550 primer issue

[ampleworks]

I searched but didn't find anything that close to my issue.

It seems like my primer bar isn't going back far enough each and every time. Basically if I'm "rough" enough with my downstroke a primer will fall into the cup, else I can stop on my downstroke, flick the primer bar from the side and hear a primer drop into the cup. Flicking it solves the problem, if I pull slightly back on the bar though, usually an extra primer comes out and is shot out out on my bench along with the one in the cup.

I've cleaned it, polished it, have a 45 case on the top of the primer rod. The magazine tube has a new end on it.

It seems like its one thing after another and some days I begin to wonder if this reloading thing is worth messing with!!

[Sarge]

Right size tip on the tube? Size matters!

Tip all the way on the end of the tube?

Tube LOCKED into place all the way down? Flange on tip in groove.

Small piece of an old primer between the cup and bracket?

Change anything at all lately on the press? Primer size, etc?

I'm betting since you said it has a new tip you put on the wrong size or it is not on all the way or not locked in.

[NickJ]

I searched but didn't find anything that close to my issue.

It seems like my primer bar isn't going back far enough each and every time. Basically if I'm "rough" enough with my downstroke a primer will fall into the cup, else I can stop on my downstroke, flick the primer bar from the side and hear a primer drop into the cup. Flicking it solves the problem, if I pull slightly back on the bar though, usually an extra primer comes out and is shot out out on my bench along with the one in the cup.

I've cleaned it, polished it, have a 45 case on the top of the primer rod. The magazine tube has a new end on it.

It seems like its one thing after another and some days I begin to wonder if this reloading thing is worth messing with!!

Have you tried bending the operating rod? Or whatever it's technically called- the double dogleg rod that activates the primer slide. It loses tension after a while, take it off and straighten out the bottom bend a bit. If the slide is clean, this should fix you problem. I run 2 550's, you don't need a .45 case on the primer rod to make it run.

Edited May 29, 2010 by NickJ

[ampleworks]

I will give a look at the operating rod. I'm not even sure how old my press is since it was bought second/third-hand. When I bought it, it was setup for 45 and I loaded strictly 9mm for the first 6 years. After buying my new SS, I started loading 45s.

Sarge, I'll also check the tips!

I put a new tip on the tube because my tube was so old, it had a black tip.

I've never been the type to just start throwing parts at something to hopefully "fix" it. I hate seeing that at work when I'm not footing the bill...much less when I am!

[Sarge]

Yeah I know. I'm the same way. Make sure you pushed the tip on all the way. Unscrew the fitting at the top of the primer tube. Try twisting the inner primer tube to see if it drops down and locks into place.

FWIW, I used to bend and bend and bend the operating rod. It never helped much. For me it only made things slightly better for a short time. If the system is working right the rod will work its magic unless it was bent WAY out of whack somehow.

Keep us posted.

[ampleworks]

At one time I "fixed" it temporarily by wrapping electrical tape around a large portion of the rod just to finish ammo for a match.

I'm not a geometry person but wouldn't moving the part that the rod goes in up/down effect it? Hrm...

[Bubber]

One thing I have found is that the "primer accuating rod" will sometimes move out at the top where it pivots thus causing the primer bar not to fully travel back. I push it back in and it is good to go for a while longer. But that is with small pistol primers. Hope it is helpful. later rdd

[gmantwo]

All good suggestions. You certainly don't need anything on the end of the primer follower if everything is right. I also have 2 550's and they both run very well. One of my machines did get a little "funny" feeling a while back, so I spent the $45 to send it back to Dillon and have it gone through. Well worth the money, especially since I too had bought it second/third hand. Now it works like a champ, smooth and easy. One note though, if you pull back on the primer slide and two primers feed, someone has the slide stop screw turned out too far.

[Rcurly]

Read the archives. This is pretty universal when the system is not squeaky clean...Lets face it, the 550B primer system is poorly designed. They obviously saved a couple of bucks and passed the headaches onto us. Lots of tweeks, none of them does enough to make this system reliable.

[Singlestack]

Call Dillon. It sounds like, from the age of your press you might have the old primer slide. They have a new one and it works 100% better than the old one.

If it is trying to pick up 2 primers the slide stop is out of adjustment and I bet you don't have the primer tube tip inserted correctly. It has a ridge that has to go in a slot.

[98sr20ve]

Rod is not moving the slider back enough. Rod needs to be rebent using a vice at the top bend. This assumes everything else is in order and properly installed.

[ampleworks]

I've had the housing and tube off so much I can insert the magazine tube into the housing and hit the notch every time...no issue there!

Heading to Lowe's, going to pickup a few things to see if I can make it work.

This press was sent back to Dillon several years ago for the $30 refurb process and worked very good for quite some time.

[98sr20ve]

Heading to Lowe's, going to pickup a few things to see if I can make it work.

Before you do anything read this link. You should not have to do anything unussual to get the thing to run right. It's just not that complicated of a system.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=105654&st=0&p=1203807&hl=Primer&fromsearch=1entry1203807

[21 shooter]

I just recently had a problem with my "primer actuating rod" if I named it correctly. It did not want to let the primer slide come completely forward. It took some doing, but I finally got the rod out of the holder. My 550 is many years old, and over time the bar had accumulated some crud and appeared to have some rough spots on it. A minute or so with a dremel tool and that was fixed. I oiled it (debated on using grease) and re-installed it. Now it works great. I figured that this could affect the slide going either way.

[ampleworks]

I got to looking at more threads and found many posts indicating the position of the pivot point for the primer actuating rod was supposed to be barely off the frame.

Is this how it is supposed to be (see pic)?

Wow, not too shabby of a pic for a cell phone!!

Also as I understand the the rod should be parallel with a 45 degree bend in the middle?

Edited May 31, 2010 by ampleworks

[98sr20ve]

Call Dillon about that in the morning. THey told me something like .200" above the frame. Call them to confirm. Read that link. Lots of good advice.

[ampleworks]

If 0.200 is correct then that definitely was a problem. I could fit a 9mm case in the gap!

[98sr20ve]

I know it's not more then that. It's also not touching the frame. I had a issue about 6 months ago. I called dillon after reading that above link. They gave me a number to set the height at. I set it there and have to assume it's still at the same spot. Thats the number I gave you after measuring mine.

[Sarge]

If 0.200 is correct then that definitely was a problem. I could fit a 9mm case in the gap!

Yeah, thats way too much. It is just barely off the frame. .200 or 1/16th inch, whatever.

[ampleworks]

Another oddity...in 5 years of reloading and thousands of primers, I finally loaded my first upside down one!

Geez, if it's not one thing it's another.

[98sr20ve]

A chattering slider will tip and I guess possibly flip a primer (seems a long shot). It's more likely you loaded it in the tube upsidedown.

[Bob DuBois]

Once it's all clean and adjusted properly the best tip I can offer is to use powdered graphite as a lube between the primer bar and the primer track bearing, the little plate that sets in the frame. The graphite won't attract powder and the press will run longer between cleaning. The small bottle I bought is over ten years old so a little will go a long time.

I used to keep a can of compressed air but now have a small compressor and a shot of air and a light dusting of graphite has kept mechanical repairs way down from the past.

[ampleworks]

I couldn't find the graphite but I did find Teflon. I've kept a can of air around since the first one that came in the maintenance kit when I bought the press.

I'm just going to give it a good scrub down.

[98sr20ve]

I couldn't find the graphite but I did find Teflon. I've kept a can of air around since the first one that came in the maintenance kit when I bought the press.

I'm just going to give it a good scrub down.

Graphite is a dry lube. Teflon is a wet lube (as is nearly any lube). Do not use any wet lube. You can take a #2 pencil and get graphite lube like that. Personally, I would run it dry with no lube, find some graphite at a lock shop/home depot and try that later.

[larry cazes]

Steve is right on this. Any wet lubricant will cause dirt and primer dust to be caught between the slide and shim. Should be a bearing here but there is none. If this area gets dirty the friction between the two surfaces increases until it won't slide freely anymore. Keep it dry. Keep it clean. Lube with powdered graphite if you got it. Get used to having to tweak this system regularly.