550 Primer Slide

[CSEMARTIN]

I've been having a lot of problems with the primer slide on my 550 lately. I've tried just about everything. Today, I put a very small amount of slide glide on the primer slide, and the machine has never run smoother. It is impressive to me how well my 550 ran tonight.

Has anyone ever tried this. If so, any problems or reasons why you shouldn't do this. I think I read somewhere once that Dillon didn't recommend lubricating the primer slide.

Thanks, Chris

[dajarrel]

Chris,

I think the primer slide needs some form of lubrication. It just needs to be a dry lube. I use a silicone spray and make sure it has dried prior to returning it to use. I think the problem with wet lubes like slide glide or break free is that they hold the grit and contaminants and kind of grind away. I have found the primer slide area to be pretty nasty. Just keeping it clean helps alot.

Just my observations,

dj

[John Dunn]

I use Slide Glide there, works well for me.

[Guest Larry Cazes]

I had a lot of problems with the primer slide on my 550B until I tried Dillon's advice and cleaned the whole mechanism with Iso Alcohol and started using DRY graphite as lube. Since then, It has run 100% through 10K+ rounds of .45 and .40. You definitely want to run it with DRY lube only. Any type of wet lube and it will eventually gum up with primer dust and start to drag.

[George]

I also had problems with my 550 primer bar sticking when I was first setting it up. The parts are a little grabby when they are new and unburnished were they slide. I just took it all apart, polished everything with steel wool until it was as smooth as glass, cleaned it real well with alchohol, and now it runs fine dry as long as it's clean. The graphite & silicone lube routines also enhance operation and are a good addition to polishing and cleaning if you want maximum reliability. Anything greasy/oily in this area is gonna cause grunge buildup and need frequent cleaning. I don't have to do much to keep this area clean if I keep it dry.

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Regards,

[oddjob]

I had to lube my powder bar as well. I think I used motor oil, but anyway its as smooth as ever. Next time I clean it though I'm gonna use the dry graphite method.

[TheOtherErik]

cleaning sucks...i just add a few drops of m-pro7 on the bearing plate when I start to notice some drag on the primer slide. it cleans as you load.

[Guest Larry Cazes]

Erik, I agree...Cleaning sucks. I only clean when I change out the primer system to switch between .40 and .45.

[CSEMARTIN]

Thanks everyone.

I hadn't thought of graphite. That sounds like a great idea- especially for the powder bar. The slide glide does work well, but I wonder how everything will function when dust, debris,etc. starts to accumulate.

Chris

[EricW]

The slide glide does work well, but I wonder how everything will function when dust, debris,etc. starts to accumulate.

That's the rub. It'll jam up sooner or later if you don't keep on it. But that's the way it is with everything - so it's no big deal. It works.

FWIW, I try to make a point to preflighting my press before every session if only to keep things lubed up properly.

[B.J. Norris]

I like to give the primer slide and press ram a squirt of One-Shot case lube right before I start loading, works like a charm (BTW, if you haven't tried this stuff, GO GET SOME NOW!!!! the stuff is awesome...).