Crimpringer

I am having an issue with 45acp cases getting "pinched" between left side of case feed bowl and cutout in plate. This happens about 5 out of a hundred cases. The tube will run out and I look up and case feeder has stopped with a "stuck" case. I just push it back into the bowl and it starts running again. They are always to the left side of the case feed drop opening, always falling the correct way. This is a brand new LP plate, not using spacer, running on low speed. All cases fall the right direction when they clear the opening, not getting any waterfalls. Only other thing and it might not be an issue, but I can only add 1 Dillon bin of cases at a time or it will stop the feeder from running. I have ran 1000's of 9mm and .223 and never had this issue with those set-ups, and can add much more brass and not causing feeder to stop. Could it be the feeder itself or my new plate, my set-up? I am new to running .45 on the xl650, but have ran many 9mm and .223 like I said with zero issues. I am puzzled?/

Having an issue with my Lee FCD. It is screwed down as far as it can go, touching the shell plate, but still to high to engage the crimp collet. I have used it for years in single stage press, so I don't think anything is wrong with the die. Not much to the die to go wrong. The collet spins free inside the body. Running the .223 FCD on XL650. Brass trimmed to 1.755", COAL 2.240". Using name brand 55gr BTHP. This is the first time set-up for .223 so maybe this die just isn't going to work on this press. Anyone else have this issue? Really don't want to grind the die body collet. Does the Redding comp crimp die work better? Dillon crimp die? Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Problem solved. Indeed cleaning was the fix. I guess I made a few rookie mistakes. I was so used to running batches of 100 pcs though a single stage setup, I guess I got in too big of a hurry. I wet tumble before sizing and trimming, then spray with homemade lube. I was not letting the cases dry all the way, then spraying them with lube. Again not letting them dry enough. I took the machine apart and under the shell plate looked like a swimming pool of oil. I dried and cleaned the entire machine, re-greased all the spots that needed, oiled the shaft with Mobil1, filed the nicks out of the locator plate and greased well, re-assembled and sized/trimmed 3000+ cases and not one issue. Guess that is the learning curve with a progressive press. Hope this helps any new user. Don't get in a hurry. When this thing runs smooth, it is true Blue Magic.

That is funny. :roflol:Yep that could cause problems. I think you guys are on to something. Yes right plate. I only have 1 caliber for my press right now. It is the correct one. Yes there are a couple big dings in the plate lips. I must have caused this when I was learning the rhythm of the press. very well I could have not been running full strokes and screwed it up. Not much grease at all under the plate. Does it come from Dillon with grease or is this a trick you all have learned that helps? I am going to touch up the plate with a fine file and grease her up and see if it helps. Thanks for the advise.

Yes, I checked that. I was hoping that was the issue, but it came from Dillon set-up for .223/5.56. That is set to the correct side.

Having a few issues at station 1. Brand new 650 and I am new to the press. Everything seems to be running great until I hit an issue about 3 to 4 times per 150 shells. I am running a prep tool head for LC 5.56. #1=sizer die, #2=empty, #3=1500 trim die/trimmer, #4=empty, #5=M die. I am running great, then I hit a jolting stop. Running at a nice smooth, even pace. Not too fast, not too slow. Getting double cases at #1, or slide ramp sticks with a case stuck crocked on case feed plate or case is getting thrown into center of shell plate. Shell plate seems tight, everything is still "new" clean. I have only ran about 500 clean, deprimmed cases so far. Running DCL on the brass, sizing all working great, case feed working great. Bench very solid and stable. Just cant seem to catch what is causing these issues.

I used to run all my brass through a Lee universal decap die on my old Rockchucker press. I had a small block of wood with a Craftsman taper punch mounted with taper up. When I got a piece of brass with a smashed neck I would start the mouth on it and tap the rim and push down until fairly rounded again. seemed to work well for me. All my brass is already deprimmed and once tumbled so I don't need that step in my trim/prep head right now. I always decaped (lee universal die), tumble, size, trim, debur, uniform pocket, tumble, load. Each it's own step on a single stage press. My set-up now on the 650 is RCBS FL sizer die with pin pulled at #1, trimmer at #3 and M die at #5. Worked great. 150 pcs done in less then 10 mins. That was first time I ran the 650. This was all done with deprimmed, clean brass. How do most guys prep/trim fired brass? My plan is to tumble fired brass, put pin back in sizer die and size/deprime all in station #1 then run trimmer, M die as my normal set-up. I hate to deprime with my sizer die though. How gummed up does the Dillon get deprimming on it. Does anyone still use a single stage press to deprime and only run clean brass on the Dillon, no burnt primmer foulings gumming up the machine?

Thanks for all the good advise. This forum is great. Glad to hear that the problem of case spin may not be such an issue as I thought. Have everything set up now, so going to start them up tomorrow. Yes I can't wait to see 1000's of shelling finally getting loaded. don't know why I waited this long. Thanks again.

I have been reloading on my old RockChucker for better then 25 years. I always felt in total control of my press and my work bench, now it is like everything I have learned over the years has turned upside down. The actual loading, I feel will become second nature very quickly with this new beast. It is the old mind numbing case prep that has me unsure. I have a small mountain of 5.56 that is never going to be worked up in batches of 100, so I have made the move to a XL650. For 25 years I have pulled out 100 pcs, one station to the next until it was ready to be fired. Now you work with 1000's at a time and must always be thinking 2 or 3 stations ahead to maximize production and minimize time. That is great, just going to take awhile to find that groove. Ok, here is my question/issue. I have 1000's of LC 5.56 brass. All has been single staged decapped, super swagged and tumbled clean(all done before I made the move to Dillon). Now I am moving to the XL650 to start processing them. I have bought a separate head for prep/trimming. I need advise on the best set-up to achieve a finished case ready to load. Most brass has slightly deformed case mouths. I would like to run something in stage 1 to shape case/mouth for a clean trim. I am scared to full size here. I have read, full sizing before Dillon trim die could cause case spin in die. My guess would be to adjust die to not hit shoulder, just form mouth. Then station 3 run RT 1500 (mod head pin to sit under vac attachment). Run it as the full length sizing stage. Then at station 5 run something to "open" case mouth to .224. Here are the dies I have for this set-up. No sure which would work best in what station or which to pick. I have a FL RCBS comp die, a X-die small base sizer, and a Lyman 22 cal neck expanding (M) die. I always sized on the RockChucker with the X-die for all AR ammo with great success, so I would like to use that somewhere, but never used the Dillon trim/sizer die, so maybe I don't need it and just need to break that habit. On my loading head, I planned to leave station 1 open, since brass will be re-tumbled to remove lube and clean and ready. Then the rest of the station set as normal. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thank you for taking time to read my long post.

Hello from southern Indiana. Been hunting and shooting since I was 7. Way too many years to mention! Just a family tradition. Been a single presser for 25+ years, but now I have decided to enter the modern world and go Big Blue. This is by far the best forum with the most info of all the web searches I have done. My hat's off to you fine folks. Looking to gain some knowledge and hopefully share some too. Thanks again.