550 Primer pick up issue

[Wanted]

I searched but didn't find this problem in paticular. My small primer bar will not pick up primers. I have to stick my finger in and push on the part where the primer magazine meets the cup.Then a primer will feed to the cup.

[Sarge]

Sorry wanted but this could be caused by any number of things. Too many to try to go through again. My suggestion is to go to the tips and tricks for your particular press and start from there. Also you should be able to do an advanced search for primer issues and get several pages of info.

[Wanted]

I was afraid of that. Thank you, I'l keep looking

[Wanted]

Got it. I wanted to post in case someone else has this problem, they can start here. I called Dillon support. The guy said my operating arm (the silver wire that moves the primer bar back) wasn't pushing it far enough. Bend the wire where the the first bend in it is. I did so and it worked.

[Sarge]

Got it. I wanted to post in case someone else has this problem, they can start here. I called Dillon support. The guy said my operating arm (the silver wire that moves the primer bar back) wasn't pushing it far enough. Bend the wire where the the first bend in it is. I did so and it worked.

I have bent the arm on my 550 a few times and it seems to help for awhile then wants to go back to the same old thing. I actually had a bent slide when I first got the press. No matter what I did it would screw up. One thing I have finally learned is that once you get it working well don't mess with it! I keep a can of air on hand and blow it out once in awhile but other than that if it is working I resist the urge to pull it off and work on it. Seems to take forever to get it right again. Never put any lube on it except maybe some dry graphite. There is just too much gunk in that area of the press and it seems to stick to any lube you spray in there. It has now become my routine to glance down and make sure it has a primer in the cup.

This lead me to keeping a small container of sized and primed cases on standby so when a primer does not get picked up I just pull out thecase and insert a primed one in it's place. This has saved me a bunch of time on many occasions.

[Sarge]

What press are you running? 550?

[benos]

What press are you running? 550?

With a wire op rod, it is a 550.

My usual 550 priming littering (for others that may happen to click into here:

550 Priming Assembly Adjustment Notes:

• Thoroughly polish frame, wherever priming slide touches it, with green Scotch Brite. (Approx. every 3000 rounds)
  
• Wipe off Primer Slide with solvent or alcohol. Leave it all dry.
  
• At rest primer slide adjustment: Set so that one primer, dropped down the tube, goes all the way into the Primer Seating Cup, 10 times in a row.
  
• Angle of Primer Slide Operating Rod (13869) - Release rod from rollers and swivel it 180º so it's pointing straight up - it should be parallel with the Primer Housing Shield, or maybe outward "a little"; it should not be "inward" at all.
  
• Be sure both screws (14530) that tighten Roller Bracket Shell Platform (14280) from bottom (to the Shellplate Platform) are tight!
  
• Make sure Priming Seating Punch Assembly is fully bottomed out before tightening screw (13996): Measured from bottom of Primer Slide (13920) to top of seated Primer Seating Cup (13284/5), dimension should be between 2.125 - 2.220 inches.
  
• Be sure Priming Operating Rod Bracket (13887) is adjusted so it's within a few thousands of an inch from the top of frame/Toplhead.
  
• Be sure the plastic tips of all your Primer Pickup Tubes and the plastic tip on the bottom of the Priming Magazine are seated fully against the tubes.
  

[Wanted]

Yes it is a 550B, I'm going to order an extra operating rod also.