Primers not feeding -- 550B

[GregInAtl]

For some reason the primer feed cup is not consistently being populated with a primer when the primer slide operates back and forth. It seems to miss about every other one. The slide seems to be going all the way back. I even cleaned the primer slide and platform with alcohol to no avail.

Edited February 11, 2012 by GregInAtl

[yoshidaex]

Which model?

[GregInAtl]

Which model?

550B

[jdphotoguy]

I had a similar problem with my 550B. The problem was the primer pickup cup was a tad to high.

[OzzieF]

I had a similar issue. Turned out the primer shield cap had come loose. This made the primer magazine loose and moving up when it should have been feeding the next primer.

Edited February 11, 2012 by OzzieF

[GregInAtl]

Talked to Dillon after waiting to talk to them since last night. They told me it was the CCI primers I am using. Don't know if that is a known issue or they were just blowing me off. That doesn't help me since I have about 5 or 6 more packs of them. Guess I'll feed them manually.

[Sarge]

Talked to Dillon after waiting to talk to them since last night. They told me it was the CCI primers I am using. Don't know if that is a known issue or they were just blowing me off. That doesn't help me since I have about 5 or 6 more packs of them. Guess I'll feed them manually.

BALONY!!

Or

BOLOGNA!

[limited 10]

I hope that is not the problem.

I've got 15,000 to use.

Check to make sure the primer magazine plastic tip, is seated and not damaged...

[Sarge]

I doubt Dillon is blowing you off. If they were it is not common.

I have loaded CCI, Wolf, Remington, Winchester, Federal, etc.... They all cycled fine through my 550.

Are you sure the slide is traveling it's full rearward range of motion? Cycle it several times and pull on the slide to see if it moves any more. Even the slightest short stroke will miss a primer.

If the cup is traveling all the way as you said then I would look at the magazine tube not being fully seated. Screw the cap off the top and try to turn the tube. It should not turn as it should be locked in place.

Make sure the tip is pushed firmly onto the Mag tube as well.

Also make sure to use the follower rod on top of the primers. For a little extra weight on the follower you can fit a 45 case on top.

I

[98sr20ve]

CCI is pretty much all I used in my 550. It's not the primers. Read this post by Brian from another thread. Call Dillon back and walk through these steps with them if you need help. You may need to add a little more bend to the activation wire. That is a common thing that needs to be done over time. I had to use a vise to get it to bend. It's a tough little sucker.

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.
  
• Grease the short end of the op-rod where it inserts into the bracket clamped around the primer shield.
  

[Youngeyes]

I doubt Dillon is blowing you off. If they were it is not common.

I have loaded CCI, Wolf, Remington, Winchester, Federal, etc.... They all cycled fine through my 550.

Are you sure the slide is traveling it's full rearward range of motion? Cycle it several times and pull on the slide to see if it moves any more. Even the slightest short stroke will miss a primer.

If the cup is traveling all the way as you said then I would look at the magazine tube not being fully seated. Screw the cap off the top and try to turn the tube. It should not turn as it should be locked in place.

Make sure the tip is pushed firmly onto the Mag tube as well.Also make sure to use the follower rod on top of the primers. For a little extra weight on the follower you can fit a 45 case on top.

I

That's what my money is on. Been there done that.

[GregInAtl]

I doubt Dillon is blowing you off. If they were it is not common.

I have loaded CCI, Wolf, Remington, Winchester, Federal, etc.... They all cycled fine through my 550.

Aren't your remarks a little contradictory? Your first statement says you doubt Dillon is blowing me off then you went on to say CCI primers load fine through your 550. Other posters on this thread indicate they don't have trouble with CCI primers, either. That would indicate the problem is not CCI primers as Dillon says it is. Sounds to me they are blowing me off.

[Sarge]

I still doubt they are blowing you off.

I think you may have gotten a CSR that might not know as much as he thinks he does.

Call again and ask the same questions to a different person and you'll probably get a different answer. That is true with any customer service department..

But as a rule Dillon does not blow off customers.

[GregInAtl]

If the cup is traveling all the way as you said then I would look at the magazine tube not being fully seated. Screw the cap off the top and try to turn the tube. It should not turn as it should be locked in place.

Make sure the tip is pushed firmly onto the Mag tube as well.Also make sure to use the follower rod on top of the primers. For a little extra weight on the follower you can fit a 45 case on top.

I

That's what my money is on. Been there done that.

I think this is the problem. I don't have anymore 45 brass until next week, so I can't tell yet. Switching to .38 spl for a few days.

[Canman]

X2 on the 45 case on top of the follower rod.

[underlug]

Talked to Dillon after waiting to talk to them since last night. They told me it was the CCI primers I am using. Don't know if that is a known issue or they were just blowing me off. That doesn't help me since I have about 5 or 6 more packs of them. Guess I'll feed them manually.

You might have gotten an "old guy". I took a reloading class from a professional reloader in the mid ninetys. He said if you wanted no problems with your Dillon use Winchester primers and 231. He also said to avoid CCIs in the Dillon press to avoid primer feeding problems.

I guess it was "known" at the time. I have since used CCI primers with minimal problems. Maybe they changed their shape, thickness, or something at some point

[Sarge]

Talked to Dillon after waiting to talk to them since last night. They told me it was the CCI primers I am using. Don't know if that is a known issue or they were just blowing me off. That doesn't help me since I have about 5 or 6 more packs of them. Guess I'll feed them manually.

You might have gotten an "old guy". I took a reloading class from a professional reloader in the mid ninetys. He said if you wanted no problems with your Dillon use Winchester primers and 231. He also said to avoid CCIs in the Dillon press to avoid primer feeding problems.

I guess it was "known" at the time. I have since used CCI primers with minimal problems. Maybe they changed their shape, thickness, or something at some point

Hey, I know one of those guys at our club.

Never heard of any of the Vit powders last time we talked.

He says 231 is the ONLY good powder for 9mm.

[chevyoneton]

Had some trouble recently with CCI large pistol primers not wanting to go in the pickup tubes, have never had that problem with Winchester LP. Swithed back to Winchesters and the problem was solved. Have never had an issue with ANY primer that was in the press's tube not feeding that was not traced to the primer slide not travleing far enough back to pick one up. Like when a spent or live primer had fallen on top of the slide.

[kalaur]

I had a similar issue. Turned out the primer shield cap had come loose. This made the primer magazine loose and moving up when it should have been feeding the next primer.

I don't have a 550, but the priming system on a 1050 is similar. I actually run the cap on the primer magazine shield loose, so as to not distort the plastic tip on the magazine tube, and to allow the tube to move freely as the primer slide is moving back and forth.

First of all, clean the primer slide. Primer dust accumulates on the slide and can interfere with smooth primer feeding. Check the plastic tip on the magazine tube, these get banged up and need to be replaced. Try taping a bullet to the top of the plastic primer rod, so there is a little 'push' on the primers at all times.

[benos]

Try taping a bullet to the top of the plastic primer rod, so there is a little 'push' on the primers at all times.

Yes, I preferred a bullet over the (previously mentioned) piece of brass.

be

[dmc_md]

I had the same problem.

It was very frustrating. I spent a lot of time taking things apart and cleaning them thoroughly only to have it keep happening.

Finally I figured out I had to bend the activation rod a little bit more and I haven't had a single problem since.

Make sure you are getting a complete stroke.

Darren

[benos]

Finally I figured out I had to bend the activation rod a little bit more and I haven't had a single problem since.

Yes, this is critical: 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.

Outward just a fuzz is the ticket.

be