Swage help on 1050 needed.

[sasquatch981]

I bought a used Super 1050 from a forum member and have it mostly set up. However I am having issues with the swager, and I can't seem to understand the dillon directions. I think I am overthinking something.

So if I understand the directions, I loosen up both the swage rod (lower), and the support rod (upper in the die). I place a piece of unswaged brass in the press, and get it to the right station. Then with the brass in place, I screw the upper rod down until it bottoms out on the brass case. Then tighten the jam nut. Next I pull the handle again and make sure the swage rod does not interfere with the shell plate (it should rest just below the shell plate and not contact it when it spins). I then adjust the swage rod up until it swages the brass, and then lock the second jam nut in place.

What should the measurement between the support rod, and the swage rod be when there is no case in the station? I seem to either have it set too tight, or not tight enough, and I can't seem to properly swage the brass.

Thanks for the help.

[dillon]

There is no fixed measurement for this dimension. The backup rod must be down enough to prevent the swage rod from pushing the case upward. Incorrectly set, the swage rod will cause the top of the pocket of the shellplate to crack if the case isn't held down. Too much downward pressure is just as bad, as it will bubble out the bottom of the pocket, so primers will no longer fully seat. Once the backup die is set, then adjust the swage rod upward to remove the crimp. It helps to start with a commercial case in the swage station, so you can get the swage rod close to it's final position. Then fine-tune the swager using crimped cases, and try to prime them.Trial-and-error is the rule here.