost me $0.03 - and toss it.

I pick mine up off the floor at the range. Zero dollars per thousand.

I've had excellent results with the stupidly-named Dillon D-Terminator. I took a vintage set of Ohaus check weights to a client who has NIST calibration on their lab gear and verified my weights ( 0.1 grain to 50 grain), then took them home and put them on the Dillon. Dead. Solid. Perfect. I do like the advertised features on the new scale Brian is selling, especially the hinged lid as well as the lifetime warranty (the Dillon is 12 months).

I found a Colt for about $50 more than the G42. It was a no-brainer for me.

While the case feeder is nice, it is not strictly necessary. I ran my press for a year before I took on the added expense. The bullet tray is a must add. The primer alarm you simply cannot do without. There is available a parts kit for less than $30. Even though your press is warrantied for life, if you need to have a part sent to you there can be a delay while the mail runs it's course. An extra locater pin, or a spring or other doodad is handy to have to keep you up and running. You got an XL650 and she got picture frames? Must be some damn nice frames!

I have Dillon, Wilson and Lyman. My Lyman also tended to get surface rust until I hit it with a little case lube. The barrel "plunk test" is the definitive test but I am concerned about dropping one, dinging it up, losing it, etc. so I unless I have a particularly finicky gun/bullet combination, I use a case gauge every 100 rounds as another attribute check ( along with OAL and powder charge).

My 8x8 basement room started with a flat pack kitchen base cabinet I found in a "scratch and dent" pile, and a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood that I slit up the middle, doubled up and made 1-1/2" thick, and kind of grew from there. Cabinets, tables etc., are all either repurposed, clearance or factory seconds.

I too have run about 10K of 9mm through my 650 without the FCD and have had excellent results with the Dillon die set. I have mine set so the bullet seat die removes the bell. The FCD may be overkill but if it works for you, why not? You have to pull the handle anyway, right? I recently acquired a pistol chambered in 357 Sig and am loading for it on a Single Stage with an RCBS 2 die set. I did not care for the way the seating die "crimps" so I have ordered a Dillon taper crimp die. I know the Dillon die and I trust it. I considered the Lee FCD but don't see the need to full length resize a finished cartridge. Different strokes...

Bud's sells Hi-Points for about $150.

All Blazer is small primer and is by far the biggest selling range ammo around here. Over the past couple of years, it has increased to the point that the mix is about 60/40 LP to SP so I've gotten used to sorting it and using it.

Blazer Brass is all small primer (as is some newer Federal) and Blazer seems to be the range ammo of choice around here. The last 1000 cases I sorted were about 600 Large to 400 Small so it's no longer economically feasible to throw away the small primer brass. Just one more attribute added to the case inspection and sorting process.

When I saved enough of it I felt obligated to buy a set of dies and a pistol in that caliber. True story.

I run 3.0 grains of HP38 ( Pretty tight window as Hodgdon shows a minimum of 2.9 and a maximum of 3.1 ) with Berry's 100 grain FBRN in my Colt Plus II. Eats 'em like candy.

From SAMMI: Storage enclosures for smokeless powder should be constructed in a similar manner: Of fire-resistant and heat-insulating materials to protect contents from external heat. Sufficiently loose to vent the gaseous products of combustion satisfactorily which would result if the quantity of smokeless powder within the enclosure accidentally ignited. Storage cabinets should be constructed of insulating materials and with a weak wall, seams or joints to provide an easy means of self- ventilation. If you've ever seen industrial paint cabinets, they're not much more than an insulated metal box with a vent. They do lock so the door has a latch. It's no stretch to see that an old refrigerator with a magnetic strip door (NOT the old latch type) is perfect for storing powder. Unplug it first! Obviously, since by law a refrigerator door must be able to be opened by a toddler, it will not allow pressure to build up in a fire.

I dunno, I run mixed range brass through my 650 all the time in my hand guns and OAL is at the most +/- 0.003. And this is due to inconsistencies in the profile of some cheaper plated bullets. FMJ or HP is usually dead nut right on to three decimal places. So if I'm using a recipe calling for a minimum OAL of 1.130 I know I can set it for 1.133 and not fall under minimum. But if your 40 is running okay at that tolerance level, all's well that ends well.

Admittedly I am far from being an expert and as a new kid on the block I don't want to step on any toes, but in my opinion: If your OAL runs from 1.129 to 1.141 there is something else going wrong that may be the root cause. And the Lee FCD is fixing the symptom, not the problem.

I seriously doubt Dillon would do this and my local Dillon dealer (AimHi Shooting Range in New Albany Ohio) would never consider doing such a thing, either. I do hope that by sending the boogered up unit to Dillon, it gives them the evidence they need to go after whoever is trying to sell junk press parts as new.

Henny, when you cut the mounting pipe (steel) don't you also have to cut down the clear case feeder tube in order for things to line up?

Yes. Dillon Strong Mount. The key measurement obviously is bench top to ceiling. I'm in a basement with a low ceiling so everything is a challenge (especially in some area under the duct work!). I do have a foot stool I stand on when I change the plate in the case feeder and I unfold the mirror from the side of the cabinet in order to see what I'm doing, like keeping an eye on when the hopper may be running low on brass, etc.

Maybe this will help: Floor to bench top = 36". Bench top to ceiling = 51". Bench top to top of hopper = 40". Top of hopper to ceiling = 11". Floor to ceiling total height = 7'3". As far as access, the fold away shaving mirror (Home Depot) helps immensely and I can pour plenty of brass from a pail into the hopper. I wouldn't cut it much closer, though.