sqrlnts Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 I am curious if anyone has tried to convert a Dillon 550 into an auto-indexer? Searches of the dang ol WWW.web say no. Hell if this guy can , surely someone has at least tried and failed?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 The good thing is the Dillon 550 sells well and you can get most of your money back. Then you can get a nice LNL at Grafs.com for $399 with free shipping, fully progressive, or for a few dollars more a XL650 or jump on the 1050 with autodrive and a bullet feeder. I run a LNL and an XL650 both with CaseFeeders and Bullet feeders, but I feel your pain, I've got a bid in on motorized 1050, when I get that, I'll just add a second bench. Just think with all the extra money you will save loading more bullets it will pay for it self, faster, since you can load faster. All kiding aside, unless you are a retired machinist with nothing to do and have a shop full of machines its just not practicle, and very probably not cost effective, even with zero cost labor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98sr20ve Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 (edited) If you want auto indexing get the 650 and a casefeeder. I loaded faster with my 550 then my LnL (due to it's design). I was barely faster with my LnL and casefeeder then my 550. Something like 100rds in 7mins. With my 650 I am at 5 mins per hundred. Edited July 31, 2011 by 98sr20ve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 (edited) Your link above shows a homemade collator not a case feeder. I know Dillon makes the same mistake (that's one). This is a case feeder. Click on the photo for the video. Can you make a 550 auto index? Sure you can, I would bet it would only take a few hours to do so. At the end of the day you still only have 4 stations to work with. Edited August 1, 2011 by jmorris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Ho Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Auto indexing 550? hmmm It will probably take me a little while to get the bugs worked out but I bet I can do it. I was able to make two pretty reliable brass sorters (they even sort by headstamp) and I think I can apply the same technology to the problem. My kids love helping reload Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Since manually indexing the Shellplate does not slow down the loading cycle (you can index the Shellplate and set a bullet on the case faster than you can let go of the handle and insert a new case in the Shellplate) - I like it that the Shellplate does not auto index. Having the ability to flip the Shellplate in any direction at any time is a nice feature. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Striker9 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Since manually indexing the Shellplate does not slow down the loading cycle (you can index the Shellplate and set a bullet on the case faster than you can let go of the handle and insert a new case in the Shellplate) - I like it that the Shellplate does not auto index. Having the ability to flip the Shellplate in any direction at any time is a nice feature. be +1 to be....it is a nice feature to be able to index fwd and back. one of the main reasons i went with the 550b. speed and complete automatation is not my goal, if it was i would have gone 650 or 1050 but the 550 is quite versitile and change outs are quick. sounds like a good project, good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 (edited) If you want auto indexing get the 650 and a casefeeder. I loaded faster with my 550 then my LnL (due to it's design). I was barely faster with my LnL and casefeeder then my 550. Something like 100rds in 7mins. With my 650 I am at 5 mins per hundred. I'd be upset as well only 857 rounds an hour on the LNL, that's just way too slow I unload them faster than that, now 1200 rounds an hour on the XL650, I'm not buying it, because with my bullet feeder the Dillon case feeder cannot keep up, and I have to stop and wait for the cases, but it only takes about 3 min a 100 loading 9 minor, for major I got to slow down to keep the powder from slinging. A friend of mine has a Super 1050 but he loads all his ammo on a 550, go figure, he loads as fast as he shoots, Limited GM. Edited August 2, 2011 by CocoBolo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I hate to admit this but I have every Dillon except the 550. What am I missing by not having the ability to back the shell plate up, except a double charge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakshow10mm Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Loading .375 H&H Magnum at 500 rounds per hour? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqrlnts Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 (edited) Your link above shows a homemade collator not a case feeder. I know Dillon makes the same mistake (that's one). This is a case feeder. Can you make a 550 auto index? Sure you can, I would bet it would only take a few hours to do so. At the end of the day you still only have 4 stations to work with. Thats awesome. So he did it on a SDB, I would want the collator on top of the case feeder with the above auto index in a 550! I can live with 4 stations. I know this doesn't make sense to most people who have more money than they can spend, its ok. I'm a DIY guy. Edited August 2, 2011 by sqrlnts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braxton1 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 The problem with auto-indexing a 550: The case in Station 1 has to make a trip on the upstroke into the sizing/decapping die. Then on the downstroke, it has to go all the way down to catch a primer from the primer ram under Station 1. At what point in the handle stroke would you want the plate to move? There really is no place to do it, making this conjecture moot. The only possible way would be to find some electro-mechanical way to make the plate spin right at the "relaxed" point of the stroke (sitting just above the primer ram where it sits when you let go of the handle after priming - where you thumb spin it now). Perhaps a solenoid is in order here.... Sorry for stifling ingenuity, but I think that it would be next to impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) Loading .375 H&H Magnum at 500 rounds per hour? You have to back up to load for this round? Or are you saying the powder measure is to small to fill the case in one stroke? Thats awesome. So he did it on a SDB, I would want the collator on top of the case feeder with the above auto index in a 550! I can live with 4 stations. I know this doesn't make sense to most people who have more money than they can spend, its ok. I'm a DIY guy. Edit: had an idea for you but the post above makes it a no go. Edited August 3, 2011 by jmorris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Since manually indexing the Shellplate does not slow down the loading cycle (you can index the Shellplate and set a bullet on the case faster than you can let go of the handle and insert a new case in the Shellplate) - I like it that the Shellplate does not auto index. Having the ability to flip the Shellplate in any direction at any time is a nice feature. Nail <---> Hammer ... hit it right on the head... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakshow10mm Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Loading .375 H&H Magnum at 500 rounds per hour? You have to back up to load for this round? Or are you saying the powder measure is to small to fill the case in one stroke? No, that's a niche that is worth the 550. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodownzero Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Since manually indexing the Shellplate does not slow down the loading cycle (you can index the Shellplate and set a bullet on the case faster than you can let go of the handle and insert a new case in the Shellplate) - I like it that the Shellplate does not auto index. Having the ability to flip the Shellplate in any direction at any time is a nice feature. be It's a blessing and a nightmare at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Since manually indexing the Shellplate does not slow down the loading cycle (you can index the Shellplate and set a bullet on the case faster than you can let go of the handle and insert a new case in the Shellplate) - I like it that the Shellplate does not auto index. Having the ability to flip the Shellplate in any direction at any time is a nice feature. be It's a blessing and a nightmare at the same time. I never got the nightmare part. And I forgot to mention, the ability to control the Shellplate's indexing speed is a beautiful thing too. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98sr20ve Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 If your worried about a double charge..... Just seat the bullet in station 2 right after the powder drop. You simply can't double charge if you put a bullet on the case right after it gets filled with powder. It becomes second nature. Your body simply won't allow do it wrong after a while. I also think it's faster. No way to spill powder either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqrlnts Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 The problem with auto-indexing a 550: The case in Station 1 has to make a trip on the upstroke into the sizing/decapping die. Then on the downstroke, it has to go all the way down to catch a primer from the primer ram under Station 1. At what point in the handle stroke would you want the plate to move? There really is no place to do it, making this conjecture moot. The only possible way would be to find some electro-mechanical way to make the plate spin right at the "relaxed" point of the stroke (sitting just above the primer ram where it sits when you let go of the handle after priming - where you thumb spin it now). Perhaps a solenoid is in order here.... Sorry for stifling ingenuity, but I think that it would be next to impossible. Party crashed, lights out! Excellent point. Looks like its a 550 with a casefeed next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braxton1 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Ima45dv8 doesn't call me "ThreadKiller" for nothing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Just seat the bullet in station 2 right after the powder drop. You simply can't double charge if you put a bullet on the case right after it gets filled with powder. I don't think my (.40) bullets will stand up straight enough in the case to keep from tipping over because I have a very slight flair. But it's still a hell of an idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-Bros_JLR Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Just seat the bullet in station 2 right after the powder drop. You simply can't double charge if you put a bullet on the case right after it gets filled with powder. I don't think my (.40) bullets will stand up straight enough in the case to keep from tipping over because I have a very slight flair. But it's still a hell of an idea. I tried this awhile ago while experimenting with speeding up my loading process and couldn't get the bullet to stay reliably. Perhaps if you went with a lot of bell it would work though. I found it was faster and more reliable for me to pick up bullet, index with bullet in hand, and set bullet in case while grabbing another case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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